Full Requirements for Australian Student Visa 2018

The requirements for an Australian student visa (subclass 500) in 2018 were outlined by the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs. While the requirements can change over time, the core elements for a student visa typically remained consistent. Here’s an overview of the requirements for the subclass 500 visa in 2018:

1. Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE)

• You needed to be enrolled in a full-time course at an approved education provider in Australia.

• You would need to provide the Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE) for the course you were accepted into. The CoE confirms your enrollment and is required to apply for the student visa.

2. Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Requirement

• The Australian government required applicants to demonstrate that they were a genuine temporary entrant—meaning that you intended to stay in Australia temporarily for the purpose of study and would return to your home country after completing your course.

• You may have been asked to provide evidence of your ties to your home country, such as your family situation, financial situation, and intentions post-study.

3. Financial Capacity

• You needed to show that you could financially support yourself during your studies in Australia.

• This included evidence of:

o Sufficient funds for tuition fees.

o Living costs (for yourself and any accompanying family members).

o Travel costs (return airfare).

• The required amount of funds could vary depending on the length of your course and whether you had accompanying family members. For example, in 2018, it was expected that students would demonstrate access to at least AUD $20,290 per year for living expenses.

4. English Language Proficiency

• You generally needed to show proof of your English language proficiency, which could be done through:

o English-language test results (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE Academic).

o Evidence of completing a course in English (e.g., if you had previously studied in English-speaking schools or universities).

5. Health Requirements

• You were required to meet certain health requirements to ensure that you did not pose a risk to public health in Australia.

• A medical examination might be required as part of the visa application. The specific tests required depended on factors such as the type of course you were studying and the country you were from.

6. Character Requirements

• You needed to be of good character. This usually involved providing a police certificate from your home country and any other country you had lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years.

• You were also required to declare any criminal convictions when applying.

7. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

• Most international students were required to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their stay in Australia.

• This insurance provided basic medical and hospital cover during your stay in Australia.

8. Visa Application

• You needed to apply online through the ImmiAccount on the Australian immigration website or at an Australian visa office in your home country.

• The visa application included providing personal information, supporting documents (such as passport, CoE, financial documents, health and character documents), and paying the visa application fee.

9. Dependents (if applicable)

• If you were bringing family members (spouse or children) with you, you would need to show that you had the financial capacity to support them as well.

• Each dependent would need to apply for a visa and provide supporting documents (such as evidence of the relationship and financial documents).

10. Other Requirements

• If you were applying from within Australia, you may have needed to meet additional requirements, such as having a valid visa.

• Your application would need to be lodged before your current visa expires (if you were already in Australia).

Important Notes for 2018:

• The processing time for the student visa could vary, but in general, it could take several weeks, so it was recommended to apply well in advance.

• It's essential to make sure that the institution you were applying to was CRICOS-registered (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students), as you could only study with a CRICOS-registered provider to be eligible for the student visa.

If you're planning to apply for a student visa now, please note that the requirements may have changed since 2018. It's always a good idea to check the latest information on the official Australian Government immigration website or consult an immigration expert for updated details.