International Students – Visa Options

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Many international students completing studies in Australia will wish to extend their stay here. There are a number of visa options which can facilitate this:

Student Visa Extension

You may wish to continue studying in Australia – in this case, you would apply for a further student subclass 500 visa whilst in Australia.

Genuine temporary entrant GTE requirement

All applicants for a student visa must show they are coming to Australia temporarily to gain a quality education. The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement is not intended to exclude students who, after studying in Australia, develop skills Australia needs and who then go on to apply for permanent residence.

What you need to do;

Write a personal statement addressing the GTE requirement

As an applicant provide a personal statement in English addressing the GTE requirement and provide supporting documents. Generic statements unsupported by evidence will not be weighed heavily in the GTE assessment.

The Department consider your personal circumstances when making a decision and will  consider your situation as a whole.

Ministerial Direction 69 (52KB PDF) sets out a number of factors we take into account when determining if you meet the GTE requirement. It is not a checklist. We encourage you to read Ministerial Direction 69 before drafting your GTE statement. Examples of factors we might take into account include:

What evidence and information to include in your GTE statement

We encourage you to provide evidence or information about:

Previous study

  • academic transcripts showing qualifications achieved
  • name of the education provider(s)
  • length of study
  • certificates of attainment

Gap in previous study

  • reasons why there is a gap in your studies including where you did not maintain enrolment

Current employment

  • your current employer
  • company address
  • period of employment
  • details of your position
  • the name and contact details of someone who can confirm the circumstances of your employment

Ties to home country or country of residence

  • evidence of financial, family or social ties. You need to show you have significant incentives to return home

Economic situation in home country or country of residence

  • documents showing employment or business activities for 12 months before lodging an application
  • potential employment offers including salary and other benefits,  after course completion
  • income tax return or bank statements

Employment in a third country

Potential employment offers, including salary and other benefits, after course completion

Include as much information and evidence as possible in your GTE statement to help give us a full view of your situation. This will help us make a decision on your student visa application. Otherwise, we might need to ask you for more information, delaying our decision on your visa application.

Situations in your home country (or country of residence)

We consider your:

  • reason for not studying in your home country or region if a similar course is available there
  • ties to your home country that support an intention to return after study is finished
  • economic situation
  • military service commitments
  • political and civil unrest in your home country

Potential situation in Australia

We consider your:

  • ties to Australia that present a strong incentive to stay in Australia
  • level of knowledge of the proposed course and education provider
  • previous study and qualifications
  • planned living arrangements
  • financial stability

Value of the course to your future

We consider:

  • if the course is consistent with your current level of education
  • if the course is relevant to past or proposed future employment in your home country or a third country
  • expected salary and other benefits in your home country or a third country obtained with your qualifications from the proposed course of study

Your immigration history

We consider:

  • previous visa applications for Australia or other countries
  • visa refusals or cancellations

If you are a minor, we consider the intentions of your parent, legal guardian or spouse.

Graduate Temporary Subclass 485 Visas

Students may be eligible for graduate work visas on completion of their courses. This gives them full work rights in Australia for 18 months or more and makes it easier to accumulate more points when applying for skilled migration or opportunities to find an employer sponsor.

General Skilled Migration

International students have a number of advantages in applying for skilled migration. Points are available for studies in Australia, particularly where completing higher qualifications or studying in a regional area. In addition, having an Australian qualification makes it easier to pass skills assessment in a skilled occupation.

Company Sponsorship

If you have a job offer with an Australian company, it may be possible for them to sponsor you for either temporary or permanent residence.

Partner Migration

If you have an Australian spouse, partner or fiance, it is possible for them to sponsor you for permanent residence. Your partner would need to be an Australian permanent resident, citizen or eligible New Zealand citizen.