STUDENT VISA REQUIREMENT
8 May 2024
Increase to the Financial Capacity Requirement for Student and Student Guardian visas
From 10 May 2024, the amount of money that Student and Student Guardian visa applicants need to have to be eligible for the visa is increasing.
The financial capacity requirement has been updated to align with a proportion (75 per cent) of the national minimum wage. This will better indicate the amount of money considered reasonable to provide a minimum standard of living while studying in Australia. This proportion considers that students are out of course session for 25 per cent of the year. During this time they may return home or have access to unrestricted work.
International students who can show they meet this new financial capacity requirement are better able to make informed decisions about their future.
Students are less likely to:
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be in financial distress once in Australia
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breach their visa conditions by working more hours than their visa conditions allow
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be vulnerable to worker exploitation.
The below table outlines the funds you need to show to meet the minimum financial capacity requirement, which will be changed from 10 May 2024.
Minimum required funds to meet financial capacity requirements
16 March 2024
Genuine Student Requirement
As announced in the Migration Strategy released on 11 December 2023, the Australian Government is replacing the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for grant of a Student visa with a Genuine Student (GS) requirement.
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The GS requirement is planned to commence for Student visa applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024.
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Student visa applications lodged before 23 March 2024 will be assessed according to existing arrangements.
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The GTE requirement will be retained for Student Guardian visa applicants.
Through consultation and discussion with representatives of the education sector, the new GS requirement for international students will aim to identify students with circumstances that support a genuine intention to obtain a quality education in Australia, without reference or confusion to any future intention to migrate.
The 300 word statement in the Student visa application form will be replaced with targeted questions. These questions will provide visa decision makers with an overview of the applicant and their reasons for wanting to study in Australia, to contextualise the documentary evidence applicants must provide in support of their application.
The intended questions will cover:
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details of their current circumstances, including ties to family, community, employment and economic circumstances;
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an explanation for the choice of course and reasons for choosing Australia as a study destination;
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what benefits the course provides to the applicant;
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for applicants with a study history in Australia, details of their study history;
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for applicants holding a visa other than a Student visa, their reasons for applying for a Student visa; and
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any other relevant information the applicant wishes to provide.
The Student visa declaration will be amended to require applicants to confirm that they:
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understand what it means to be a genuine student for the purposes of studying in Australia;
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have read, understand and commit to comply with student visa conditions and to notify the Department of Home Affairs of any changes to their circumstances; and
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understand that while post-study pathways to permanent migration are available, only a limited number of graduates will be eligible and those who are unable to remain lawfully in Australia must depart Australia.
When the change happens, Ministerial Direction No. 69 will be revoked and replaced by two new ministerial directions, which will reflect the intention for the GS requirement to apply after the intended commencement date of 23 March 2024; and then to ensure that applications onhand, and not yet decided, before the commencement date of 23 March 2024 have the GTE assessment applied to those cases.
Further information about the changes will be communicated to education providers and potential applicants, including through the Department of Home Affairs website, social media channels and outreach activities, closer to the implementation date of 23 March 2024.
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