The next step in processing your student visa is to determine how much time it will take to receive your visa. This is known as the admission or entry requirement of the student visa.
This article will talk you through some important points about this process, and what can sometimes be confusing timescales. It’s very important that you understand these if you would like to stay in Australia longer than the allowed three years.
We have gathered all the information here for you so that you know exactly what to do next! Read on to find out more.
The Department of Immigration (DI) will send your application to one or more DI offices where staff review your documents, talk you through the forms, and then input all this information into their computer system.
From there, the office worker will coordinate with other departments to make sure everything is in order and that nothing has been left out. This can include checking if someone is already living in Australia as well!
After all this is done, the department sends the completed document back to you, the applicant. You have to wait until this happens before you know how much time has passed since you submitted your application.
It’s very important to remember that while the government works quickly, it doesn’t always tell you what hour they'll be able to confirm receipt of your application.
One factor is whether you apply through VFS, or directly to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Both agencies have similar deadlines so it doesn’t make much difference which one you use, but it does matter because some things cannot be done via an agency website.
For example, if you need to register your child as a dependent with DFAT then you must do this within two weeks of submitting your visa application. So it’s best to go direct to ensure you don’t waste any time doing this.
Another thing to note is that even though both departments have 24-hour customer service, not all agents are equal. Some only work during business hours while others can take extended times to get back to you.
It’s always worth calling back later after office hours to see if they respond more quickly then.
There are two main categories for non-Australian students to come study in Australia: international degree courses or higher diploma courses. These include bachelor degrees, honours degrees and masters degrees.
A working holiday visa (WHV) allows you to work while studying full time. You can work part time during your stay and apply after six months if you want to remain in Australia longer. Some countries require at least one year so it is best to know this before applying!
If you’re already living in Australia as an Australian citizen, you may be able to get a more limited student visa. A spesific type of skill dependent skilled migration visa lets you live and work in Australia with much lower requirements than a general student visa.
There are also temporary resident visas available for people who plan to spend less than three years in Australia. This could be to do business here, visit or just because they marry an Australian national and now have residency.
An eligible applicant (for example, under age 30) may be able to come to Australia as a skilled worker if they meet both of the following conditions:
They are enrolled in an accredited course that will lead to them earning at least one of the nationally recognised qualifications in the field which their employer is seeking employment in
The employers are willing to sponsor them for work here while they are studying
This process can take several months depending on how quickly your career takes off after graduation and what courses you choose to study. But once you’re working, it can be quite easy to prove your skills by showing evidence such as academic certificates or testimonials from colleagues.
There are some general rules that apply to all students, whether they have a temporary or permanent student visa. These include:
You must be enrolled in an approved course (this can be while you’re studying or after graduation).
You cannot work during your study period unless it is part of your degree or you’ve got enough money saved up to pay rent and bills.
You must tell Immigration New Zealand about any changes to your education plans and employment.
There are different levels of student visas depending on how long you will spend studying in Australia and what kind of job you plan to do once you graduate. More time means higher level visa types but with fewer restrictions. A less serious career option would be able to be done whilst you’re in Australia if you’re careful about timing and length of stay!
Lengthy studies mean longer duration student visas so these can add more waiting around before being allowed into the country as a resident. This is not only annoying for those who want to get things done quickly, but also expensive as additional health insurance, fees etc need to be prepared for.
We’d recommend talking through all the options carefully to see which one works best for you.
When you are invited to apply for a visa, there is a set amount of time that must pass before your application can be processed. This is known as the processing timescale or visa run period.
The length of this period will vary depending on whether you are applying from Australia or overseas. If you are applying from outside Australia, then your country’s consulate will have their own internal deadlines they need to meet in order to accept your application. These dates are not public knowledge so we cannot tell you what theirs are.
If you are applying from within Australia, then your Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) will have their own internal deadlines they need to meet in order to process your application. Again, these aren’t made available to the general public so we don’t know what they are- only DIBP do!
We at Smart Visas can give you an estimated date for how long it will take for your application to be accepted but we will require you to pay us first. Once paid for, our team will publish our estimates publicly so other people may use them if needed. We want to help as many people as possible achieve their goal of migrating to Australia, so our fees are lower than most others.
It is very important to be aware of how much money you have in your savings, credit cards, loans, and recurring bills.
It’s also worth looking at how well you can afford to live while studying abroad. A good way to do this is by checking out various sites that compare cost of living data across countries.
Many websites offer a quick price comparison tool where you enter what country you want to move to and how long you intend to stay there, and it calculates the average monthly costs for food, rent, transportation, and daily expenses.
This will give you a good idea of whether or not you can survive with your current income and what additional incomes would need to be invested in to enjoy your desired lifestyle. Most people are never truly budget conscious enough when spending so they spend more than they should later!
Be careful about overextending yourself though, as most international students I speak to tell me that they felt pressured into taking jobs that paid more because they wanted to pay off their debts quickly.
There is no stipulated time frame to process your application, however it is recommended that you apply as soon as possible after securing all of the required documents and information. The earlier you apply, the shorter the processing times!
It is very common to encounter prolonged wait times at immigration offices, even up to several weeks or months from initial submission. This can be due to a lack of staff, too many applications being submitted, or because the officer taking a longer lunch break than normal.
In some cases, officers may ask you to come back in later so they have enough time to complete their work before submitting it.
This isn’t always practical though, so what can applicants do while waiting for their turn at the office? They can either go home and await instructions or find somewhere else to stay. Many people choose to remain in town and keep active to help pass the time.
