Decide whether to apply for your visa directly through the Australian Embassy or through an agency. An agency will usually charge fees but may offer helpful advice.
Obtain an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment Certificate (eCoC) to prove you have been accepted onto a course in Australia from your educational institution. If you are being sponsored by AusAID or Defence, get a letter from them confirming their support of your studies in Australia. Secondary school exchange students need a completed Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form.
Download and fill in your student visa application no more than four months before your course starts in Australia (see Resources). You must have an Assessment Level 1 to apply online, which is automatically given to American and Canadian passport holders. Send all the documents asked for with your application. Declare any family members or partners who you want to take to Australia. If you are applying by mail, you can apply as soon as you have been confirmed in a course of study.
Check which Australian Government office your online visa application is being sent to and contact them to ask which currencies and methods of payment they accept for your visa fees. As of April 2010, the cost of a student visa ranged from 0 to AU$540. At the same time, ask whether you need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
Buy your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and send a receipt to the office processing your student visa application, if required. Generally, you will need to do this before your student visa is released.
Contact the Australian Government office if you have not received a decision within three weeks. You can check an online application at any time using your Transaction Reference Number (TRN), issued upon application.
