Know the requirements for a student visa to go to Australia

New Delhi: Australia's new government is set to change its strict visa laws to attract more students from "high risk" countries like India and China. According to the recommendations of the Review of the Student Visa Assessment Level Framework 2013 report which was released earlier this week, the Australian government is likely to streamline the student visa Assessment Level Framework (ALF). One of the recommendations is to relax the financial requirements for student visa applicants from the AL (assesment level) 4 countries like India, Nepal and Pakistan. Here is the student visa requirements/visa procedure for Australia: To be granted a student visa you must complete a visa application form, lodge it with the evidence required, pay the application charge and satisfy the student visa requirements. You can be granted a student visa only if you intend to study a registered course on a full-time basis and meet with a number of visa conditions after you have entered Australia. To be granted a student visa you must satisfy the visa requirements and meet with a number of visa conditions for attendance and academic performance which come into effect after your entry in Australia. Your Student (Temporary) Visa will list the conditions that apply specifically to you. It is important to meet with your visa conditions to avoid visa cancellation. Student visa information here is an outline only and subject to change. The Student (Temporary) Visa has separate sub-classes for each education sector. You should apply under the visa sub-class for your principal course of study. Common student visa requirements You are of good character You are of sound health You have acceptable health insurance through the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for yourself and members of your family unit accompanying you to Australia You have no outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia, or have made arrangements acceptable to the Minister to repay such a debt If assessed at level 1 or 2, or you are in Australia under any assessment level, an electronic confirmation of enrolment (eCoE) certificate is required before you lodge your application and a copy is to be furnished with your application If you are outside Australia and assessed at level 3, 4 or 5 you will need an ‘offer of a place in a course' letter from your Australian education provider at the time you lodge your application. If you are at Assessment level 3 or 4 you must apply for Pre-Visa Assessment. An electronic confirmation of enrolment (eCoE) certificate issued by your education provider after you lodge your application if you are requested by the Australian embassy to do so. GeeBee can help you with this. Common visa conditions You must satisfy attendance and course requirements and maintain a valid enrolment for your course You must not work unless you have special permission You must maintain your Overseas Student Health (OSHC) cover while in Australia You must leave Australia before your visa expires You must remain with the education provider you originally enrolled with for the first year of your course or, if the course is less than 12 months, for the duration of your course You must advise your education provider of your residential address within 7days of your arrival in Australia and must advise any address change If you change education provider you must inform your current education provider within 7 days of issue of an eCoE Country assessment levels Each education sector in each country is rated according to 4 Assessment Levels based on the levels of students not meeting with their visa conditions. The visa requirements or Evidentiary Standards you must satisfy are increasingly difficult from Assessment Level 1 through to Assessment Level 4. A fifth Assessment Level is available for emergency use and has the most stringent requirements. Further information on country assessment levels can be found at the DIMIA website. Evidentiary standards/Assessment Factors Financial ability to cover air fares, tuition fees and other expenses related to your education and stay in Australia English language proficiency likely compliance with visa conditions any other relevant matters such as age, academic background and usefulness of course for employment and immigration history capacity to support any family unit members for the duration of your stay in Australia the specific provisions for each of these depend upon the country assessment level and are described in the Student Booklets provided by DIMIA for each sector Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment An Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) is issued by your Australian education provider and is the only accepted evidence of enrolment for processing student visa applications. Contingent on your country of nationality and your principal course of study you may have to undergo a Pre-Visa Assessment (PVA) before an institution issues an eCoE. The institution will advise you of its requirements but generally it will require payment of at least one semester of course fees before issuing an eCoE. A copy of your eCoE will be submitted for getting a student visa. Information collected through the eCoE process includes the student visa application, visa grant and visa compliance data from a student's arrival in Australia and course commencement through to their departure from Australia.