The purpose of this visa is to allow international students to undertake full-time education and training in Australia. This visa enables a student to stay in Australia for the duration of the relevant course. The student must enrol, or in some cases have a letter of offer, with an Australian education provider before lodging a visa application.
The exact requirements for this visa will depend upon the level of risk assigned to your application (the ‘Immigration Risk’), which is a combined immigration risk assessment determined by the risk rating of the education provider and your passport nationality.
As the visa applicant,you must;
- enrol with an Australian education provider as a full-time student, and obtain written confirmation of this enrolment (predominantly on-line courses are not eligible)
- genuinely intend to complete the relevant period of study in Australia
- the required level of English language proficiency unless exempt
- have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the period of your intended stay in Australia
- have access to sufficient funds to cover your return airfares, tuition fees and the cost of living in Australia, as well as costs required for any dependents included in your application.
The exact amount of funds a student requires is set by Department of Home Affairs (DOHA), and is determined by your chosen education provider, your course of study and other personal circumstances. Please contact us for further details.
Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
Features
This visa allows you to stay in Australia as the guardian of an international student younger than 18 years of age studying in Australia on a student visa.
Requirements
You must:
- be a parent or person who has custody of the student, or a relative who is 21 years or older and has been nominated in writing by a parent or someone who has custody of the student
- not bring family members younger than 6 years of age, except under certain circumstances
- be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and other support to the student unless you are applying for this visa with the support of the government your home country.
Pre-qualifying visas
If you are applying in Australia, you must hold a current substantive temporary visa, but not one of the following:
- Domestic Worker (Temporary) – Diplomatic or Consular visa (subclass 426)
- Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream
- Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) – primary visa holder only. This means a family member of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) can apply for a Student visa in Australia.
- Transit visa (subclass 771)
- Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the ‘sponsored Family’ stream or in the ‘Approved Destination Status’ stream.
A substantive temporary visa is any visa except a bridging visa, criminal justice or enforcement visa. It allows the visa holder to remain temporarily in Australia.
Bringing children
You can only bring children under six years old if either:
- there are compelling and compassionate reasons
- the granting the visa would significantly benefit the relationship between the Australian Government and the government of another country. If this is the case, you must be at least 21 and the student must be supported in writing by a parent or person who has custody.
The child must meet the same health requirements as you and have health insurance for the duration of their stay in Australia.
Children six years old or older can come with you but they must apply for their own student visa.
With this visa you can
- visit family or friends
- be here as a tourist, for a cruise or for any purpose except business or medical treatment
You can study or train for up to 3 months in total on this visa. But if your main reason for travelling to Australia is study, a student visa might be more appropriate.
You can’t work.
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa.
You can stay for the period or dates specified on the visa grant letter. We determine the length of your visa on a case by case basis. Things we might consider when determining your stay period include:
- how long you want to stay
- why you want to stay in Australia
You might not be granted the length of stay you want.
We can grant this visa with one entry or multiple entries. If we grant you a visa with multiple entry, you can leave and re-enter Australia on the visa while it is valid. Generally we grant a stay period of 3 months, but we might grant a stay of up to 12 months in certain circumstances.
It is a condition of this visa that you don’t stay in Australia for a total of more than 12 months in an 18-month period. If you currently hold a Visitor visa, a Working Holiday visa, a Work and Holiday visa or a bridging visa, and grant of this visa would mean you stay in Australia for more than 12 consecutive months, you will need to show there are exceptional circumstances.
Consider the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Frequent Traveller stream if:
- you hold a passport from the People’s Republic of China and
- you travel to Australia frequently
Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents
If you are the parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident and you meet all the visa criteria, we might consider granting you a visa for longer than 12 months.
We might grant a visa that lasts up to:
- 18 months if you have not previously travelled to Australia and either:
- have not applied for a Parent visa
- have applied for a Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 103) but are not yet in the queue
- 3 years if you are outside Australia, have previously held an Australian visa and complied with the visa conditions, and either:
- have not applied for a Parent visa
- have applied for a Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 103) but are not yet in the queue
- 5 years if you are outside Australia and in the Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 103) queue
We consider these applications on a case-by-case basis.
If we grant you a visa that is valid for more than 12 months you might be able to enter Australia multiple times while the visa is valid.
If you are granted a visa that is valid for 18 months, 3 years or 5 years, your visa might have these extra conditions:
- you can’t stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in total in any 18-month period
- you must have adequate arrangements for health insurance while you are in Australia
- you can’t apply for another visa within Australia, except for a protection visa
Partner 820 & 801 Visa
Important changes ahead:
The new sponsored family visa and approval of family sponsor changes commence on 17 April 2019. We have been notified that these changes will NOT affect Partner visas on 17 April 2019 and that current arrangements will continue to operate.
At this stage, there is no time-frame for expansion of the new sponsorship framework to other family visas and therefore the current arrangements for existing visas, including partner visas, will continue to operate from 17 April 2019.
At this stage the new changes to sponsored family visa’s, scheduled to commence on 17 April 2019 will only be implemented for the new sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 visa.
Once the above changes roll out to Partner visas it would mean that Sponsorships must be lodged first and approved before Partner visas can be lodged.If you are planning to apply for a Partner visa we recommend booking an appointment to discuss and understand how these changes may impact you.
Features of 820/801 partner visa – Temporary to permanent residency in Australia
Features of 820/801 partner visa – Temporary to permanent residency in Australia The Partner visas (subclasses 820 and 801) allow the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.
The temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) is granted first and lets you stay in Australia, after 24 months you may be eligible for a permanent Partner visa (subclass 801).
Eligibility
You must be married or in a de facto relationship with:
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident
- an eligible New Zealand citizen.
You could be granted an 820/801 visa if:
- Your marriage must be valid under Australian law. This means you must have parental permission if you are 16 or 17 years of age.
- You must have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months.
- If you’re inside Australia at the time of application.
- You already hold another visa type, e.g. student visa, visitor visa or working holiday visa.
- You do not have an “8503 – No further stay” condition.
- Meet health and character requirements.
Partner visa (subclass 309 & 100)
Important changes ahead:
The new sponsored family visa and approval of family sponsor changes commence on 17 April 2019. We have been notified that these changes will NOT affect Partner visas on 17 April 2019 and that current arrangements will continue to operate.
At this stage, there is no time-frame for expansion of the new sponsorship framework to other family visas and therefore the current arrangements for existing visas, including partner visas, will continue to operate from 17 April 2019.
At this stage the new changes to sponsored family visa’s, scheduled to commence on 17 April 2019 will only be implemented for the new sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 visa.
Once the above changes roll out to Partner visas it would mean that Sponsorships must be lodged first and approved before Partner visas can be lodged. If you are planning to apply for a Partner visa we recommend booking an appointment to discuss and understand how these changes may impact you.
Features
The Partner visas (subclasses 309 and 100) allow the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizenlive in Australia.
The temporary Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) is granted first and lets you stay in Australia while the permanent Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100) is processed.
Eligibility
You must be married or in a de facto relationship with:
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident
- an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Your marriage must be valid under Australian law. This means you must have parental permission if you are 16 or 17 years of age.
You must have been in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months.
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
Features
This visa allows people to come to Australia to marry their fiancé.
If you are granted this visa, you should marry your fiancé and apply for a Partner (subclasses 820 and 801)visa before your Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) expires.
Eligibility
You must:
- intend to marry
- have met and know your prospective spouse
- be the opposite sex to your prospective spouse (same-sex couples can apply for a Partner visa)
- be at least 18 years of age.
The purpose of the Prospective Marriage visa is to allow the fiancé(e) of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to travel to Australia in order to be married. The marriage must take place within nine months of the visa grant date, following which the applicant is eligible to apply for a Partner visa. The minimum requirements for this visa are as follows:
PROSPECTIVE MARRIAGE VISA REQUIREMENTS
Relationship
You and your fiancé(e) must:
- be at least 18 years old, and not be closely related
- be free to marry one another
- genuinely intend to get married within nine months of the visa grant date (the marriage may take place either in Australia or overseas)
- have physically met, and be personally known to each other
- genuinely intend to live together as a married couple
Sponsor
Your sponsor must:
- be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- not have previously sponsored more than one other fiancé, partner or spouse for migration to Australia, and not have sponsored a fiancé, spouse or partner for migration to Australia within the last 5 years (unless there are compelling circumstances)
- not have been sponsored for a Spouse, Partner or Prospective Marriage visa by someone else within the last 5 years (unless there are compelling circumstances)
- provide police checks to the department when requested, and
- consent to the department disclosing any conviction for a “relevant offence” to the applicant(s) you are sponsoring.
Your sponsorship will not be approved if you have a conviction for a relevant offence and a substantial criminal history. A relevant offence includes, but is not limited to offences involving violence, intimidation, breaching a protection order, people smuggling, human trafficking and weapons.
Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143)
Overview
This visa lets you:
- stay in Australia indefinitely
- work and study in Australia
- enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
- sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
- travel to and from Australia for five years
- apply for Australian citizenship(once residence requirements have been met)
Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
Features
This visa lets parents of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily.
If you are granted this visa and want to stay in Australia permanently, you can then apply for a Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143).
Applying for this temporary subclass 173 visa before the permanent subclass 143 visa lets you spread the costs of your migration over a number of years.
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
Overview
This visa lets you:
- live in Australia for up to 2 years
- work and study in Australia (you will not receive government support)
- travel to and from Australia for 2 years
- apply for a permanent Contributory Aged Parent (subclass 864) visa
- You must be at the age where you are eligible for an Age Pension in Australia (65 years old)
Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)
The Australian Aged Parent visa allows older parents who are already on temporary visas to live in Australia permanently if their child is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in Australia.
There is currently a long queue in processing this particular visa where waiting times of up to 13 years before this visa is approved. Eligible aged parents may want to apply for the Contributory Aged Parent visa, however that visa will incur a larger application fee and an Assurance of Support bond will be required under this stream.
Parent Visa (subclass 103)
If you have one or more children living in Australia, you might be eligible to apply for an Australia parent visa (subclass 103).
This visa is suitable for the parent or parents of a child/step-child who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident, or settled eligible New Zealand citizen. If granted, this visa will allow the parent or parents to permanently migrate to Australia to join their children.
Whether you qualify for this visa depends on a number of factors, such as:
- residence status of your child(ren) in Australia
- the amount of time the sponsoring child has lived in Australia
- whether you meet the balance of family test
- whether you meet certain health and character criteria
Child visa (subclass 101)
Features
This visa allows a child who is outside Australia to come to Australia to live with their parents.
Eligibility
The child must be single.
Special age requirements apply.
Length of stay
Permanently
Cost
From AUD 2,415
Adoption visa (subclass 102)
Adoption Visa: This visa allows an overseas adopted child to live with their adoptive parents in Australia.
AN ADOPTIVE PARENT MUST BE:
- An Australian citizen
- The holder of an Australian permanent resident visa
- An eligible New Zealand citizen
- The child must be outside Australia when the application is lodged and when the visa is granted.
THIS VISA IS FOR CHILDREN:
- Outside Australia when the application is lodged and when the visa is granted
- Younger than 18 years old
- Already adopted or in the process of being adopted
- sponsored by an adoptive parent or prospective adoptive parent
Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115)
Features
This visa allows someone outside Australia whose only near relatives are living in Australia to live in Australia as a permanent resident.
Eligibility
- Your (and your partner’s) relatives in Australia must be your only near relatives.
- must have someone who will provide an assurance of support.
Length of stay
Permanently
Cost
From AUD 3,945
Who could get this visa
You might be eligible for this visa if:
- your (and your partner’s) only near relatives live in Australia
- an eligible near relative or their partner will sponsor you and all family members included as applicants in your application
- you have someone who will provide an assurance of support
- you and your family members meet health and character requirements.
You should not apply for this visa unless you believe you are likely to be successful, because the visa application charge will not usually be refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn.
Who is your near relative
Your near relative is your parent or your partner’s parent (including biological and step-parent), brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister; child (including stepchild) who has turned 18 and is not a dependent child; or child (including stepchild) who has not yet turned 18 years of age and is not in your or your partner’s daily care and control.
We do not consider how much contact you have with near relatives when we make a decision about whether you are a remaining relative.
Who is your sponsor
Your sponsor must be your parent, brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister or one of their partners. They must agree to give you support, accommodation and financial assistance for your first two years of residency in Australia. This agreement includes any family members included as applicants in your application.
Your sponsor must be:
- 18 years of age or older; and
- settled in Australia
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident or
- an eligible New Zealand citizen .
When you might not be eligible for this visa
Do not apply for this visa if:
- you or your partner have any near relatives, who are usually living outside Australia, or are only living in Australia on a temporary visa, Bridging visa or unlawfully.
- your sponsor (or their partner) was the holder of, or sponsored someone else for, a Remaining Relative visa (subclass 835 or subclass 115), Preferential Family visa (subclass 104) or Family visa (subclass 806).
Health
You must meet certain health requirements. The results are usually valid for 12 months. Do not arrange a health examination until we ask you to.
This also applies to all the members of your family unit included in your application, whether they are migrating or not.
Character
You must meet certain character requirements. You must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. Do not arrange for police certificates until we ask you to.
This also applies to all members of your family unit listed in your application, whether they are migrating or not.
Sign the Australian Values Statement
If you are 18 years of age or older, you must sign an Australian Values Statement to confirm that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. The statement is included in the visa application form. You must have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia book before you sign the statement.
Debts to the Australian Government
You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this visa can be granted.
Business Innovation and Investment (188 Visa)
The 188A visa is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian State or Territory government and meet the points test for this visa. To be nominated, the applicant must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI)through the SkillSelect system.
This is a 4-year temporary visa, for people who want to own and manage a new or existing business in Australia. Once established an ownership interest in an Australian business, the applicant can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation & Investment (Residence) Subclass 888 visa. A 2-year extension is possible once the applicant has held the subclass 188 visa for 3 years, giving from the date of grant of the original Visa.
The applicants can either be in Australia or overseas to lodge this visa.
If the applicant is in Australia:
- Must hold a Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
188B Investment visa
188B visa is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian State or Territory government. To be nominated, the applicant must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the SkillSelect system.
This is a 4-year temporary visa, for people who want to make a designated investment in an Australian state or territory. After maintained an investment in Australian for 4 years, the applicant can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation & Investment (Residence) Subclass 888 visa.The applicants can either be in Australia or overseas to lodge this visa.
If the applicant is in Australia:
- Must hold a Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
188C Significant Investor Visa
This VISA is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian State or Territory government. To be nominated, the applicant must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the SkillSelect system.
This is a 4-year temporary visa, for people willing to make an AUD 5 million investment in Australia. After maintained an investment in Australian for 4 years, the applicant can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation & Investment (Residence) Subclass 888 visa.
The applicants can either be in Australia or overseas to lodge this visa.
If the applicant is in Australia:
- Must hold a Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
Premium Investor Subclass 188D Visas
188D Premium Investor (PIV) Stream
This VISA is only available to applicants who are nominated by an AusTrade.
This is a 4-year temporary visa, for people who want to invest at least AUD 15 million into complying investments in Australia. After maintained an investment in Australian for 1 year, the applicant can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation & Investment (Residence) Subclass 888 visa.
The applicants can either be in Australia or overseas to lodge this visa.
If the applicant is in Australia:
Must hold a Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
188E Entrepreneur stream
This VISA is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian State or Territory government. To be nominated, the applicant must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the SkillSelect system.
This is a 4-year temporary visa, for entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and financial backing from a third party. After spending 2 years in Australia and being sponsored by a state or territory government to qualify for a permanent residence through the Business Innovation & Investment (Residence) Subclass 888 visa.
The applicants can either be in Australia or overseas to lodge this visa.
If the applicant is in Australia:
- Must hold a Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)
Requirements
You might be able to get this visa if you are nominated by a state or territory or the Australian government; and
- hold a provisional Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188) and have met the requirements of that visa in the stream in which you first applied
- hold a Special Category visa (subclass 444) or a Business (Long stay) visa (subclass 457IE) and have met the requirements of the business innovation stream.
Experience building production applications with Metronic would be good to have as well.
Features
This visa allows you to:
- continue to own and manage a business in Australia (the Business Innovation stream)
- continue business and investment activity in Australia (the Investor stream,the Significant Investor stream and the Premium Investor stream).
Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132) A | B
Business Talent (Migrant) visas are permanent visas available to applicants in two streams:
- Significant Business History Stream: for people with ownership interests in large businesses
- Venture Capital Entrepreneur Stream: for people who have access to venture capital funding of at least AUD 1 million
Duration and Conditions
This visa grants permanent residence status.
Do I Apply in Australia or Overseas?
You can either be in Australia or overseas when you lodge your application.
If you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
State/Territory Nomination
This visa is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian State or Territory government.