Are you wanting to study abroad in Australia? Every year thousands of international students choose to study in Australia because it offers a world-class education system, in a modern, democratic and technologically advanced society. On top of this, Australia is a truly beautiful country, considered one of the best places to live in the world. Australia is also a safe, young, vibrant and friendly country in which students thrive.
So where do you begin?
1. Firstly identify the type of career path and course that you would be interested in. Factors to be considered are the field of study, course level, length of course and the location
2. Search for educational institutions which provide the registered courses that you are interested in
3. Apply for admission to the institution
4. Apply for a Visa
5. Obtain medical insurance
6. What to do after being accepted?
7. What to do upon arrival in Australia
The above steps have been expanded upon below.
1. Firstly identify the type of career path and course that you would be interested in Choose a field of Study
Australia has four main educational areas from which to identify your field of study.
Universities which offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering areas such as Accounting, Agriculture, Architecture, Business and Management, Communications, Computing / IT, Creative Arts, Dentistry, Economics, Education / Training, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Health Services, Humanities / Social Science, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Sciences
Vocational education and training offer courses which are generally more practical and career oriented towards areas such as business, computing, marketing, tourism and hospitality. All of the qualifications on offer meet national industry standards. As such they are excellent for preparing students for employment in a variety of occupations and to also provide the opportunity for further studies.
Schools from junior to secondary level set the basis for further education. All schools offer English. Other common subjects include varying levels of mathematics, science, arts, languages and technology.
English Language Training from beginner to advanced. English schools are an excellent way to prepare for the IELTS language test which is a prerequisite for all international student visas.
Choose a level of study
The good news for students studying in Australia is that the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) allows students to move easily from one level of study to another.
Schools offer students the opportunity to obtain the Senior Secondary Certificate Of Education. School studies prepare students for university entry, further training programs or for entry into the workforce. Some schools also issue or give credit towards Certificates I-IV. All levels of school education are available to international students in Australia, but only the post-compulsory schooling Senior Secondary Certificate of Education is part of the AQF. A small number of secondary schools prepare students to international standards including the International Baccalaureate test.
Vocational education and training institutions offer Certificates 1 - 4, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, Vocational Graduate Certificates and Vocational Graduate Diplomas. Vocational education and training institutions are also a great place for older students to complete their can Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Note: some Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, Vocational Graduate Certificates and Vocational Graduate Diplomas are also offered by Universities.
Universities offer the following levels of study; diploma, associate degree, advanced diploma, bachelor degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters degree, doctoral degree.
Note: Foundation Studies or Bridging courses can also be taken to help students meet entry requirements for further study. These courses may lead to further study that will result in an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification. Most courses and training undertaken by international students entering Australia on a student visa are covered by the AQF. However, there are a number of Australian Government registered courses for international students which are not part of the AQF.
English language training courses Australia offers a tremendous range of English language training courses. These courses help students improve their English proficiency, meet visa requirements, prepare for the IELTS test (a requirement for international students), or to prepare for one of several internationally-recognised English language qualifications.
Further details about the IELTS test can be found in the following article English Requirements for International Students
2. Search for educational institutions which provide the registered courses that you are interested in. Please note that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will only grant you a student visa if your course is registered, or is part of a registered course, on a full time basis.
The best way to find an appropriate course is to use the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) .
3. Apply for admission to the institution To start the process you will need to obtain an application form from either an Australian education agent or the appropriate department at the institution you plan to study at.
The application form will require you to enter details of the courses you are applying for, along with second and third preferences. You will need to provide documentation to support your academic results and your English language skills (i.e. your IELTS test result).
After completing the form you will need to send it back to either the education agent or the institution, depending on what the institutions instructions are.
The educational institution will then assess your application and if successful you will be sent a letter of offer. Depending on your country of origin and the education sector you are planning to study in, a pre-visa maybe be required before the institution provides you with an Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment (eCoE). The eCoE is the only accepted evidence of enrolment for processing student visa applications. Once you have the eCoE you can begin the process of applying for your Visa.
4. Apply for a Visa The department of immigration and citizenship has specific criteria that you must meet before a visa will be granted. Some of the visa requirements include:
Being able to show that you can pay for living expenses, education costs and travel for the duration of your course.
Meeting certain health requirements, which could involve a health examination
Meeting English proficiency levels
Having the standard of education required by the Australian education provider who conducts the course you are applying for
Being covered by Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) while in Australia. Exceptions do exist for some students such as Swedish and Norwegian students with specific health cover held in their own country. This should however be checked with The department of immigration and citizenship when applying for your visa. Applying for a Visa can obviously be time consuming and stressful, especially if you are doing it yourself. To help international students, we have in Australia some excellent companies which can prepare and submit Visas on your behalf of students. These services can also be engaged to assist with certain queries or aspects of preparing student visas.
Would you like assistance with your Visa? Seeking correct advice and gaining assistance to complete your visa, can mean the difference between success and failure. As such it would be highly recommended that you make use of our partners at Studylane. Studylane can give you advice on how to properly research the application process and how to prevent having to reapply for your visa due to it being incomplete or inaccurate. To seek assistance from Studylane, simply follow the below link and then use the ‘Assistance’ option to get the process started. Click to go to Studylane now
5. Obtain Medical Insurance Australia has a special system of health cover for international students called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). You must have health cover for the duration of your enrolment as a condition of your visa requirements.
OSHC will help you pay for any medical or hospital care you may need while you are studying in Australia, and will contribute towards the cost of prescription medicines and an ambulance in an emergency. Dental, optical and physiotherapy are not covered.
Students in Australia are responsible for their own accident, personal, car and property insurance. We recommend that students take out travel insurance to cover such things before leaving their country of origin.
If you come to Australia on a visa other than a student visa, and your course of study is under three months duration, you will not be eligible for OSHC. In this case travel insurance is recommended.
Would you like further information? More detail can be found on the Studylane website. Simply click on the Studylane link below and select the ‘Student Resources’ option. From there you can select ‘Insurance’ from the drop down menu. Click to go to Studylane now
6. What to do after being accepted into your course? After you have been accepted it is time to get things in order before leaving.
Firstly, ensure you book your flights and accommodation early to avoid any disappointment.
If you need to book temporary accommodation, please consider booking through the Australian Student website Hotel Booking Page
Next familiarise yourself with studying in Australia. An excellent overview can be found in the Study in Australia Guide
7. What To Do Upon arrival in Australia For convenience and peace of mind, it would be best to arrange for someone to meet you at the airport. If you have friends or family I am sure they won’t mind. If you do not know anyone in Australia there are many companies who will be happy to pick you up, perhaps for a small fee. A final option is to take a bus or a taxi which you will find at the airport.
Once you have made it from the airport to where you are staying, it would be a great idea to organise an orientation of your city and education institution if you have not already done so. Again you should not have too many problems finding support groups that can assist in this area.
You might even find the University or Education School that you are attending will have these services freely available.
So where do you begin?
1. Firstly identify the type of career path and course that you would be interested in. Factors to be considered are the field of study, course level, length of course and the location
2. Search for educational institutions which provide the registered courses that you are interested in
3. Apply for admission to the institution
4. Apply for a Visa
5. Obtain medical insurance
6. What to do after being accepted?
7. What to do upon arrival in Australia
The above steps have been expanded upon below.
1. Firstly identify the type of career path and course that you would be interested in Choose a field of Study
Australia has four main educational areas from which to identify your field of study.
Universities which offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering areas such as Accounting, Agriculture, Architecture, Business and Management, Communications, Computing / IT, Creative Arts, Dentistry, Economics, Education / Training, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Health Services, Humanities / Social Science, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Sciences
Vocational education and training offer courses which are generally more practical and career oriented towards areas such as business, computing, marketing, tourism and hospitality. All of the qualifications on offer meet national industry standards. As such they are excellent for preparing students for employment in a variety of occupations and to also provide the opportunity for further studies.
Schools from junior to secondary level set the basis for further education. All schools offer English. Other common subjects include varying levels of mathematics, science, arts, languages and technology.
English Language Training from beginner to advanced. English schools are an excellent way to prepare for the IELTS language test which is a prerequisite for all international student visas.
Choose a level of study
The good news for students studying in Australia is that the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) allows students to move easily from one level of study to another.
Schools offer students the opportunity to obtain the Senior Secondary Certificate Of Education. School studies prepare students for university entry, further training programs or for entry into the workforce. Some schools also issue or give credit towards Certificates I-IV. All levels of school education are available to international students in Australia, but only the post-compulsory schooling Senior Secondary Certificate of Education is part of the AQF. A small number of secondary schools prepare students to international standards including the International Baccalaureate test.
Vocational education and training institutions offer Certificates 1 - 4, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, Vocational Graduate Certificates and Vocational Graduate Diplomas. Vocational education and training institutions are also a great place for older students to complete their can Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Note: some Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, Vocational Graduate Certificates and Vocational Graduate Diplomas are also offered by Universities.
Universities offer the following levels of study; diploma, associate degree, advanced diploma, bachelor degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters degree, doctoral degree.
Note: Foundation Studies or Bridging courses can also be taken to help students meet entry requirements for further study. These courses may lead to further study that will result in an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification. Most courses and training undertaken by international students entering Australia on a student visa are covered by the AQF. However, there are a number of Australian Government registered courses for international students which are not part of the AQF.
English language training courses Australia offers a tremendous range of English language training courses. These courses help students improve their English proficiency, meet visa requirements, prepare for the IELTS test (a requirement for international students), or to prepare for one of several internationally-recognised English language qualifications.
Further details about the IELTS test can be found in the following article English Requirements for International Students
2. Search for educational institutions which provide the registered courses that you are interested in. Please note that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will only grant you a student visa if your course is registered, or is part of a registered course, on a full time basis.
The best way to find an appropriate course is to use the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) .
3. Apply for admission to the institution To start the process you will need to obtain an application form from either an Australian education agent or the appropriate department at the institution you plan to study at.
The application form will require you to enter details of the courses you are applying for, along with second and third preferences. You will need to provide documentation to support your academic results and your English language skills (i.e. your IELTS test result).
After completing the form you will need to send it back to either the education agent or the institution, depending on what the institutions instructions are.
The educational institution will then assess your application and if successful you will be sent a letter of offer. Depending on your country of origin and the education sector you are planning to study in, a pre-visa maybe be required before the institution provides you with an Electronic Confirmation of Enrollment (eCoE). The eCoE is the only accepted evidence of enrolment for processing student visa applications. Once you have the eCoE you can begin the process of applying for your Visa.
4. Apply for a Visa The department of immigration and citizenship has specific criteria that you must meet before a visa will be granted. Some of the visa requirements include:
Would you like assistance with your Visa? Seeking correct advice and gaining assistance to complete your visa, can mean the difference between success and failure. As such it would be highly recommended that you make use of our partners at Studylane. Studylane can give you advice on how to properly research the application process and how to prevent having to reapply for your visa due to it being incomplete or inaccurate. To seek assistance from Studylane, simply follow the below link and then use the ‘Assistance’ option to get the process started. Click to go to Studylane now
5. Obtain Medical Insurance Australia has a special system of health cover for international students called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). You must have health cover for the duration of your enrolment as a condition of your visa requirements.
OSHC will help you pay for any medical or hospital care you may need while you are studying in Australia, and will contribute towards the cost of prescription medicines and an ambulance in an emergency. Dental, optical and physiotherapy are not covered.
Students in Australia are responsible for their own accident, personal, car and property insurance. We recommend that students take out travel insurance to cover such things before leaving their country of origin.
If you come to Australia on a visa other than a student visa, and your course of study is under three months duration, you will not be eligible for OSHC. In this case travel insurance is recommended.
Would you like further information? More detail can be found on the Studylane website. Simply click on the Studylane link below and select the ‘Student Resources’ option. From there you can select ‘Insurance’ from the drop down menu. Click to go to Studylane now
6. What to do after being accepted into your course? After you have been accepted it is time to get things in order before leaving.
Firstly, ensure you book your flights and accommodation early to avoid any disappointment.
If you need to book temporary accommodation, please consider booking through the Australian Student website Hotel Booking Page
Next familiarise yourself with studying in Australia. An excellent overview can be found in the Study in Australia Guide
7. What To Do Upon arrival in Australia For convenience and peace of mind, it would be best to arrange for someone to meet you at the airport. If you have friends or family I am sure they won’t mind. If you do not know anyone in Australia there are many companies who will be happy to pick you up, perhaps for a small fee. A final option is to take a bus or a taxi which you will find at the airport.
Once you have made it from the airport to where you are staying, it would be a great idea to organise an orientation of your city and education institution if you have not already done so. Again you should not have too many problems finding support groups that can assist in this area.
You might even find the University or Education School that you are attending will have these services freely available.
