Are you planning on studying in Australia? Then you must be thinking that how long it will take for you to finally get your visa. If you want to know about the study visa processing time then you are at the right place, this blog will provide you with everything you need to know about different subclasses of student visas and the study visa processing time.
Australia: The Most Popular Student Destination
In today’s world, most students want to get their education in foreign countries. Making a decision to study abroad is quite impactful in the life of a student. Life experience is one of the ultimate reasons to study abroad.
When a student decides to get an education in a foreign country, they learn how to organize life and condense it into a suitcase. they dream to be independent and self-sufficient by handling all unforeseen situations in an efficient manner.
Currently, Australia is the top 3rd most popular destination for international students in English-speaking countries. Australia is popular among students due to multiple reasons such as top universities, high-quality education, vibrant cities, cultural diversity, friendly atmosphere, and eye-catching views that attract students from all over the world.
Australia offers top-notch educational institutes, skill-based vocational training programs, and highly-ranked universities.
Australian Study Visa
Australia offers a diverse range of educational opportunities for overseas students. For a long period of time, Australian institutes are fulfilling the needs of students from all over the world. Australia offers four different kinds of study visas based on the type of study a student wants to pursue.
The type of visa you will need depends on the type of visa subclass that suits your situation the most and how long you want to stay there. The type of visa is dependent on the type of course or degree a student is going to get enrolled in.
A student visa won’t make you eligible for a permanent stay, you have to apply for a work visa to prolong your stay.
Australian Study Visa Processing Time
The study visa processing time varies according to the type of visa subclass you are applying for and the specific situation of your case. Following are the different subclasses of study visas in Australia and study visa processing time periods:
- Subclass 476- Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa
- Subclass 485- Temporary Graduate Visa
- Subclass 500- Student Visa
- Subclass 590- Student Guardian Visa
1. Visa 476- Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa
A skill-recognized visa is a specific type of work visa that you can apply for if you are an engineering graduate. This work visa is suitable for you if you have recently completed your engineering degree in Australia.
This visa will allow recent engineering graduates to live, study and work in Australia for a duration of 18 months. Skill recognized visa allows engineering graduates to prolong their stay for more than 18 months during which they can easily live, work and even study in Australia.
For a skill-recognized 476 graduate visa, you must have completed your higher education in engineering from a recognized institute within 2 years.
Study visa processing time for subclass 476
The Department of Home Affairs has not provided an average processing time due to Covid-19. It is unable to provide any specific study visa processing time for the Skill Recognized Graduate Visa 476.
According to Australian Immigration, in March 2020 the study visa processing time for the Skill Recognized Graduate 476 Visa is,
- 75% of visa applications took 13 months to be processed
- 10% of visa applications took over 17 months to be processed
2. Visa 485- Temporary Graduate Visa
Temporary Graduate Visa 485 is specified for international students who have recently graduated with skill-based education that is relevant to the occupational needs of Australia. A temporary Graduate Visa is important for post-study stay as it allows an international student and any family member for a legal stay in Australia.
This visa allows fresh overseas students who have completed 92 CRICOS weeks to live, study and work in Australia. If you have just finished your course at the Australian learning institute then you can stay, get enrolled for further training and qualifications, and seek employment by getting a Temporary Graduate 485 Visa.
This Temporary Graduate Visa will allow you to extend your stay for more than 18 months. The sole purpose of granting this visa is to meet the business and skills-related needs of Australia. For the eligibility to apply for Temporary Graduate Visa, the occupation of the applicant must have to be listed on the MLTSSL (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List).
Study visa processing time for visa 485
The study visa processing time varies according to the stream. On average it takes 9 to 11 months to process the application for this specific visa.
- 9 months to process 25% of the application
- 9 months to finalize 50% of the applications
- 10 months to process 75% of the application
- 12 months to process 90% of the application
3. Visa 500- Student Visa
This visa allows students to study their respective courses in Australian institutes and universities. This Visa allows international students to reside in Australia for a time period that is equivalent to the duration of their course which is generally five years.
You can stay in Australia on the basis of a Student Visa until the completion of your degree over there.
Study visa processing time for subclass 500
The usual study visa processing time for this subclass is 4 months. But depending on the case and purpose of the study, the processing time can vary from 3 months to a year.
The study visa processing time is dependent on different sectors. These sectors include:
- Visa processing time of Foreign Affairs/ Defence Sector
- Visa processing time of Postgraduate Research Sector
- Visa processing time in the Higher Education Sector
- Visa processing time of Vocational Training Sector
- Visa processing time of independent ELICOS Sector
- Visa processing time of Schools Sector
- Visa processing time of Non-Award Sector
Following is the detail of the study visa processing time of all these sectors:
a- Foreign affairs/ Defence Sector
- 75% of applications take 36 days to be processed
- 90% of applications take 76 days to be processed
b- Postgraduate Research Sector
- 75% of applications take 3 months to be processed
- 90% of applications take 7 months to be processed
c- Higher Education Sector
- 75% of visa applications take 52 days to be processed
- 90% of visa applications take 7 months to be processed
d- Vocational Training Sector
- 75% of visa applications take 9 months to be processed
- 90% of visa applications take 17 months to be processed
e- Independent ELICOS Sector
- 75% of visa applications take 7 months to be processed
- 90% of visa applications take 17 months to be processed
f- Schools Sector
- 75% of visa applications take 8 months to be processed
- 90% of visa applications take 12 months to be processed
g- Non-Award Sector
- 75% of visa applications take 5 months to be processed
- 90% of visa applications take 14 months to be processed
4. Visa 590- Student Guardian Visa:
The Student Guardian Visa allows you to stay in Australia as a guardian of an international student. This Visa is issued to bring a guardian with students while they finish their educational program in Australia.
With this visa, you can visit Australia to support an international student visa holder under 18 years of age and older.
Study visa processing time for subclass 590
- 21 days to finalize 25% of applications
- 45 days to process 50% of applications
- 4 months to process 75% of applications
- 9 months to process 90% of applications
What You Should Keep in Mind
The Department of Home Affairs processes Australian Visas. It is very important to completely and accurately fill in the required information on the application. It is likely to fasten the process if the applications are filled correctly along with the required documents.
Home Affairs quickly processes the applications that are complete. You must submit your complete documents along with the visa application to reduce your study visa processing time.
One must also pay the visa application charges on time to avoid delays in your study visa processing. Moreover, the Department of Home Affairs may contact you for some additional information. It is obligatory to respond to them on time. If you respond as early as possible directly it decreases the visa processing time.
Final Remarks
This was the complete detail of the study visa processing time. This blog covered different subclasses of study visas and their processing time that are available in Australia. If you want to apply for a study visa we are here to help you. You can apply through StudyWise.
You can also download the StudyWise app to get the list of courses you are eligible to apply for depending on your previous education. You can apply for your study visa application through the StudyWise app in just 3 simple and easy steps. So let’s get started today!
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