Firstly you need to find a course offered by an Australian institution that is registered with the Australian government to offer courses to overseas students. To check if your course is registered you can visit the Commonwealth Register of Courses and Institutions for Overseas Students (CRICOS) website.
You must meet the minimum academic requirements of the course and have a sufficient level of English language ability. You should check that you meet all the requirements before you apply.
In order to apply for a course you must obtain an application form from a local Australian Education agent or the institutions contact officer.
Along with your completed application form you may be asked to provide documents such as:
Full details of previous study Evidence of English language proficiency
Yes. You will need a visa to study in Australia. If your course is 3 months or less in duration you may be eligible to study on a working holiday visa so long as you meet the requirements of this visa.
In order to study full-time in Australia you will need a student visa. You can be granted a student visa only if you intend to study a registered course on a full-time basis and comply with a number of visa conditions after you have entered Australia.
You can apply for your student visa as soon as you receive a letter of offer or electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for your full time course of study. However, it is recommended that you wait until you are advised by your local Australian Government office to enrol or obtain a CoE.
Depending on your country of nationality and the education sector of your study you may be required to undergo a pre-visa assessment before the institution issues an Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE). The eCoE is the only accepted evidence of enrolment for processing student visa applications.
You may be required to pay tuition fees before applying for the student visa. The institution will advise you of its requirements but generally it will require payment of at least one semester of course fees.
The charge for the Australian Student visa is currently AU$540. This fee must accompany your application and is generally not refunded if the visa application is unsuccessful.
Tuition fees in Australia vary depending on the course or institution as each University sets its own tuition fees. You need to bear this in mind when choosing your course in Australia as you could be looking at an annual tuition fee of between AU$8,000 and AU$28,000. Specialist degrees such as Architecture, Medicine, and Dentistry often charge higher tuition fees.
According to a recent Australian Government study the average international student in Australia will spend around AU$360 a week on accommodation, food, clothing, entertainment, transport and telephone. The cost of living very much depends on your lifestyle and the location you choose to study in.
While choosing your course you should look into the cost of accommodation at the university or in the vicinity so you can take this into consideration.
A typical academic year is between 38 and 40 weeks so you will need to consider what costs you will incur outside the academic year. Are there any scholarships available?
Yes there are scholarships available in Australia. Please check with the University you wish to apply to.
Yes. Australian qualifications are usually recognised and highly regarded internationally by employers and educational institutions.
If you wish to work whilst you are a student in Australia you can apply for permission to work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full time during vacation periods. You cannot start work until you have started your course in Australia.
