Even though some international students engage the help of an agent to apply for a student visa application to Australia, the process can be done by the applicant themselves online. From 1st July 2016, all student visa applications must be submitted online. Here is some information to help those who may wish to apply for a student visa to Australia.
Checklist:
There is a Document Checklist Tool on the government’s website that will tell you what documents are needed for your application. It is better to always refer to the checklist while preparing your application file.
Scanner:
There are many documents that you need to attack with your student visa application, for example, certificates and translated documents, statuary declarations etc. Since all applications must be lodged online, it is easier if you have a scanner ready available to you. That way you can scan all the necessary documents that need to be attached to your application online.
Health Examination:
Everyone needs to complete their health examination in order to apply for visa. The government website suggests that applicants should complete the health examination before lodging their visa applications using My Health Declarations.
Doing this test later can delay your application process.
Don’t Rush:
Often when you start an application, you realise that your documentation is not up to date or you are missing something. It is ok not to complete your online application in one sitting. Applicants have the option of saving whatever information they have already filled in and log out of the system. You can always go back and finish the application at another time.
Evidence of enrolment:
If you are outside Australia, you must include your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) number in your visa application. If you are applying in Australia you can either include the CoE details or attack a letter of offer.
Health Insurance:
You need to know your health insurance details before you start you visa application as you need to enter your policy start and finish date. Your policy must before your intended entry date into Australia, preferably a week before, and should finish when you want to leave Australia.
Arriving in Australia without Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) will be in breach of the visa conditions.
Statement:
You will need to prepare a statement explaining why you want to study in Australia in English. You can so that at Genuine Temporary Entrant. There is a maximum limit of 2000 words by the statement does not need to be this long.
Revise:
It is important that before you submit your application, you go through everything once again to make sure you have answered every question correctly and have attacked all the necessary documents.
Incomplete application can delay your visa process.
If you need to provide extra documentation after you have submitted your application, you can do it through ImmiAccount.
For more information, go to www.border.gov.au
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