

Australia Students Visa for Nigeria Students
As a Nigerian student travelling to Australia, you will need a visa to get unrestricted entry to the country. There are several types of visas, and you will be classified into the types based on your study program, course duration, age etc. All students above 16 years will have the Australian visa subclass 500. This visa helps you study in any educational institution in Australia. Whatever your field of study, you will only fall under the subclass 500 category. This visa lets you stay in Australia during your study program for up to five years during your study program. You should always be conscious of your visa, expiry, and conditions to have a smooth stay. If you take the official website of the Department of Home Affairs of Australia, you will find all the necessary information.
The subclass 500 visa lets you take your immediate family members with you. It also allows your family members to work in Australia for specific hours. The country also allows its students to work and earn money during their stay there, provided they are above 18 years of age.
New Rules For Australian Student Visa 2022
The Australian government has made a few changes to the student visa. A few rules have been put forward, and you must know about them in detail. This particularly applies to those pursuing Postgraduate research courses and other higher courses. The Department of Home Affairs may cancel your student visa if you do not abide by the new rules. The new visa conditions are as follows:
- 8204A: A student visa holder will no longer be legally able to change their thesis or research topic, or course of study; unless the Minister approves it by a change in writing and when the Minister is satisfied that there is no unreasonable risk of unwanted transfer of critical technology by the student.
- 8204B: A student will not be legally able to change their course of study/research or thesis/research topic for bridging any course for a Master’s or Doctoral degree or a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, postgraduate or doctoral degree. The student cannot change these unless the Minister approves it in writing and the Minister is satisfied that there is no unreasonable risk of unwanted transfer of critical technology by the student.
Types Of Australian Student Visa
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Student Visa (Subclass 500): This is the most common type of visa irrespective of the field of study, duration, age etc. You will be able to stay up to five years in Australia, and you will also be able to take your partner with you if you are married. You will have the right to work for unlimited hours. To get this visa, you will be required to gain admission to any Australian University, have a health cover, and prove you have a welfare arrangement if you are below 18 years of age. The base application charge will be AUD630.
- Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485): This visa will help international students to live, work, and study in Australia. It is valid for up to 18 months but can even be extended for four years. Almost 90% of the applications will be processed within 13 months.
- Independent ELICOS Sector Visa (Subclass 570): This visa is mainly for those students who go to Australia to study the ELICOS (English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students). You will need an acceptance from the institute, a good English proficiency score etc., to be eligible to get the visa.
- Vocational Education and Training Sector Visa(Subclass 572): All students who wish to go to Australia for a vocational course can apply for this visa. You will be allowed to study full-time vocational and training courses like Diploma or Advanced Diploma, and Certificate I, II, III, IV.
- Schools Sector Visa (Subclass 571): This visa is for international students who wish to study in primary or secondary school in Australia. It can be a primary school, secondary school, junior and senior secondary etc.
- Postgraduate Research Sector Visa (Subclass 574): This visa applies to students who wish to pursue Postgraduate research or a PhD in Australia. You will be permitted to bring your dependent children, dependent relatives, and partners. Both you and your family members will have unlimited working hours.
- Higher Education Sector Visa (Subclass 573): Students who wish to do a higher education course like Bachelor’s Degree, Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate etc., in Australia may opt for this visa.
- Foreign Affairs or Defense Sector Visa (Subclass 576): This visa is for those international students sponsored by AusAID or Defense to study in Australia. You must enrol with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions or Courses for Overseas Studies (CRICOS).
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Non-Award Sector Visa (Subclass 575): Those who want to study either a non-award foundation studies course or another full-time course that does not lead to an Australian award can opt for this visa.
Australian Student Visa Fees
S. No. |
Visa Subclass |
Base Application Charge |
Additional Applicant Charge For 18 & Above |
Additional Application Charge Under 18 |
Subsequent Temporary Application Charge |
1 |
Student Visa (subclass 500) |
AUD630 |
AUD470 |
AUD155 |
AUD700 |
2 |
Student Visa (subclass 500) (subsequent entrant) |
AUD630 |
AUD470 |
AUD155 |
AUD700 |
3 |
Student Visa (subclass 500) (Foreign Affairs or Defense Sector) |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
4 |
Student Visa (subclass 500) (Postgraduate Research Sector) |
AUD630 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
5 |
Student Guardian (subclass 590) |
AUD630 |
Nil |
Nil |
AUD700 |
Eligibility For Australian Student Visa
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Financial requirements.
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English Proficiency requirements.
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Health and character requirements.
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Genuine Temporary Entrant (GRE) requirement.
Australian Student Visa Requirements
- Genuine Temporary Entrant (GRE): If you have to gain entry to Australia, you will need to prove that you are a genuine entrant to the country who wishes to study there and return to the home country after completing the course or after gaining relevant work experience.
- Enrolled in a full-time program: You will need to get admission to a full-time program at any Australian University. Only full-time students fall under the Subclass 500 category. Part-time and distance learning students will not be considered eligible.
- Good character: You need to prove that you have a good character and no criminal background. You should never have been deported from Australia before. Often, a simple written declaration will be accepted.
-
Health insurance and checkup: If you want to get an Australian student visa, you will have to prove that you are in good health. You need to furnish the certificate from the empanelled doctors. You can approach the one closest to you. You can apply for a health checkup before or after applying for the visa. You will also need an Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of your visa. Hence, you must take care when you provide the duration of your health cover. The average cost of health coverage for a year will be AUD440.
Document Required For Australian Student Visa
- Non-Immigrant visa application.
- Health insurance receipt.
- Valid passport.
- Application fee payment receipt.
- Confirmation Of Enrolment (COE) form from a recognised Australian University.
- Acceptance letter from your host university.
- Financial capacity documents.
- English Proficiency test scores.
- Recent photographs.
- Statement Of Purpose (SOP).
- All academic documents.
Australian Student Visa Processes
You need to follow a few steps to apply for an Australian student visa. Though they are not too difficult to follow, it is better to know about them in detail before starting your application. You are required to apply 124 days before the commencement of your course. Additionally, you can travel 90 days before your course starts. The processes include
- Fill out the application form: The first step you need to do when applying for a student visa is to fill out the application form. You can read the form carefully and fill them out. It contains all the basic details about you and can be quickly filled up. But first, you need to open an ImmiAccount and fill in the details there.
- Upload the required data: At this stage, you are required to upload all the documents like passport size photographs, academic documents etc. Before you start filling out your application form, it is better to have scanned copies of all the needed documents. After you finish uploading them, you can submit them.
- Book an appointment with TLScontact: The TLScontact works with the Australian government to provide all the services for Nigerian students travelling to Australia. You will find TLScontact offices in Abuja and Lagos.
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Provide the biometric details: When you visit the TLScontact office, they will help you submit your biometric details. After submitting the application and paying the fees, you will get a Transaction Reference Number (TRN). You can use this to track the progress of your application.
Australian Student Visa Processing Time
S.No. |
Stream |
75% Processing |
90% Processing |
1 |
Higher Education Sector |
44 days |
6 months |
2 |
Independent ELICOS Sector |
4 months |
9 months |
3 |
Vocational Education and Training Sector |
6 months |
10 months |
4 |
Postgraduate Research Sector |
3 months |
6 months |
5 |
Foreign Affairs or Defense Sector |
45 days |
76 days |
Australia Student Dependent Visa
How To Apply For An Australian Student Visa?
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Get a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from an Australian University.
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Open an ImmiAccount, an account with the Australian Immigration Authorities.
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Keep the scanned copies of all the documents you need ready.
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Apply for the visa online.
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Pay the application fees and get your Transaction Reference Number (TRN).
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Do the health checkup and attend the interview.
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Get your visa decision with the help of your TRN.
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Be ready to fly to Australia.
Australian Student Visa Cost
Australian Student Visa Validity
S. No. |
Visa Types |
Validity |
1 |
Student Visa (Subclass 500) |
5 years |
2 |
Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417,462) |
4 months |
3 |
Student Guardian Visa (Subclass 590) |
3 months |
4 |
Visitor Visa (Subclass 600,601,651) |
3 months |
5 |
Training Visa (Subclass 407) |
2 years |
6 |
Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) |
18 months |
Post Study Work Permit In Australia
The post-study work permit allows international students to stay and work in Australia after the completion of their studies. This duration can vary according to the region and qualification. However, it is generally between 18 months to six years. There are three types of post-study work permits:
- Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) - Post-Study Work Stream: This is the most common type of visa obtained by recent graduates from Australia. Regardless of your course and institution, you can stay back in Australia for two to four years.
- Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) - Graduate Work Stream: This applies to students who have qualifications in skilled occupations in Australia. The stay duration is up to 18 months.
- Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa (Subclass 476): This is for engineering qualifications students. You can stay back for up to 18 months after completing your course.
How Can AECC Global Help With Visa Applications?
FAQs about Australia Student Visa to Study in Australia
The conditions may vary from university to university. So it is better to look for the precise information on the university website before applying for a scholarship. If you feel stuck in the middle or even at the beginning of a process, contact AECC Global or visit one of our nearest branches. Our expert counsellors will guide you through each of the single methods and help you realise your abroad education dream.