The 7 Types of Australian Student Visas

Any international student who is not an Australian citizen needs the Australian Student Visa to study in Australia. A student visa is required for any course that last longer than four months. Now we know you know these facts- but did you know there were 7 different types of Australian student visas?

And to apply for one, you must have secured an unconditional offer letter from an Australian uni- for which you must have accepted the place of offer and paid the course tuition fee. Here’s a look at the different types of Aussie visas…

1. The Independent ELICOS Sector visa is for international students looking to study the ELICOS (English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students) programme full time. If you are to undertake ELICOS as a prerequisite to another programme, you must apply under the subclass that is relevant to the main programme.
2. The Schools Sector visa is for international students who want to finish a school programme full time (for a primary, secondary, or a secondary exchange programme).
3. Vocational Education and Training Sector visa is for international students looking to study a vocational programme full time (inclusive of Diploma and Advance Diploma, and Certificate I, II, III, and IV).
4. The Higher Education Sector visa is for international students looking to take up a higher education programme full time- such as a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or bachelor degree.
5. The Postgraduate Research Sector visa is for international students looking to do research at the postgraduate level or a doctoral degree.
6. The Non Award Sector visa is for international students looking to study either a non-award foundation studies programme or a full-time course (or components of a programme), which does not lead to an award in Australia.
7. Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector visa is for international students sponsored by AusAID or Defence for a full-time course of any type in the country.

And in general, a student visa can last up to five years and costs from AUD 560.

Want to know more about Australian university admissions? You’re definitely in the right place- with us, you are just a hop, skip, and a jump away (kangaroo style!) from your dream university in the land down under. Literally. Just reach out to us- and we’ll take it from there!