Documents for your visa

When you apply for a student visa, you must attach a cover letter that explains who
you are, what you do in your country and what are the reasons why you want to
come to study here. The objective of this letter is to demonstrate that your main
purpose is to come to study and the benefits of your studies will have a real and
positive impact on your personal, academic and professional life. That’s why the
criteria of documents that you must present will depend on the story you want to tell
“Home Affairs”, since all information declared when completing the “student form”
must be evidenced with documents.

**Important: Photographs or scans of documents must be legible, clear and with a good quality. It’s essential that they are named correctly and completely. Example: Maria Sanchez University Degree.

Passports

Certificate of studies

Works evidence

English Certificates

Financial capacity

Evidence partner

Police and Criminal Record

Passport photo or scanner. If you have a partner and want to declare them, you must include their passport in this folder. It must have an expiration date greater than six months from the start date of your course.

If you have two passports of different nationalities, be sure to include both.

Because you are coming to Australia to study, it is assumed that investing in your education is one of your top priorities, so we need to relate your previous academic experience. Please attach the following documents to this folder as appropriate.

High School: secondary school/middle school.
Technical/Professional Studies (NOT university): degrees obtained in tertiary institutions, for example: Diploma in Ontological Coaching/Gastronomic Technician.
University studies: It is essential that the status of your university studies is clear and specific. You can state that you have completed your studies by presenting your graduate degree, or you can state that you are in progress by presenting a transcript of records with a current date or a proof of regular student status.
Postgraduate degrees:Present your graduate degree if you have completed postgraduate studies, specialisations, doctorates or master’s degrees that complete your undergraduate studies.
Complimentary studies: In Australia, any qualification counts. It can add a lot to your application if you can present qualifications even if they are not related to your profession. For example: Surfing instructor / Jewellery course / Photography.

When writing the letter, we have to build your work history to justify the relationship of your studies to your profession.

Currículum Vitae: This should be up to date, with exact dates and conditions of employment/job position well specified. If your profession/job allows it, add references: name, position, contact number. If your level of English allows it, it is advisable that it is in English.
Letter of recommendation: If you have a long career history, adding letters of recommendation from past jobs can add to your application. Ask the HR department or a superior/manager for a letter of recommendation stating how many years you have been with the company, the position you have held and a good reference. Ideally, it should be in English.
Evidence of job retention: By completing the web form you have declared your current employment status and this must be evidenced. If there is a possibility that your job will be retained on your return (i.e. on your return from Australia), you must provide a letter written by HR or supervisor clarifying the position and contractual situations under which you are allowed to travel to Australia without losing your job. IMPORTANT: this letter must be accompanied by the name, phone number and email of the signatory so that Home Affairs can verify its veracity. Download a template here.
Evidence of previous employment: In order to demonstrate that you have been actively employed, it will be very useful to attach; PAYROLL RECEIPTS (1 or 2), EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT (showing your salary); ANNUAL INVOICING STATEMENT; TAX PAYMENT RECORD (showing your annual income). Any document that evidences that you have been generating assets, both yours and your parents/sponsors’, can serve to reinforce your profile as an international student in good financial standing in your home country.

If you are applying for a vocational/VET course, it is necessary to demonstrate a sufficient level of English to be able to apply for a visa. This level can be checked by official exams such as:IELTS

Cambridge FCE, CAE and CPE
TOEFL
IELTS
PTE.
Optionally, any certificate issued by English language schools may also be considered.

Australia wants to know that you have sufficient funds to pay for your stay, your course and basic expenses. Therefore, we need to build a profile of a student with a stable/comfortable financial situation through evidence.

Sponsorship for students: Here you will find a WORD file that you must download and fill in the text in red with your personal information. Don’t forget to attach a photograph of the identification document of the person who will be your sponsor. This document will strengthen the application by proving that you have financial support from your family in case you need it.
Title to property: If your family owns a business, high value property, attach here ONLY THE SHEET OF THE DOCUMENT DETAILING THE NAME OF THE OWNER AND VALUE OF THE PROPERTY/BUSINESS.
Evidence of foreign travel: it is understood that if the person has travelled numerous times, he/she has a stable purchasing power, therefore presenting visas from other countries or evidence of these trips can be beneficial. E.g. visa USA, New Zealand, etc.
Bank statement ONLY IF APPLICABLE: There is a possibility that Migration will ask the student to prove that they have enough money to support their stay, which means that you should prove by means of an official bank statement issued by your bank that you have the money equivalent to: 2,000 AUD approximately x month of stay + remaining balance to be paid of the value of your course + 2,500 AUD for return tickets to your country. Find more information and examples here.

Example: You should be able to prove AUD 24,505 per year (AUD 2,042 per month) or the equivalent in your currency. So, if your visa has a duration of 9 months, you will have to prove AUD 18,378. Please note that this amount can be divided into up to three different bank accounts (credit, savings) and can be held by you or your immediate family.

Only if applicable.

Evidence of Marriage or De Facto: Official document registering the relationship.
Contracts as a couple: Rental contracts for housing, joint venture contracts, contracts for the purchase or sale of a house, car or other joint property. Here is an example.
Joint bank accounts: Evidence of shared ownership of an account and record of bank transactions.
Photographic evidence: You will find here an example of how you should make this evidence, remember that photos of both of you are important but it is always good to show family events that you have been to together.
Social Media Evidence: Include screenshots showing how over time you have shared photos/comments with each other on social media.
Parent’s Letter: You will find here a word file that you should complete with your parents’ information. It is a standard letter, where your parent(s) states that he/she/they attest to the relationship by attaching his/her/their personal information.

Presentation of police and criminal record certificates, only for students of Colombian nationality.