On July 1 this year, Australia’s new visa regime came to effect.
These changes, introduced to crack down on “non-genuine” or fraudulent visa applications, make the visa application process more stringent.
It is important to keep yourself abreast of these updates so that you can apply for your student visa easily.
The changes are:
Applicants who already hold certain visas, such as the Temporary Graduate Visa cannot apply for a student visa. This measure has been introduced to present “visa hopping”.
Genuine Student (GS) requirement replaces the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for student visas, to ensure that applicants are only there in Australia to study.
The new minimum International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score for Temporary Graduate Visa applicants has been increased to 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band, and the test validity window has decreased to 1 year.
The new minimum IELTS score for student visa applicants has been increased to 6, and 5.0 for students wanting to take English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS).
Student applicants will have to show they have at least Australian Dollars 29,710, or Rs 16,29,964 in savings to qualify.
Visa Application Charge (VAC) for Student and Student Guardian visas increased to $1600 from $710.
International students will no longer be allowed to enroll in two courses simultaneously within the first six months of their principal course