New rules restrict onshore student visa applications and limit family members joining international students in Australia.
Australia has introduced major changes to its student visa rules for international students. The new rules took effect on Friday, October 2, and restrict who can apply for a Student visa (Subclass 500) from within Australia.
The changes also limit the ability of many student visa holders to bring spouses and dependent children to Australia.
Most applicants must apply from outside Australia
Under the new rules, most relevant temporary visa holders must apply for a student visa from outside Australia. They must also remain outside the country when the visa is granted.
Students already in Australia who want to apply for another student visa will generally need to leave the country before applying.
Some exemptions remain. These include cases where a student needs up to 12 more months to finish a previous course. Other exemptions cover DFAT or Defence-sponsored students, people starting a PhD, school-level students, and some students moving to a higher AQF-level course.
Exceptions may also apply in certain cases, such as when an educational institution closes.
Family members face new restrictions
The new rules also change how student visa applicants can include family members.
In general, student visa applicants will no longer be able to include their spouse or dependent children in the application as before. Specific exemptions apply to some groups.
These include PhD students and students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence. Certain foreign government scholarship holders may also qualify.
Students from some Pacific and ASEAN countries are also covered by exemptions.
However, the option to add a family member later as a subsequent entrant has been closed. The Department of Home Affairs has stated that there are no exemptions for this change.
Onshore applications may be invalid
Applications that must be lodged from outside Australia may be considered invalid if they are submitted from within the country.
The Department of Home Affairs has advised applicants to check their current visa type and course before applying. They should also confirm whether an exemption applies to their situation.
After submitting an application from outside Australia, an applicant may be able to enter Australia using another valid visa while the application is processed.
However, the applicant must be outside Australia when the student visa is granted. No bridging visa will be granted in connection with such applications.
Earlier applications are not affected
Student visa applications submitted before October 2 will not be covered by the new rules.
Those applications will be assessed under the rules that were in place when the applications were submitted.
Student visa fee has also increased
Australia also increased the student visa application fee on July 1.
The fee for general student visa applicants rose to AUD 2,500, from AUD 2,000.
Fee concessions remain available for citizens of certain ASEAN and Pacific-region countries. They also apply to applicants for certain ELICOS and non-award courses.
What Bangladeshi students should know
The changes are important for Bangladeshi students and other international applicants planning to study in Australia.
People already in Australia on visitor or other temporary visas may now face more restrictions if they want to switch to a student visa from inside the country.
Applicants should check their eligibility before enrolling in a course, paying tuition fees, travelling to Australia, or submitting a visa application.
The changes do not close Australia’s student visa programme to international students. Instead, they change who can apply from inside Australia and which students can bring family members with them.
Applicants should follow the Department of Home Affairs rules that apply to their visa and course before taking their next step.
