What Do Students Need to Know about Student Visa in Australia?

As the name explains, the Student Visa to any country would allow the individual to stay and study in that country. Hence, a student visa to Australia will make an individual eligible for:

• Staying and taking part in a suitable course in Australia
• Travel in and out of Australia several times during the tenure of the study period
• Work up to 40 hours every 2 weeks once the curriculum commences

The Tenure of Stay in Australia 

Student VIsa is a temporary visa, and it gives a student the eligibility to stay and study in Australia for up to 5 years. However, the type of course undertaken and the duration thereof will decide the duration of stay.

Children who are in primary school and who have enrolled between the 1st and the 4th year will only get a student visa for a maximum of 2 years.

How to stay longer?

For those who would like to continue studying in Australia, applying for a new Student Visa in Australia is compulsory.

In case the tenure of the visa is set to expire before the graduation, the student may be eligible for a Visitors Visa (subclass 600). In that case, the incumbent will require to obtain a letter from his/her education provider with the date of graduation mentioned.

If the holder of a student visa has completed a specific qualification in Australia within the last 6 months, the individual is eligible for a Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485).

In case, the visa holder is a recent engineering graduate and has passed out from a recognised institution, the individual will be eligible to hold a Skilled Recognition Graduate Visa (subclass 476).

However, in case the holder wants to linger the stay in Australia further for any other reason, the person must apply for a fresh visa, which will suit the changed circumstances.

The Standard Processing Time :

The standard processing time of visas, depending upon the sector, for which the student visa in Sydney or in any other part of Australia is applied for.

• For foreign affairs or Defence Sector, the standard time is 18 to 55 days
• For Postgraduate research sector is 57 days to 5 months
• For the school sector, the standard period is 42 to 69 days
• For the Independent ELICOS sector, it is 35 to 55 days
• For vocational education and training sector, its 63 and 88 days
• For the Higher Education Sector, it is 28 to 48 days