Documents for your visa
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Since March 23, 2024, Australia has been assessing your application under the criterion Genuine Student (GS), which replaced the old GTE. This changes the way you prepare your visa: a separate cover letter is no longer submitted. Now you answer four questions directly in the online form, with a maximum of 150 words each and in English. If you are applying from within Australia, there is a fifth additional question.
The questions cover your current situation (family, work, and economic ties in your country), why you chose that course and institution, how it will benefit you in the future, and any other relevant information.
Here is the key: the officer gives more weight to answers backed by documents. Every claim you make must be able to be proven with something you have attached. That is why the document criteria depend on your specific story, and that is why this guide exists.
The GS also recognizes that a genuine student may want to work or stay in Australia after finishing their studies. That point no longer works against you, as long as education is your immediate purpose.
Important: The photographs or scans of the documents must be legible, clear, and of good quality. It is essential that they are named correctly and completely. Example: University Degree Maria Sanchez.
Passports
Photo or scan of your complete passport. It is the document that opens the entire application, so the quality has to be impeccable.
- Expiration date later than six months from the start of your course.
- If you have dual nationality, include both passports.
- If you are going to declare a partner, include their passport in this folder as well.
- Complete data page, without clippings, reflections, or shadows.
Academic transcripts
You are coming to Australia to study, so Home Affairs needs to understand your previous academic background and verify that this course fits logically into it. Attach whatever applies to your case.
- High school: High school diploma, secondary education, or equivalent.
- Technical or professional studies: degrees obtained from non-university tertiary institutions. For example: Gastronomy Technician, Diploma in Coaching.
- University studies: graduation diploma if you have finished, or updated academic transcript or enrollment certificate if you are still studying.
- Graduate programs: Master's degree, specialization, or doctorate to complement your undergraduate degree.
- Complementary studies: In Australia, every qualification counts, even if it is not related to your profession. For example: surf instructor, jewelry course, photography.
The status of your studies must be clear and specific. Ambiguity here is one of the most frequent causes for requests for additional information.
Work evidence
Your work history is what gives coherence to your choice of course. The officer evaluates whether your study plan makes logical sense given your profile, and for that they need to see where you come from professionally.
- Updated resume: with exact dates, positions, and well-specified employment conditions. Add references with name, title, and contact information. In English if your level permits.
- Recommendation letters: If you have an extensive background, ask HR or a superior for a letter indicating your years at the company, position held, and a reference. Ideally in English.
- Proof of job retention: if you will keep your job upon return, a letter from HR or your supervisor clarifying the position and the conditions under which you can travel. It must include the name, phone number, and email of the signatory so that Home Affairs can verify it.
- Evidence of previous work: pay slips, employment contract showing the salary, annual invoicing, or tax payment record.
English certificates
Minimum thresholds increased in March 2024 and remain in effect. Keep in mind that the visa minimum is independent of the one your institution requires, which is usually higher.
- Direct entry to the main course: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
- Foundation or pathway programs: IELTS 5.5 or equivalent.
- ELICOS course packaged before the main one: IELTS 5.0 or equivalent.
- Only ELICOS: no exam requirement for the visa.
Accepted tests: IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, OET, CELPIP General, and LanguageCert Academic.
Online or home versions of any exam are not accepted. You must present yourself in person at an authorized center. The result cannot be more than two years old at the time of submitting the application.
Economic evidence
Australia wants to see that you can cover your stay, your course, and your expenses without difficulties. Along with the Genuine Student, it is the most common reason for refusal.
Not everyone is held to the same standard. Australia classifies countries by migration risk levels (assessment levels), and Tier 1 or Tier 2 nationality applicants are not usually asked to prove funds in advance. That does not mean being exempt: Immigration can request them at any point in the process, and if you cannot justify them, the application is rejected. Our recommendation is to prepare the documentation anyway.
How much you have to prove
- Main applicant: AUD 29,710 a year in living expenses.
- Spouse or partner: Additional AUD 10,394.
- For each dependent child: Additional AUD 4,449.
- To add: the first year of tuition for your course plus the return ticket to your country.
Example: if your visa lasts 9 months, you must prove AUD 22,282 in living expenses, plus tuition and flights. The amount can be split across up to three bank accounts and be held in your own name or that of immediate family members.
What documents work
- Sponsorship for Student: Download the template, fill it out with your information, and attach a copy of your sponsor's identification document.
- Property titles: only the page detailing the owner and the value of the property or business.
- Evidence of foreign travel: previous visas from other countries, which demonstrate stable purchasing power.
- Bank statement extract: official, issued by your bank.
The funds must be traceable and of demonstrable origin. A large deposit made a few weeks before applying is a known red flag for officers, because it does not demonstrate genuine and sustained access to the money. The standard practice is to accredit a history of at least three months.
Couple evidence
Only if you are going to declare a partner in your application. It is about building a coherent and documented narrative of the relationship.
- Official record: marriage certificate or de facto union certificate.
- Joint contracts: rental housing, purchase of a house, vehicle, or other shared assets.
- Shared bank account: evidence of joint ownership and transaction history.
- Photographic evidence: photos of both of you over time. Shared family events add a lot.
- Social media: screenshots showing sustained interaction between you over time.
- Parents' letter: signed statement by your parents proving the relationship, with their personal information.
Police and criminal record
They are part of the character requirement. Not all applicants must submit them upfront, but Home Affairs can request them at any stage of the process.
- Colombian nationality: mandatory presentation of police and criminal background certificates, duly apostilled.
- Other nationalities: They are requested on a case-by-case basis.
- If you have lived twelve months or more in another country during the last ten years, be prepared to also provide the certificate from that country.
- Based on your history, Form 80 may also be requested.
Figures and requirements updated as of September 2026. Visa fees and financial capacity amounts are reviewed periodically, usually every July 1st. Always verify the current conditions at the Department of Home Affairs before submitting your application, or write to us and we'll review it with you.