Till a few years
back Australia was hardly in the reckoning as a destination
for further education. But for the last few years the
dark horse has suddenly become one of the top few education
providers to Indian students. Australia the land of
kangaroo or the land of Shane Warne depends on your
perspective. But if you are planning to go there for
further education then let's take a quick peek into
their visa procedure and ensure you do it all right.
1) What is a gazetted and a non-gazetted
country?
Australian Government, for visa purposes, has classified
various countries into two categories: gazetted and non-gazetted.
Gazetted countries are those whose citizens have a lower
risk of overstaying in Australia after the expiry of their
visa. Whereas the citizens of non-gazetted countries are
more likely not to conform or comply with the limitations
set by the Department of Immigration - more like a guest
overstaying their welcome. No prizes for guessing that
India is a non-gazetted country!
2) Since India is a non-gazetted
country what are its implications for Indian students
wanting to study in Australia?
One of the main implications of India being a non-gazetted
country is that Indian students have to apply for Preliminary
Visa Assessment (PVA) before being granted the student
visa. Australian universities require international
students to pay their tuition fee before applying for
student visa. Since in countries like India there is
a chance that the student visa may be refused thus the
Australian Government to protect the rights of international
students from non-gazetted countries has established
this system of PVA. Thus the second implication is that
students from non-gazetted countries have to pay the
tuition fee after the PVA is approved.
3) Yeh PVA PVA kya hai?
The first step, in India, for getting the Australian
student visa is to get the PVA. For this you have to
submit all your documents and the non-refundable visa
fee to the Visa Office in Delhi. After the officials
comb through your documents for finer details they will
advise you to go ahead with your visa application. The
good news is that once you meet the PVA requirements
then you can breathe easy for your visa is as good as
approved (cross your fingers and knock on wood). After
the PVA stage you are required to undergo medical exams
and pay the tuition fee to the Australian educational
institution. After receiving the tuition fee the University
will send you a Confirmation of Enrollment (COE). The
COE along with your medical reports will then have to
be submitted to the visa office for your passport to
be stamped with the student visa.
4) Can I submit the student visa or PVA application
In Bombay?
No, even though you can collect the student visa application
form (Form 157 W) from Australian Education International
in Mumbai, you have to submit it to the Australian High
Commission in Delhi (addresses are given below). Collect
the form 157 W free of charge from: The Australian Education
International, Australian Consulate - General Office,
16th Floor, Maker Tower - E, Cuffe Parade, Colaba, Mumbai.
You can also collect this form free of charge from some
agents in Mumbai without being under any obligation to
utilize their services. Submit the form along with the
fees and all the documentation to: The Australian High
Commission, Visa Office, 1/50 G Shantipath, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi - 110021.
5) The university has
given me a deadline by which I have to pay the tuition
fee.
Should I pay the tuition fee of the University before
I am granted the PVA? Sometimes the university might send you a routine
letter asking you to pay for the tuition fee before
they send you the Confirmation Of Enrollment (COE) or
even give you a deadline by which you have to pay the
tuition fee. If that happens you need to inform the
university that you belong to a non-gazetted country
therefore you need to first get the PVA done and if
the result is satisfactory then and only then you will
be in a position to pay the tuition fee. Under no circumstance
should you pay the tuition fee for an educational institution
before getting the PVA approval.
6) How do I prove that I have the necessary funds for
supporting my studies in Australia?
A statement about your parents financial resources is
essential when you are applying for the visa. Any Chartered
Accountant can be requested to make a statement about
their finances. In terms of submitting financial documents
it is important to remember that the visa authorities
will be looking for sufficient funds to cover your tuition
and living expenses for the duration of your stay.
7) How will I get the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) permit to convert Indian Rupees
to Australian dollars?
You can apply to any bank dealing in foreign exchange
for a RBI permit. Since the early 90's the Reserve Bank
of India puts no restriction on using Indian Rupees
for studying abroad either for undergraduate or postgraduate
studies. You can access upto thirty thousand dollars
(US) in foreign exchange for every year that you need
to study abroad. And lo and behold if the cost is more
than 30K USD a year then the rest is released under
a special permit. Most banks will be able to issue this
Foreign Exchange Release certificate within a few days
of your application.
Can I go to Australia on a visitor visa and then convert
that visa to student visa? The answer is no. Considering
that the student visa procedure is fairly straightforward
it is not advisable to go to Australia as a visitor
if your real purpose is to study. While you are in Australia
you may not get permission to convert your visitor visa
to a student visa
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