FAQs
Yes. Any citizen of another country other than Australia or New Zealand, needs a student visa when the course they want is more than 3 months long. To know the general requirements for student visas, click here:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500
NO WAY. Any citizen from another country other than Australia or New Zealand needs to have a valid visa to enter Australia. Even if you are married to an Australian citizen, you must apply for a visa.
If you want to enter as a tourist, the application must be done online and comply with a series of requirements, especially if you are from certain nationalities. Coming to Australia on a tourist visa and try to stay or work is illegal. More information here:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder
NO. Working with a tourist visa is ILLEGAL. However, volunteering and unpaid activities are allowed under this visa.
Yes, it is possible under certain requirements and always and when the relationship is declared in the application of the main student. The most important thing to fulfill the requirements is to be married or in a verifiable legal union. If you are in a de facto relationship (without legal registration), you must provide sufficient evidence that your relationship has more than 12 months under these conditions. If you want to bring your boyfriend/girlfriend but they were not included from the beginning of your application, it is very likely that Home Affairs would ask for a lot of evidence, otherwise there could be a visa rejection.
Nothing is guaranteed as in, studying in Australia doesn’t mean you can have direct access to a permanent residence. You need to speak to a certified immigration lawyer who evaluates your profile to obtain a permanent residence, this process is long and expensive. Student visas, as the name implies, are usually for temporary study. They do not prohibit the application to other visas unless it is defined in the personal visa conditions, however, obtaining an Australian residence is a separate process that needs compliance with other requirements.
Although it may seem like a personal decision, the Australian government asks that students have at least $ 20,290AUD available per year of study (excluding course fees, flights and visa application) to be able to stay in Australia without having to work. That is, if your course lasts 6 months, you should consider at least $10,145 AUD to be able to survive properly without relying on a job while studying. Additionally, if in your application you are going to include dependents, the necessary amount increases. To identify the most common expenses to bear in mind, check our list out here:
Costs and Expenses
Australia is a country with a very high cost of living. Especially for inhabitants of Latin American countries, the cost of living increases significantly by transferring their savings to Australian dollars. Given that the priority of the student visa, as its name says, is to STUDY, not having savings or financial support generates a situation of stress and anguish. Hence, many international students begin to neglect their studies, not taking advantage of their investment or even returning to your country. The Australian government may or may not require you to prove the suggested amount ($ 20,290), however, in Latinoz we suggest that you not only worry about proving it, but also endeavour to have a good margin of savings to be able to live in Australia as a student, especially if your level of English is very low – this can make it harder to find a job.
If the Australian government asks you to prove your financial capacity, you can include documents such as your payroll receipts, current bank accounts (avoid making emergency transfers to cover the requirement since this is considered fraud if they are not explained), annual tax return, letters from family members explaining how they will support you and checking income, loans or scholarships. Credit cards are not recommended to prove financial capacity. For more information on the government’s financial requirements, click here https://archive.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/stud/more/student-visa-living-costs-and-evidence-of-funds
The GTE letter is a requirement that the Australian Government asks to absolutely all students interested in studying in Australia. The letter is a statement of the student’s intentions, making it clear and evident that the intentions to reside temporarily with the object of study are GENUINE. There is an official guide to write the document here, although there is no approved format yet:
In Latinoz Education we have created a mini guide to help you with the preparation of your letter. Contact us to obtain a copy.
Un buen agente educativo es el que antepone tus necesidades al pago de su comisión. Todos los agentes educativos obtienen una parte de lo que tu le pagas a los colegios a cambio de ayudarte con todo el proceso de aplicación. Sin embargo, un buen agente será el que te diga honestamente cuáles son las mejores opciones según tu caso, incluso si la mejor opción es no aplicar por la visa ya que no cubres los requerimientos de migración. Un buen agente tendrá una certificación PIER QEAC y trabaja bajo el marco normativo del Gobierno Australiano.
A good educational agent is the one that puts your needs before their commission interest. All the educational agents get a percentage of what you pay to the schools in exchange for helping you with the whole application process. However, a good agent will be the one who tells you honestly what the best options are according to your case, even if the best option is not to apply for the visa since you do not cover the migration requirements. A good agent will have a PIER QEAC certification and work under the regulatory framework of the Australian Government.
A good agent will inform you if you have an agreement with the school of your interest and will explain the policies and requirements exhaustively to you.
A good agent is not the one who gives you prizes or discounts, a good agent is the one who handles your case seriously and honestly, preventing possible risks and offering solutions, not sugarcoating the truth. Check more details here
https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/english/apply-to-study/education-agents
A migration agent is focused on offering you permanent options and pathways in a country. Migration agents who do not have MARA registration cannot offer you immigration advice, as this is considered illegal.
The educational agents are specialised in offering you TEMPORARY study options and supporting you with the application process of the student visa. The educational agents can also have a MARA registration and assist you with immigration notice, however, if they do not have this distinction they can NOT advise you on ways to obtain permanent residency through your studies.
NO. All the courses fees are set by the colleges, universities and institutions. On some occasions, agents can negotiate better rates for certain countries, however, this is not permanent and is subject to promotions.
The Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a medical expenses insurance that you MUST hire before applying for a student visa. It is mandatory to purchase since the health system in Australia does not cover visitors, only permanent residents and certain types of temporary visas. As a student, you will be exposed to some situations especially if you work, so you will need to have this insurance. Medical expenses are quite pricey in Australia even for residents, so this insurance aims to guarantee that you will have adequate medical care at a fraction of the actual cost or even at no additional cost.
We recommend hiring your insurance considering the coverage from the day you arrive in Australia and 1 or 2 months after your course ends.
International transfers are usually a headache and include some pretty high commissions. We recommend you check options such as Transferwise or NexPay.
NexPay is a service based in Australia that is exclusively dedicated to transferring the amount of your tuition fees from your country to your school in Australia with a low exchange rate and WITHOUT COMMISSIONS. If you are interested, we work with them and we can help you make your transfers:
The Biometric Data basically refers to your fingerprints. Once you pay your student visa online and upload your documents, you will receive an email with a PDF requesting that you make an appointment to take your fingerprints at the nearest capture center. You must make this appointment maximum within 14 days after paying your visa. The cost varies depending on the center of capture, but generally they are between $ 40 and $ 50 AUD. The capture center will complete the processing of your visa when uploading your data to the system, from then on, you only have to wait for your visa notice between 4 and 6 weeks.
A CoE or Confirmation of Enrollment is the document that certifies that you are enrolled in a school. This CoE is obtained ONLY after having paid the agreed tuition and you must have it ready when you wish to apply for your student visa. Without this document, you can not apply.
- The most important thing is to know that all the information you give to the Australian Government must be true and verifiable. Making fraud in documents or making false statements is a reason for immediate rejection.
- Not providing enough evidence to prove that you are a genuine student or taking a long time to provide necessary evidence upon request.
- Trying to hide information in your application is also a reason for visa rejection
- Having social network profiles with disrespectful messages as they may be revised.
- Choosing a course that does not represent a benefit on a personal or professional level just to get a visa and extra time in Australia.
- Choosing a cheap or low quality school just as an excuse to obtain a student visa.
- Applying without having verifiable economic funds.
- Making mistakes when filling out the application online.
- Not having a medical expenses insurance according to the Migration requirements.
- A combination of factors such as age, schooling, occupation, level of English, nationality and lack of reasons to return to the country after studying English can also jeopardise the application result.
In addition, we strongly encourage all candidates to check the general requirements of eligibility before applying for a student visa here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500#Eligibility
NO. No educational agent can guarantee you will get a visa. The outcome of your application for a visa will depend on the accuracy of the information you provide to the Australian immigration department and that you meet its requirements and provide the necessary evidence for them to decide whether or not your visa is granted. Applying with an agent helps you avoid errors in the application and have very precise knowledge of the necessary documents that you need to apply.
In our experience, at least 4 months. The first month is about deciding what course you want to do and preparing all the documentation. The second month is about formalizing your enrollment with the school and finalizing the application details for the student visa. The third month is to apply for the visa, which includes taking biometrics and, if required, medical examinations. The 3rd and 4th months are to wait for the result of your visa and to purchase the airline tickets, get temporary accommodation, pack and do research before arriving at your new home in Australia.
If your visa is rejected, you must decide if you want to initiate an appeal process so that they review your application again (through a lawyer and with a fee) or if you take the rejection. If you decide to leave it, you must initiate a refund process with the school on the amount you have paid to date and according to the policies of the institutions.
We, at Latinoz, always advocate for the process to be PERSONAL under our supervision. At all times, when we are your advisors, your application will be supported since you must include our details as your educational agent in the application for a student visa before Migration. If you decide to do it by yourself, we also recommend you to include our details – we will provide you with a step-by-step manual for you to study before submitting the application. Latinoz can always review your application before it is sent, so you can be sure that even if you fill it out alone, we can help you detect any errors.
During the process, sensitive information is handled as your personal and financial data, as well as your credit card. Therefore, Latinoz Education will NOT process the student visa for you, however, we are here to guide you through video call, instant messages, or at our office, to make sure you apply correctly to your visa.
If you decide to cancel your course or you cannot take it for any reason, you must request a refund to your school, which certainly will be equivalent to the expenses incurred at the time of cancellation. Furthermore, the school will cancel your registration before migration and your visa will not be valid soon after. If you have already started your course, you must formally cancel it at school, showing evidence of the cancellation reasons. Most of the institutions include in their policies the NO reimbursement of tuition once the course has started. For this reason, in most cases, the amount is lost and your visa would be cancelled as soon as possible, forcing you to leave Australia briefly after.
In Latinoz Education, we always recommend that you wait for fixed accommodation once you are in your destination city to protect yourself from fraud. Our recommendation is that you get accommodation on Airbnb or hostels for one or two weeks so you can look for something permanent during that time.
If you work more than 40 biweekly hours and get your salary deposited in your bank account, you must present your Tax Return where your employer’s information will show if your shifts are in compliance with the law or not. At Latinoz Education, we DO NOT recommend taking cas-in-hand jobs since they are generally illegal and also represent a violation of your student visa conditions in most cases.
You can change the educational agent if your current one does not meet your needs. The way to do it formally is by sending a letter to the school explaining that you want to change to another agency. The template can be provided by us if you want us to advise you.
In Latinoz Education we run our business in accordance to the legal framework of the Australian Government, to the Department of Home Affairs and to agreements with the schools we represent. That is why we are required to interview our candidate students and decide if they meet the profile to apply for a student visa in Australia.
The Australian Department of Migration has a series of requirements that must be met to minimize the risk of having a rejected visa. If your profile and circumstances incur a risk of visa refusal, Latinoz Education will not be able to take your case, so we will give you our comments on what aspects to improve to meet the requirements and apply in the future with greater possibilities of obtaining it. To ensure that you meet the profile to apply for a student visa, we will ask you to fill out an online questionnaire to assess your personal circumstances before starting the consulting process.
In most cases, yes. If your course is English, you can request holidays as long as you study more than 3 months. If your course is a VET or Higher Education program, usually after each trimester or semester you have holidays or breaks already included.
The student visa has a variable duration according to your course. The visa is generally considered active since you receive the Department of Home Affairs grant notice. The visa expires one or two months after your course finishes. If your course lasts less than 10 months, your visa will go for one more month. If your course is more than 10 months long, your visa will expire 2 months later. If your course’s length is more than 10 months and also ends in November or December, your visa will expire in March of the following year.
Many people believe that mastering another language happens very quickly just by living (or landing) in another country. This will depend on your exposure to the language with natives, at work, in your daily life, in school and on the effort you make to think in English as much as you can. If your level is elementary when you arrive in Australia, you should consider at least one year to be able to achieve certain fluency. If your level is advanced, and you need an IELTS 8.0, you must study very intensely to reach a near-native level, that is, almost bilingual. Usually, every 3 months a student moves from one level to another as long as they invest adequate efforts. If you are in an English-speaking country but only speak Spanish (or any other language), it is very likely that years will pass by and your level will not improve that much.