Welfare arrangements for students under 18 years
of age
Students under 18 years of age need to have adequate
arrangements for their welfare in Australia. If the student is
applying for a student visa in Australia, these arrangements
need to be in place before an application can be considered
valid.
The department bears no responsibility for welfare
arrangements made on a student’s behalf. It is the
responsibility of the parents or legal custodians of a student
under the age of 18 to ensure that the arrangements that they
make on the student’s behalf provide appropriate welfare for
the entirety of the student’s stay in Australia while they are
under the age of 18. If welfare arrangements break down the
parents or legal custodians must make new welfare
arrangements or the student under the age of 18 must depart
Australia. It is a visa requirement that appropriate welfare
arrangements are maintained while the student is under the
age of 18.
If you are under 18 years of age currently or will be studying in
Australia and will be in the care of a relative for the duration of
your visa or until you turn 18 years of age, form 157N
Nomination of a student guardian must be completed and
lodged together with this form.
Working while studying
All student subclass 570–576 visas are subject to a condition
imposing restrictions about the work that may be done while
the holder of a student subclass 570–576 visa is in Australia.
If you, as the principal visa holder, and your family members
are granted student subclass 570–576 visas, you and your
family members will only be allowed to work up to 40 hours a
fortnight. Fortnight means the period of 14 days commencing
on a Monday. You and your family members cannot commence
work until you, as the principal visa holder, have commenced
your course of study.
You, as the principal visa holder, will have unrestricted
permission to work during periods of vacation recognised by
the education provider.
If you are the holder of a subclass 574 (Postgraduate Research
Sector) visa and you, as the principal visa holder, have
commenced the masters degree by research or doctoral
degree, you will have unrestricted permission to work once
you commence your course of study. If you are the principal
visa holder, you satisfied the criteria for a subclass 573 (Higher
Education Sector) visa or a subclass 574 (Postgraduate
Research Sector) visa or a subclass 576 (Foreign Affairs or
Defence Sector) visa, and your course of study is a course for
an award of masters or doctorate degree that is registered on
the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses of
Overseas Students, your family members will have
unrestricted permission to work once you, as the principal
visa holder, commence your course of study.
More information about permission to work while studying is
available from the department’s website
www.immi.gov.au/study/pages/study.aspx
Changing course type (education sector)
Your student visa is linked to the type of course you are
studying. Each student visa subclass covers specific types of
course only. If you wish to change your principal course at any
time to a course in a different education sector, you must first
apply for a new student visa using this form (form 157A).
For more information on whether you need a new student
visa whenever you change a course, refer to the department’s
website
www.immi.gov.au/study/pages/changing-courses.aspx
For information on course types and their relationship to the
different student visa subclasses, refer to the department’s
website www.immi.gov.au/study/pages/study.aspx
Applying for a student visa
To help you lodge your application and communicate with the
department while your application is being processed you
should read information form 1025i Making and processing
visa applications, which is available from your nearest
Australian Government office or the department’s website.
All student visa applicants must satisfy the criteria for grant of
one of the student visa subclasses. These criteria include (but
are not limited to) a genuine temporary entrant requirement,
financial ability, English language proficiency, intention to
comply with visa conditions and other relevant matters.
Information on these criteria and the conditions that may be
attached to your visa can be found in the information sheet
Applying for a student visa or from the department’s website
www.immi.gov.au/study/pages/study.aspx
If you wish to study in Australia, your application will either be
assessed against one of three Assessment Levels for each visa
subclass, or if you are an eligible student, against the
streamlined visa processing requirements. Before completing
this form, you must refer to information on whether
streamlined visa processing requirements apply to you or
which Assessment Level applies to you. Under the streamlined
student visa processing arrangements, eligible student visa
applicants from participating universities and eligible nonuniversity
education providers are assessed as though they are
a lower immigration risk, irrespective of their country of
origin. Information on streamlined visa processing is available
from the department’s website
www.immi.gov.au/study/pages/streamlined-studentvisa-processing.aspx
Information on Assessment Levels can be found in the
information sheet Student Visa Programme – Assessment Levels
or from the department’s website
www.immi.gov.au/study/pages/study.aspx
In certain circumstances you may be requested to complete a
supplementary information form. You will be advised by the
visa processing office if this is necessary.
Your application may be decided solely on the basis of
information provided in this application. Failure to answer a
question may result in your application being refused if the
decision-maker cannot be satisfied that you meet all of the
criteria for grant of the visa. The provision of information to
the department that is incorrect may result in cancellation of
your visa if it is granted. If you need more space to answer any
question, write the details on a separate sheet, sign it and
attach it to the application form.
You must provide all of the documentation necessary to support
your application (originals or certified or notarised copies) and
you must declare that you have done so. Failure to provide all
necessary documentation may result in your application being
refused. The documentation required may vary depending on
whether you are eligible for streamlined visa processing or
depending on your Assessment Level and the subclass
appropriate to your course of study. Checklists by Assessment
Level and subclass are available from the department’s website
www.immi.gov.au/study/pages/study.aspx