Applying for a Student Visa

To study in Australia, you will need a student visa unless you hold another Australian visa that allows you to enter Australia with no restrictions on study. Students who are undertaking an ELICOS program of no longer than ten weeks may be able to travel to Australia on a tourist or visitor visa. Student Visas can only be granted for courses that are registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is responsible for the grant and extension of entry visas. Immigration policies are also determined by DIAC. Visa grants are not automatic and there are stringent criteria to be met.

Full student visa information is available from the DIAC website.

For information on Australian Diplomatic Missions overseas, please go the DFAT website.

A Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) form is required for any student visa application or extension. The COE is normally provided by Swinburne International within a week of the confirmation of each course acceptance, subject to the provision of any documents satisfying your first course offer and the University remaining satisfied that you meet Australian regulatory requirements.

Please note that your visa will be issued for the particular course(s) that you have been offered. If you change or extend your course at Swinburne, you may need to change your visa or visa details. This is done through obtaining a new Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) from Swinburne International.

Please also note that there are restrictions on international students extending their program duration and DIAC may not allow a visa extension.

Your Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)

If you have been offered two or more courses at Swinburne, an COE will be generated for each course that you have accepted.

All COEs must be provided to DIAC or the Australian Diplomatic Mission where you are applying for your student visa. Students from some countries may be eligible for an e-visa application.

If you hold a current student visa, Swinburne International will send you your COE upon receipt of your course acceptance and deposit. You must apply for a new student visa prior to the expiry of your current visa.

If you change your course or course duration, you must inform DIAC. This is done by obtaining a new COE from Swinburne International.

Note that there are restrictions on international students extending their program duration and DIAC may not allow a visa extension. The issuing of an COE to cover an increase in program duration is not automatic and can only be done in limited situations.

How to Apply for a Visa

Contact the DIAC office or Embassy nominated on the COE. Do not apply to a different office than the one on your COE.

Besides the COE you will also need:

• to read and understand the conditions stated below
• your Letter of Offer
• documents stated on the DIAC visa checklist relevant to you – please download the relevant checklist and read it carefully BEFORE applying for your visa

Your DIAC office will guide you through the rest of the application process.

Conditions of Your Student Visa

Your student visa will be governed by a range of conditions that you must abide by. Some conditions of your student visa are:

• You must undertake a course approved by the Australian government.
• You must satisfy course requirements.
• You must maintain a valid enrolment - attendance requirements may apply.
• You and your family members must not work without permission. If you are given permission to work, you must not work more than 40 hours a fortnight during the semester, unless otherwise specified.
• You must notify Swinburne of any change in your residential addess within seven days of the change.
• You must maintain your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) at ALL times when you are in Australia.
• If you are under 18 years of age, you must maintain accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements that have been approved by Swinburne, unless you are staying in Australia with a DIAC-approved relative or custodian. You must not change those arrangements without the approval of Swinburne.
• You must maintain adequate schooling arrangements for any school-age dependants who join you in Australia on a student dependant visa for more than 3 months.
• Except in extremely limited circumstances, it will not be possible for you to remain in Australia beyond the date authorised by your visa.

Please refer to the DIAC website for further information:

Failure to abide by these conditions on your visa may result in your visa being cancelled.

Students Under 18

If you are under the age of 18, your parents must nominate a guardian who resides in Australia for you before DIAC will consider your student visa application. DIAC requires your guardian to be over 21 years old, related to you and of good character. If you do not have a relative in Australia, your parents will need to arrange for you to stay in Swinburne-approved accommodation. They will also need to engage the services of a Swinburne-approved care provider agency before Swinburne will issue a CoE and the Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation/Welfare (CAAW) form. Swinburne recommends the following care provider agencies:

• EduCARE Service Australia
• A&J Student Care Services

Students With Families

If you plan to bring your family to Australia, please check beforehand with DIAC or the nearest Australian Diplomatic Mission regarding the restrictions on doing so.

You will also need to provide proof of Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) membership for your family.

If you have children between 5 and 15 years old, and are bringing them to Australia, you must enrol them in school. Full fees are payable at both government and non-government schools. View a complete listing of Victorian primary and secondary schools at Schools Online, a Victorian government website.

Costs, application and enrolment information for government, primary and secondary schools may be found on the Victorian Government Schools website.

Applications to non-government schools must be made directly to the school of your choice.

Please note that your student visa assessment criteria may change if your family is accompanying you.

Schooling for Dependents of Post-Graduate Research Students

Dependents of international post-graduate research students at Swinburne University of Technology will receive full exemption from tuition fees in government primary and secondary schools from 1 January 2006.

The exemption has been published in Ministerial Order No. 28 relating to the fees and charges payable in respect of international students enrolled in Government schools in 2006. The exemption will apply to international students with a visa subclass 574 issued on or after 1 July 2004 for as long as the Ministerial Order is in force. There is no restriction on the number of dependents.

It applies only for the duration of the 574 visa, so if a student's visa class changes, they may be required to pay tuition fees for their dependents.