Documents Required for Australia Student Visa Application for Indian Students 2023

Documents required for Australian student visa application

There are certain documents required for a student visa in Australia which are a part of the background checks, admission confirmation and health-related information. Here’s a list of things required to apply for an Australian student visa:

1. Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)

Confirmation of Enrolment is a certificate issued by the University/ Institute you would have applied to. The certificate essentially marks out that you are a registered student for the course. It is also the certificate that validates that the course you are applying for is approved and is registered under the Commonwealth Register of Institutions of Courses (CRICOS). This is mandatory for getting a Visa.

Also, in case you are intending to take up an English Language Course or a bridging course or any foundation course as a precursor to your main degree program, you need to provide an independent CoE for each of the courses you are intending to take.

2. Valid Passport

At the time of application, you must have a valid passport with at least 6 months of validity at the time. For example, say you are applying for a Visa on July 1, 2015. At the moment of your application, you must have a visa that is valid till at least January 1, 2016. Also, you would need a valid passport during the time of your stay. In that instance, you can apply for a new passport after making your application for Visa and intimate the embassy when you receive a new passport as well as update your account with the new passport number and details.

3. English Language Proficiency

Australian Visa mandatorily requires English Language Proficiency Certificates by Indian Students. Irrespective of the requirement of the course you are applying for, you would need to provide proof of English language proficiency at the time of filling out the Visa Application Form.

The Australian Immigration Department accepts 5 English Language Proficiency Tests, namely

• International English Language Testing System with a band of 6.5 in each of its sections as well as an overall score of a minimum of 6.
• Occupational English Test (OET) with a score of at least B in each of its sections
• Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) with a minimum score of 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic with a score of a minimum of 50 in each of its sections
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test with a minimum test score of 171 in each of the four sub-sections

Note: Irrespective of which of the first four examination scores you provide, you must not have written these exams earlier than 3 years at the time of the visa application. In the case of CAE, the exam undertaken after 1 January 2016 and prior to visa application is accepted.

Check: Exams Needed to Study in Australia

4. Health Checkup and Insurance

In order to receive a student visa for Australia, you need to provide proof that you are in good health. You can do so by providing a certificate of good health. The health checkup and certificate can only be provided by the empanelled doctors. You can make an appointment with the one closest to you for the same. You would be provided with a HAP id which you would need to provide at the time of filling the form.

At times, you can also apply for a health checkup after starting the visa application. However, this would be required for processing your visa. Getting it beforehand would ensure quicker processing. 

Apart from a health checkup, you would also need Health Insurance or an OSHC (Overseas Students Health Cover). At the time of visa application, you should have an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of your visa. Depending on the duration of your health coverage, your visa tenure would be settled so make sure that it covers the duration of your course. The average cost of OSHC is AUS$591 for 12 months for a single student. Find more details at International Student Guide to Australia

5. Proof of Funds

Like many other counties, you would be needed to show proof that you have enough funds to cater to your education and living expenses while you are in Australia. You would be required to provide documents that declare that you have sufficient funds to cover the duration of your stay in Australia. Essentially, the funds should cover:

• Travel costs to and from Australia
• Cost of living in Australia
• Tuition costs

This is necessary and in case you are applying for a student loan to cover your expenses, you would need the letter from the bank to validate your financial capacity.

6. Penal Clearance

Penal Clearance or police clearance is also required by students planning to go and study in Australia. In order to validate your character and that you do not have any criminal record, you would need to provide a document, duly signed and attested by the regional passport office. 

7. Certified Copies of Academic Transcripts and Passport

You would also need valid and genuine copies of all your academic documents and transcripts. This is one of the major documents required for applying for an Australian student visa, thus applicants must ensure they submit authentic documentation only to avoid visa application rejection. Read more about: Reasons for rejection of Australian student visa

8. Passport Sized Photographs

You would be required to submit 4 passport-sized photographs. When submitting the same, you should ensure that:

• These photographs are of the head and shoulders only against a plain background.
• Your name is printed on the back of each photograph.

9. GTE Requirement

This is basically a statement to be written by the applicant themselves in order to show their intentions of studying in Australia and backed by relevant reasons. The GTE statement must include temporary or permanent staying intentions. Check out: GTE Statement Australia Sample

10. Employment History

The students can submit their recent CVs or resumes in order to show their employment status along with pay slips. The purpose behind this is to understand where the applicant has been working and can be a mode of an additional background check.

11. Credit/ Debit Card

Last but not the least, you would need access to a debit or a credit card to make an online visa fee payment. At present, the visa fee for a Student Visa is AUD 650. This, however, is subject to change and students are advised to check the official website before they start the application process.

For holistic information as to how to go about the visa application process and what all documents would be needed, applicants can check out our page on Student Visas for Study Abroad.