You don’t have to be a student in your home country to be eligible for the Australian student visa. The Australian student visa is available for people 18 years of age or older (is some cases even 16 years old applicants can be eligible).

This visa is issued to applicants who choose to enrol for a course that lasts 12 weeks or longer (there is no upper limit, you can study as long as you wish). The expiry date of the visa is determined by the length of your education. The visa is issued for the duration of the course (or courses) plus one extra month of stay (or two months if the course is longer than one year). The student visa includes permission to work but there are restrictions on the number of hours you may work when school is in session (you will be allowed to work part time for a maximum of 20 hours per week from the commencement of the course). The additional month or months after the end of the course can be spent travelling or working full time - legally. You may also work full time during school vacation.

There are 7 types of Australian student visa you can choose from depending on your circumstances.. There are also different application procedures for a person applying for a language course and for someone who wishes to be accepted to college or university.

The application procedure. The student visa application charge: 550 AUD incl. work permission (you are allowed to work when your course starts).

Each of the above categories entails a different application procedure. Also, each application is assessed according to one of the five assessment levels. The assessment level is determined by the country of nationality of the main applicant. The assessment levels are determined by the government based on how likely students are to comply with their visa conditions (based on previous students’ behaviour). If you are subject to assessment level 1 - you can apply online. The higher the assessment level, the more evidence you will need to provide to demonstrate your financial capacity, understanding of the English language and other relevant matters. If you are subject to assessment level 3, 4 or 5 you may have to undergo a preliminary assessment before an Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) is issued by your Australian education provider.

Some of the documents necessary for obtaining student visa:

• Passport - it is recommended that your passport be valid beyond your expected date of return home;
• Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) - an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate will be issued by your education provider after you pay the first instalment of your tuition fee;
• Medical examination results (you will be required to undergo a chest x-ray, urinalysis, and general medical examination). Please note: medical examinations and chest x-rays are valid for 12 months. Medical examinations conducted overseas are generally only acceptable if conducted by Panel doctors;
• Adequate compulsory health insurance - OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover);
• An evidence of possessing sufficient funds for the first 12 months of your stay in Australia – 12 000 AUD;
• Visa charges payment (550 AUD).

Additional documents necessary for obtaining student visa in case of persons between 16 and 18 years of age (Student visa under 18), travelling without parental supervision:

• Certified unabridged copy (or translation thereof) of visa applicant's birth certificate.
• An official and certified consent of both parents to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years on an appropriate form;
• acceptable arrangements for the student’s accommodation in Australia. The arrangements include obtaining a Police Clearance check of your parent/s, custodian, or relative with whom you will reside;
• An up-to-date and detailed list of the necessary documents can be obtained from Bridge Agency office or in the visa section of the Australian Embassy.

Available for married couples or partners in de facto relationships (ie. who are able to prove they’ve been living together for a period of at least 12 months prior to lodging visa application). One spouse or partner must have a valid student visa. An applicant for a dependent visa is added to the visa application of the other spouse or partner. The spouse or partner is also allowed to undertake part-time employment, just like the main applicant. If the holder was granted the visa on the basis of being the dependant of a student visa holder who is studying a Masters or Doctorate, the holder is exempt from any work restrictions once the primary student visa holder's course has commenced.

It’s worth noting that a trip organized on the basis of a dependent visa might be more financially demanding than in the case of an individual student visa. There are additional costs that should be taken into account, like submitting documentation which proves that the relationship is genuine and continuing (with certified translations of such documents).

This visa allows recent engineering graduates of selected overseas universities to gain up to 18 months of skilled work experience in occupations in demand in Australia. The person applying must be under 31 years of age and meet the threshold of competent English. The applicant must have completed an Engineering degree qualification or higher at an educational institute recognised by the government of Australia in the two years immediately before the date of lodging the application. This visa allows you and any secondary applicants included in your visa application to remain in Australia for up to 18 months with no restrictions on work or study. During this period you may choose to travel, work, undertake further professional studies or study to improve your English skills. Recognised Graduate visa holders will have unrestricted work and study rights and can apply for a permanent General Skilled Migration or employer sponsored visa at any time.