Can I Change My Visitor Visa To Student Visa?

Posted by admin on December 21, 2022

Australia is a country of natural beauty, wildlife, and ocean that attracts tourists to visit and explore it. To stay in Australia for a few months, the visitors need a visa that makes their stay legal.

A visitor can apply for a visitor visa in Australia that facilitates him to stay for not more than 12 months. He can study a course for three months with this visa. The tourist visa in Australia also allows one to work and travel multiple times.

If a visitor wants to study for a course for more than three months, he must apply for a student visa in Australia. He can convert his visitor visa into a student visa without leaving the country, although the process is more complex than the application procedures.

The conversion of the visitor visa into a student visa does not affect the application process for a student visa in any manner because these two are different from each other. An applicant can apply for conversion of only visa subclass 651(e-visitor), 601(electronic travel authority visa), and 600 (visitor visa).

Advantages Of Changing Visitor Visa Australia To Student Visa Australia

The person who has to visit Australia has to apply for a visitor visa in Australia. There is a term of three months for a visitor visa in Australia. 

Following are some of the advantages of converting a visitor visa into a student one –

• When a person applies for a student visa in Australia. There is a risk of rejection of the application, so conversion can be advantageous in terms of a higher success rate and probability of getting a COE (Confirmation of Enrolment).
• Shifting to a foreign country is a difficult task. But a visitor visa holder has already visited some areas of Australia, so it is familiar to him to secure a rented property, possible workplaces, or restaurants according to his taste.
• If a person doesn’t have any sponsorship and financial support to get the student visa, this conversion of visitor visa to student visa turned into a bypass to this requirement.
• A person can build a base to start his journey of studies in Australia by researching universities, visiting campuses, and connecting with nearby students and can easily comply with Australian study requirements.

Factors Affecting The Conversion

When a person changes his visitor visa to a student visa, some factors affect the conversion. We explain these factors as follows-

• Financial Stability

A financially stable person can apply for this change. His financial conditions must support his stay in Australia. 

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

Scoring of a minimum of 5.5 (the higher is better) is required to apply for the conversion. This testing system shows a candidate’s compatibility with the English language.

• Study Gap

There shouldn’t be a study gap to comply with the requirements of conversion of a visitor visa to a student visa.

• SOP (Statement Of Purpose)

A person should write a  statement of purpose very clearly. A poorly written SOP can become the reason for the rejection of the application for conversion.

• Rejected Student Visa

If a person does not have any bad record on his travel history, he can change his visitor visa to a student visa.

Must read: Student Visa Subclass 500 – Know the Step by Step Process to Apply

All You Need To Know Before The Change

To know more about the conversion, an applicant can take advice from a professional immigration agent in Australia. A person has to clarify some important points before converting a visitor visa to a student visa. We can categorise these points as per the circumstances-

• The applicant has to provide reasons for not studying in his home country. He must tell whether his home country supports a temporary stay in Australia. As per his financial conditions and military service commitments.
• The incentive a person earned in Australia will remain in Australia and his knowledge of living in Australia.
• Any immigration circumstances in the past that do not support an applicant’s intention to stay in Australia.
• He must check whether the course (he is applying for study) is relevant and suitable for his current employment or educational purposes.
• The department of home affairs can undertake any matter which seems necessary to judge a person to comply with genuine temporary entrant(GTE).

To convert a tourist visa to a student visa in Australia, you’ll need to provide specific documents

Personal Details: Include copies of your passport, birth certificate, and identification card.

Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Requirement: Submit evidence showing your intention to stay in Australia temporarily.

Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE): Provide your CoE or an offer letter from your educational institution.

Employment History: Include evidence of your work history, such as a resume or work reference letters.

Health Insurance: Submit a health insurance certificate, as medical expenses won’t be covered by the Department of Home Affairs.

Financial Stability: Provide proof of financial stability, demonstrating you have enough funds to cover tuition fees and living expenses.

Wrap Up

Here we conclude that changing from a visitor visa to a student visa is nothing but applying for an international student visa in Australia while holding out a Tourist visa in Australia. It is altogether a shortcut procedure to apply for a student visa in Australia while staying in Australia.

A student must fulfil the Australian study requirements to apply for the visa conversion. The applicant must not have any poor records while staying in Australia. He must also have enough funds to support his stay in Australia.

If you’re looking for the best immigration agent in Adelaide, we’re your best choice. The migration experts at our firm are highly skilled and professional in all areas of Australian visa law. It will be our responsibility to make sure you are informed about every step of the process so that the process runs smoothly and hassle-free for you.