Application Form:

Introduction

Application deadlines vary depending on the university and the course you’re applying to. Universities in Australia admit international students in winter and summer cycles.

Universities in different parts of Australia receive application from the international students during the following deadlines:

Winter Application Cycle – January to February

Summer Application Cycle – July to September

There are two ways you can apply to the universities in Australia:

• Direct at the University if you’re already residing in Australia: In case you reside in Australia, you have to apply directly at the university. You need to fill and download an application form which can be found online in the university’s official website. Note that if you wish to apply in more than one university, then you need to send a separate application for each one.
• Through an accredited education agent in Australia: In Australia, there are many accredited education agents who are in charge of assisting you to apply online for your chosen course, on chargeable basis. The University can help you find them or you can make an online research and contact them by yourself.

If you apply sooner, you will have greater chance of availing Australian scholarships which will help you to meet education expenses, cost of stay, and cost of learning resources, etc.

Specific Entry Requirements

Entry requirements change from university to university and there may be differences depending on the course you wish to study. Therefore you are advised to visit the university’s official website and read carefully their requirements section and acquaint yourself about the various terms and conditions.

English language proficiency is considered to be an essential ingredient in Australia. Fluent English communication will help you to deal with your academic staff, peer, neighbors, etc. Further, it will be easy for you to get Australian visa without any chaos. Effective communication in English will pave the way for entry into Australian country, of course with its consent and also enroll yourself for a course you choose in specific educational institution / university in Australia.

In some special cases, you are required to upload the following documents so as to enable the authorities to take note of it:

• Official proof that you changed your name, if you got married
• Or if you adopted a new identity to fight crime
• Official certified translations, if your documents are in another language than English. You have to go to authorized translators in Australia.

However not all documents are issued instantly to you, therefore you must request it as early as possible to avoid missing the upcoming application deadline.

Letter of Offer

After you have successfully applied for your course in Australia, you must wait until the university reviews it and communicates. It normally takes time; say 1 to 2 months, to process these applications as admission committee of the university deal with a large number of applications received from the international students. Numbers of applications to top-ranked universities are generally higher. The authorities of such university will take more time than the usual to accord clearance on your application.

Generally, the authorities in charge of the admission of the concerned university will communicate to you by an email within two to three weeks, following your submission. The communication will have a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) of admission, as a proof you have been admitted to the course offered by the university. Later on you can submit other details to the department / university at the time of enrolment. During the process, you can also receive answer to many queries in case you have on the issue such as accommodation, library, lab, etc.

Documents / Certificates Required:

• Official academic transcripts and Certificate of Award
• Your final grades, if you applied before your final exams
• Proof of Financial Means
• Health Insurance
• Certified proof of your level of English language proficiency
• Proof of Medical Check-ups
• Certified Criminal Record

Eligible Exams:

The only test accepted by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship is the IELTS.

Statement of Purpose:

The Statement of Purpose is an important aspect when it comes to your dream to study at a university in Australia. A well-written statement of purpose can help your application stand out best among the pool of applicants, making you fulfill your desire to study in any university in Australia.

Along with grades, achievements and experience, Statement of purpose is the deciding factor for admission into the university of your choice. In this case, you have to showcase your ambitions, skills and experience by writing an impressive Statement of Purpose (SOP).

But the question is how to write an SOP which can ensure you an admission into your dream university? The answer lies in the following Four Steps Process which can make the task of writing an SOP much simpler and organized.

Step 1: Planning

Planning should be the first stage of your SOP writing process. Careful planning of ideas will help you make a clear road map of the way you want your statement of purpose to be developed. Writing down all the important experiences of your life on a piece of paper will help you when you start the actual work of writing. This planning process can even help you sort out as there could be many ideas floating in your mind, leaving you confused. At this planning stage, you can decide the chronology in which you want to present your life and your goals. Try to plan better to make it a smooth ride ahead hassle-free!

Step 2: Start

Getting a good start of SOP is certainly the trickiest part of the process. Once you get a right start, you will continue without any obstacle. The best start is the one which can impress upon the reader about your intent. Having a creative start with a pinch of a mystery can be a quite engrossing introduction. Even, directly stating your goals and making your intentions clear in the beginning can be a captivating start, giving an overview to the admission committee about you and your life.

Step 3: Formulate

At this formulation stage, you are required to justify your interest in the course and the university by backing it up with evidence from your life. In short, you can provide a brief note of your life, giving the university a fair idea as to what makes you an ideal candidate for the course. The areas to be covered here are:

• Academic Journey: You should indicate your academic profile and how your previous studies are related to the course you wish to apply for. You should include the related projects or internships undertaken in order to show your focused approach towards your goals. In case, you wish to change the stream, you should clearly explain the reasons for the change in your interests.
• The motivation for the course: This is highly important as the university look for a proper justification for your interest in the course you are applying for. Here, you can include how you could get interest in a particular program. You can also include the related subjects studied or skills and knowledge gained, showing how you strengthened your interest in the program.
• Relevant work experience: Adding the work experience definitely increase your chances of admission especially if you are seeking admission for post graduate courses. You should indicate your role in the professional projects along with the knowledge attained and skills acquired during that time. 
• Non-academic interests or volunteering: This part of the SOP helps you to present other aspects of your persona. Since Australian Universities focus on holistic learning, demonstrating other skills through your extensive participation in co-curricular activities and volunteering endeavors i.e. outreach programs can give you an edge over other applicants.
• Accomplishments: You should definitely highlight your significant academic and professional achievements as they will help you to showcase your potential and credibility.
• Reason for choosing Australia: Australia is one of the sought after country when it comes to overseas education. However, stating your reasons for preference for Australia helps universities observe your concern to the country and ensure them that you will make the most of this experience.
• Reason for selecting a particular university and your contribution towards it: It is important to customize your SOP as per a particular university. This requires a significant amount of research about the university, its curriculum, infrastructure, faculty and other opportunities. Providing information about what interests you have about the university and how are you planning to leverage the opportunity will work in your favor. You should also mention what you will bring to the university and its community, proving your worthiness as a prospective student of the university.
• Future Plan: Future plan may be an important aspect in the SOP in which you can highlight after accomplishment of the education in a university of Australia. You can declare in the document stating that you will internalize the knowledge and skill that you gain in your home country. Alternatively you can also project that you will render services in the host country for which you will utilize knowledge and skill optimally.

Step 4: Conclusion

In this last step, giving a memorable conclusion will help you create a lasting impression on the admission committee. So, use this opportunity to underscore your ambition, determination and motivation, leaving no scope for rejection.

The conclude stage requires you to check your work thoroughly by proofreading the statement yourself or taking someone’s help. You might need a few redrafts before you get a statement you are happy with.

I hope now you must have got an idea regarding your Statement of purpose for the study in Australia. However, before you start writing your statement of purpose, don’t forget to go through these few more tips which can help you to bring out a highly impressive statement.

• Avoid plagiarism. Don’t ever think about copying someone else’ ideas as you will be caught by plagiarism detecting software of the university, leading to rejection of your application.
• Keep word limit in mind. Generally, an SOP ranges between 1000-1200 words. Don’t forget to check the prescribed guidelines by a particular university.
• Use a formal style of writing.
• Provide evidence to substantiate your claim about various traits or skills you wish to mention in the SOP.
• Present your Statement in a positive light. Even if you have faced any challenges or failures in your life, mention them in a positive manner. Show how you learnt from the failure and overcame the challenges and emerged as a winner.
• Don’t leave SOP writing for last minute.
• Plan way ahead of your application deadline so that you can write a satisfactory statement of purpose well in time.

Student Resume:

A Resume or a CV is a summary of your academic and professional qualifications, achievements, contribution and skills. Your resume casts your first impression on the admission committee and therefore, must be designed very carefully and subsequently, critiqued meticulously. There are a few important points that must be kept in mind while drafting a resume which includes the content, format and finally the length of the resume. Although a well-written resume has to clearly define your objective and purpose through its content, it is not a good idea to mention the objective at the start of the resume, as most applicants do. Your objective should reflect in the construction, content and flow of your resume along with the hierarchy of your qualifications and achievements included in the document.

What to include?

• Objective
• Education
• Awards and Achievements
• Community Service
• Work Experience if any
• Hobbies and Interests
• Skills

What not to include?

Your age, your marital status, the number of children you have, and your religion can all be left off your CV. If you have a disability, you don`t have to disclose this either. Australia`s discrimination laws make it illegal for an institution / employer to refuse to offer you admission based on your disability.

Letters of Recommendation:

The Letters of recommendation is a document that provides the admission officers with a comprehensive insight into your suitable candidature, for admission into the concerned University. This letter aims at enabling the Admission officers to gain a clearer and favorable picture about your experience, achievements, contributions, and skills communicated by the recommender through the recommendation letter.

Requirement

Letters of recommendation are required only if one of your top two choices is either University of Sydney or University of Western Australia and your GPA are below 3.0.

Always ask the instructor who has taught you (or is teaching you) in a course to write and submit a letter of recommendation to the university office in Australia by the application deadline for your country.

Letters from Graduate Student Instructors are acceptable. Make sure to inform your recommender that letters of recommendation cannot mention the name of Host University or city.

Essay Writing:

Universities abroad, often but not mandatorily, for specific courses require you to answer a few specific questions. They have a wide range of context and might be aimed at further elaborating different facets of the applicant’s personality as per the University’s specific requirements of the course. For instance, universities might believe that as an B.Tech applicant, the candidate must possess effective qualities of technical in contemporary field or a University for its highly acclaimed MIS program require the agility of mind and aptitude for innovation. In such scenarios, a simple Statement of Purpose might just not be enough. In order to encounter the limitations of asking a one central and generic essay, Universities decide to instead break up the essays into relevant questions. And these are widely known as Admission Essays.

Word Limit:

• Very Short Answer Questions/ Write-ups (30 – 200 words)
• Short Answer Questions/Essays (200 – 500 words)
• Long Answer Questions/ Essays (500 - 800 words)
• Full-Length Essays (More than 800 words)

Immigration policy:

There are various types of Australian immigration visa, classified under different categories:

• Skilled Occupation visas- Australian working visas are most commonly granted to highly skilled workers. Candidates are assessed against a points-based system, with points allocated for certain standards of education. These visas are often sponsored by individual States, which recruit workers according to specific needs. Visas may also be granted to applicants sponsored by an Australian business. The most popular form of sponsored working visa was the 457 visa set in place in 1996 which is completely abolished by the Turnbull government.
• Student Visas- The Australian Government actively encourages international students to study in Australia. There are a number of categories of student visa, most of which require a confirmed offer from an educational institution/ University in which he/she wishes to study.
• Family Visas- Visas are often granted on the basis of family ties in Australia. There are a various types of Australian family visas, including Contributory Parent visas and Spouse visas.

Employment and family visas can be converted into Australian citizenship. For this purpose applicant should have lived in Australia for at least four years out of which one year as a permanent resident.

• Investor visas- Foreign investors could invest the business or fund in Australia to acquire the Permanent Residential of Australia, after 4 years, including the year which acquires the visa. They need to take the exam and make a declaration in order to get citizenship of Australia.
• Claims have been made that Australia`s migration program is in conflict with anti-age-discrimination legislation and there have been demand to remove or amend the age limit of 50 for general skilled migrants.

Asylum in Australia

Australia grants two types of visa under its humanitarian program:

• Refugee-category visas for refugees under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
• Special Humanitarian Programme (SHP) visas for persons who are subject to substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of their human rights in their home country

The cap for visas granted under the humanitarian program was 13,750 for 2015-16, plus an additional 12,000 visas available for refugees from the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Migration and Settlement Services

The Australian Government and the community provide a number of migration-assistance and settlement-support services:

• The Adult Migrant English Program, available to eligible migrants from the humanitarian, family and skilled-visa streams, provides free English-language courses for those who do not have the knowledge of functional English. Up to 510 hours of English language courses are provided during the first five years of settlement in Australia.
• The Department of Home Affairs operates a 24x7 telephone-based interpreting service called the Translating and Interpreting Service National, which facilitates contact between non-English speakers and interpreters, enabling access to government and community services.
• The Settlement Grants Program provides funding to assist humanitarian entrants and migrants settle in Australia and to participate equitably in Australian society as soon as possible after arrival. The program is targeted to deliver settlement services to humanitarian entrants and family migrants with low levels of English proficiency and dependents of skilled migrants in rural and regional areas with low English-proficiency.
• The Australian Cultural Orientation program provides practical advice and the opportunity to ask questions about travel to and life in Australia to refugee and humanitarian visa holders who are preparing to settle in Australia. The program is delivered overseas over five days before the visa holder begins his or her journey.
• Refugee and humanitarian visa holders are also eligible to receive on-arrival settlement support through the Humanitarian Settlement Services program. This provides intensive settlement-support and equips individuals with the skills and knowledge to independently access services beyond the initial settlement period.
• The Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme provides professional assistance at free of cost, to disadvantaged visa-applicants, mainly to help them to complete and submit the visa applications. Further the assistants help them to liaison with the department, and advice on complex immigration matters. It also provides migration advice to prospective visa-applicants and sponsors.
• In response to the needs of asylum seekers, the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme was introduced in 1992 mainly to address Australia`s obligations under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The Australian Red Cross administers the scheme under contract to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. It provides financial assistance to asylum seekers in the community who fulfill specific eligibility criteria, and also facilitates access to casework assistance and to other support services.
• A variety of community-based services cater to the needs of newly-arrived migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Some of these services include Migrant Resource Centers; receive funding from the Commonwealth Government.

Visa Process:

Visas and entry requirements for international students aiming to study in Australia might take some time. Studying in Australia might just be one of the most wonderful experiences in a student’s life. Studying in the country where the majority of the population lives near the coast is a good experience to be remembered. The degrees awarded by Australian universities are exceptional. Further, 7 universities in Australia are ranked among the top 100 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

To get an entry into Australia and start your desired study, you need to follow the visas and entry requirements thoroughly. This is very essential in order to obtain a Student Visa.

When Should I Apply for a Student Visa?

International Students need a Student Visa from Australia, if they are going to be studying English Courses/ Vocational Courses/ University Courses.

• English Courses:English courses covers General English, IELTS, Cambridge, Business English, Academic English, TESOL-CELTA, and more.
• Vocational Courses: Vocational courses are Business, Marketing, Hospitalities, Food & Culinary Art, IT Computing, Sport & Fitness, Tourism, etc.
• University Courses:University courses are Bachelor’s Degree, Masters, or PhD offered by the Universities in Australia.

What are the requirements of an Australian Student Visa?

International Students have to read carefully the instructions/ steps given here under, which help to apply for a student visa in Australia.

1. Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)

One of the first Student Visa requirements is your Confirmation of Enrolment from the University in which you intend to study the course. You need to submit your COE or Letter of Offer that has been issued by the higher education institution you have chosen and have been admitted. It’s important to know, that the course you have chosen must be under the framework of Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

2. Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE)

You should give the proper evidence that your stay in Australia is temporary, that too for studies. That means you will be in Australia for the period you need to finish your studies. You will be asked to provide a written statement that proves your compliance with the integrity measure of the Australian Student Visa program. The case officer will analyze the document and decide whether it meets the GTE requirement or not.

3. Financial Requirements

You will be asked to provide information on how you’re planning on covering the costs of living in Australia, tuition fees, and travel expenses, etc. these financial requirements will depend on the length of your intended stay in Australia as well as the country you’re from and the institution you have enrolled in. In this connection, you have to find out the source from your own, the sponsorship from the institution in which you attended last, financial support from the government of the home country, bank loan, scholarships from the university of the host country, etc. can be taken into consideration. So that you can place it in the application.

4.   Health Requirements

An Australian Health Requirement will also be fulfilled by you to successfully submit your application. More specifically, you will have to go through a medical examination that will depend on a variety of factors such as the type of visa you’re applying for, the length of your stay, the level of tuberculosis risk in your country, as well as any other circumstances that might be relevant at the time of application.

5.   Character Requirement

Australia has a few character requirements you should meet in order to obtain a Student Visa and enter the country. Entering temporarily, the immigration department will ask you to provide the police certificates since 16 years of age, for each country you have lived in.

6.   English Proficiency

Proving your English proficiency will also be a requirement. For this purpose, you are required to submit a document stating that you have qualified English proficiency language test. However, students who are passport-holders of English-speaking countries such as the USA, New Zealand, UK and Ireland need not provide the aforementioned English proficiency certificate.

7.   Health Insurance Requirement (Overseas Student Health Cover – OSHC)

Visa applicants should be registered with an OSHC insurance provider for as long as they will be staying in Australia. OSHC is designed for international students and it will help you cover any potential medical or hospital expenses you might need during your stay in the country.

8.   Additional documents

You will also be asked to provide additional documents such as your ID documents, and your passport which should be valid for your whole stay in Australia. Other documents will depend on where you apply from and where you will be studying.

What is the Duration of my Student Visa?

The duration of your Student Visa depends on the duration of your studies in Australia. That is, if you are going for a 6-month program, you will be given a Student Visa with 6-month validity. Nevertheless, for courses below 10 months, you will be given one month extra; similarly for courses having duration of more than 10 months, you will be given 2 months extra. In addition, if your course is 10 months or longer, finishing at the end of the Australian academic year, then the visa will usually be valid up until the 15th of March, the following year.

It’s important to note that you can renew your Student Visa for as many times as it will be necessary. However, it is recommended that you apply for a renewal at least three months before the expiry of current visa along with necessary documents which can convince the immigration authorities that you have to continue for a specific period of time in order to complete the study.

The maximum length of stay for a Student Visa is generally not more than 5 years.

Can I Work with a Student Visa?

Yes, you are allowed to work for 40 hours per two weeks on part-time, during your studies and full-time during your school breaks.

International students of higher degree such as masters and Postgraduate Research, however, are allowed to work unlimited hours once they begin their Masters or PhD course.

Can I Travel while on my Student Visa?

You are allowed to travel outside of Australia while you are on your Student Visa. You should keep in mind that the validity of your visa will not be extended for the period of time you spend outside Australia. For more information about visa requirements or updates, you can contact to the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship information page, as well as the Australian Embassy in your country.