Do you need a visa? Yes. International students need to obtain a student visa in order to study in Australia. The process of applying for a student visa varies depending on which country you’re applying from and the type of education you want to pursue.

Visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website to learn more about process for assessing and granting student visas and a visa wizard to help determine the type of visa to apply for. The DIAC website is particularly useful for applicants who want to find out if they can study in Australia before starting to apply for courses.

Visa Procedure

A letter of offer from the institution you applied for is one of the requirements in getting a Student visa. See admission applications for more information.

If English is not your first language, you will need to demonstrate a sufficient proficiency level of the English. This is a prerequisite to meet the minimum academic requirements and to be accepted on a student visa on Australia.

Test results from IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge (CAE) and Pearson (PTE) are accepted by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for visa purposes.

Student visas are only granted if you seek to undertake a full-time course that is accredited and registered by the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

1. Student Visa Options

Your passport country and course(s) of study determine your Assessment Level. Your main course of study determines the Student visa subclass under which you will be assessed.

See: Student Subclass Options
Click here to apply for a student visa (formerly known as Form 1160i)

2. Starting your application

It is important that you complete your application during the time of lodgment. It may take longer to finalize applications with missing information.

For more information about the progress of your application, see Students and Sponsored Training.
If you have already lodged your application and have not yet been allocated a case officer, you can send an email at Student Visa Enquiry Form.
For information on student visas, visit www.immi.gov.au