Study to Migrate to Australia

International students (and family members) who have qualifications and work experience relevant to an occupation in demand in Australia may be able to study in Australia for twelve months and then apply for a Skilled visa.

Other applicants may need to study in Australia for two years, apply for a Graduate visa, and then work in Australia before applying for a Skilled visa.

The factors that directly affect the ability to apply for a Skilled visa at the end of your course include:

• Whether the studies are related to an occupation in demand in Australia or to an occupation in demand in one of the Australian states;
• The duration of the course;
• The sector of the course (ELICOS, trade certificate, bachelor’s degree, postgraduate diploma, master’s degree or doctorate);
• The physical location of the institute and whether it is in regional Australia;
• Your age and level of English at the time of graduation; and
• Whether you have previous work experience or qualifications in the occupation and the level of your previous studies.

IMPORTANT: Not all courses offered in Australia maintain your eligibility to apply for a permanent visa once completed. For this reason, it is important to always get advice from an immigration expert.

On applying for any Skilled Visa at the end of your studies you will be granted a bridging visa while your Skilled Visa is being processed. This bridging visa will allow you to work full time in Australia until your Skilled Visa is granted.

Study Requirements

The main requirements in meeting the 2 year “Australian Study Requirement” are as follows:

• Type of Qualification: You must complete a degree, diploma or trade qualification. Masters, graduate diplomas and PhDs are considered degrees and so may be counted towards the 2 year study requirement.
• CRICOS registration: The courses completed must be on the approved list of courses for international students (CRICOS). There can be issues if your course or educational institution is deregistered prior to completion of your studies.
• Two Academic Years: this is defined as being at least 92 weeks according to the CRICOS registration of the courses.
• 16 Month Duration: the course must take at least 16 months of study in Australia from the beginning of the course till completion.
• English Medium: All instruction must be in English. There can be issues with this requirement in the case of translation/interpreting qualifications.
• Compliance with Visa Conditions: Study must be in compliance with visa conditions to count towards the 2-year study requirement. This will not in general be an issue if you are studying in Australia on a student visa, but could be an issue if you are studying on a visa with restricted study rights.

Study in a region

The new migration program in Australia encourages people to study and live in regional areas of Australia. International students who live and study in one of these areas can gain extra 5 points on the immigration points test and 15 points once they receive the state nomination. There are also numerous other benefits to studying in regional areas including an additional year on the graduate work visa.

Please note that regional areas are defined as any area excluding Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Immigration advice and assistance

For further information about visa applications, please call our office on 02 6247 7577 or send an email to: info@visaustralia.com

VisAustralia is committed to working hard to assist our clients, negotiate the application process and apply for permanent residence in Australia.