Easy step-by-step guide for Australian student visa(Subclass 500) online application (ImmiAccount)

If you wish to study in Australia being either for a short or longer period of time, you must apply for a Student Visa. You can either apply for your visa online or visit an Embassy. However, in most countries, the online application seems to be the most convenient and even the fastest way. It took me just an hour or two to acquire my visa after I clicked on the "submit" button.

 This post is more focused on those students with University scholarships applying for a student visa, especially Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students. However, it is a similar process for all student visas with just minimal differences depending on whether you are an undergraduate applicant, PhD course work or research, self-sponsored or government scholarship or language student.

The process here starts with the assumption that you have already received your CoE and any other required documents from your school. For a clear understanding of all the required documents for the Australian student visa  (500 ) application, visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website.

I have succeeded in capturing screenshots of the step-by-step process to facilitate your online application for an Australian student visa (500) using your Immi Account. Follow the guide step by step to ease your application process. By this stage, you must have gathered, scanned and saved all your documents to be submitted electronically. This process is divided into 20 simple phases and sub-steps to ease your movement very smoothly.

Complete process Summary

• Phase 1. Create your Immi Account Login
• Phase 2. Application context.
• Phase 3. Primary Applicant Details
• Phase 4. Contact Details
• Phase 5. Authorized Recipient
• Phase 6. Non-Accompanying Family Members
• Phase 7. Genuine Temporary Entrant
• Phase 8. Funding for Stay
• Phase 9. Health Insurance
• Phase 10. Education
• Phase 11. Employment
• Phase 12. language
• Phase 13. Countries visited
• Phase 14. Visa History
• Phase 15. Health Declaration
• Phase 16. Character Declaration.
• Phase 17. Student Declarations
• Phase 18. Carefully cross-check and review all the details you have entered so far
• Phase 19. Supporting Evidence
• Phase 20. Online Payment
• Final Phase. Visa Processing Time

Phase 1: Create your Immi Account

You can find the link to this by going to the Australian immigration homepage website:  Australian Government Department of Home Affairs and while here, click on Immi Account.

Step 1: Create your Immi Account by clicking “create account” as seen below:

Step2: Once you have created your account as I mentioned above, the below section will appear, select “individuals” and then proceed to fill in your information, make sure your names are well spelled and in order as it’s in your passport.

Step 3: Proceed with the setting up of your account. Make sure to use your current and right email address because this will be used to verify your account and for future updates on your visa application

Step 4: When the above step is done, it will direct you to this next stage letting you know that your account has been successfully created and recommends you to verify your email for confirmation.

Step 5: Click continue and the page below will appear, click on “New Application”

Step 6: An entry will open, and You will see various option, click on “student”. This will expand, select “student visa (500)”

Step 7: The application terms and conditions. Read them and click to show that you have read and accepted them. I did not provide the screenshot. It is a simple step.

Phase 2. Application context

 In this part you need:

• Provide your current location,
• Put Yes for the CoE question since you should be having one. Note (your CoE code is in the top right corner of your CoE document)
•  Put No, for this course is a continuation.
•  No, for other evidence intended study,
•  Education sector: select postgraduate research since you are coming for a PhD program,
• Closure of education provider: No
• Commonwealth-funded student: No, you are being funded by the University, or yes if in your case commonwealth is your sponsor etc...

Phase 3. Primary Applicant Details

This is a critical area; incorrect information will lead to major complications in acquiring your visa

• Enter your passport information exactly as it appears on your passport
• It is strongly recommended that the passport be valid for at least six months. 
• National Identity Card. is not necessary but good if you have one, say yes and fill in the details.
• You must mention your current relationship status.
• You really do not need to enter any other identity documents
• Health Examination – say No. Except if you already did one
• Place of issue/issuing authority: your country of nationality for the current passport you're holding

Next step: Answer the question and provide additional documents if necessary

Next step: Accompanying family members:

• This is asking if you are bringing a family member with you as a result of your studies (like bringing your parents, child to be with you while you study or wife.) 

Phase 4. Contact Details

• Department Office: Choose the office closest to you. 
• Country of Residence: selecting your current country of residence, where you are currently living. Be careful about auto-fill!
• For address and phone number in Australia: leave these areas blank

Phase 5. Authorized Recipient

• Here, choose No. You do not need an authorized recipient.
• Provide your most frequently used email. Keep in mind that you are notified via an email if your visa is granted

Phase 6. Non-Accompanying Family Members

Are you having other family members that won’t be going with you? This question is simply asking you about the rest of your family members that are left behind. Family members could be your parents, your siblings, or even your kids and wife if you are married. So Yes if you have and No if you don’t.

Next: This question is asking if you have parents and/or siblings. give them the right answer

Next : Enter the information for each family member

Phase 7. Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) 

This section requires you to confirm that you have no incentive to acquire this student visa so as to remain in Australia. Write an example of something brief here as stated below and later you will upload a lengthy statement in the supporting document.

Dear visa Officer,

I Mr…. declare that I intend to genuinely stay

in Australia temporarily and have no incentives to obtain this

student visa to remain after completing my course...
Refer to What is GTE? How To Meet This Essential Student Visa Requirement for further details about GTE

Phase 8. Funding for Stay

• Select Yes
• Select “Other organization scholarship / financial support. (For government scholarship holders, select government scholarship and name the provider)
• Sponsoring organization type: Education provider
• Sponsoring organization name: Name of your university,
• Scholarship/Award name: The scholarship name

Phase 9. Health Insurance

• Select Yes, you have OSHC, and it will expand to more questions:
• Was it organized by the education provider – Yes
• The name of the health insurer is listed on your CoE next to "OSHC Provider Name"
• Insurance policy number – this number should be in the comments section at the bottom of the “Student Details” section on your CoE.
• The dates of coverage are on your CoE as “Student Health Cover (OSHC) Start date: and End date”

Refer to What Is OSHC? How To Meet This Essential Visa Requirement for more details about health insurance for international students planning to study in Australia

Phase 10. Education

In this section, all you have to do is provide details about your educational background. Provide the answers accordingly

Phase 11. Employment

• In this section, you will have to provide your employment details. However, if you are still a student, fill in “Student” in the place for the job and provide the course.
• But keep in mind that anything you say here you will have to provide the proof. If you are currently working you will need as proof employment certificates or contracts and, if you are a student, school ID etc. will do
• In the space for future employment, write what you intend to become in the future

Phase 12. Language

• Please answer these questions accordingly. Those who are not from the exempted countries named in the application form from providing an English proficiency test must definitely get one. So, if you are not from these exempted countries, you answer the questions accordingly and provide your exam scores, it could be IELTS TOEFL etc…

Phase 13. Countries visited

•     This section here is all about the travelling experience. It is an important criterion also. So it’s good to have evidence for it; say like receipts or flight copies as you will upload them later as supporting documents. etc. 
• If you have visited any countries in the last 10 years, say Yes, and name the countries in the next entry that opens, including dates and reasons for the visit.

Phase 14. Visa History

This is another critical section about your visa history. Answer the questions accordingly, and honesty will be necessary

Phase 15. Health Declaration

•  This section is to verify if you have any particular sickness or disease that needs attention. so you must answer all the questions accordingly depending on your circumstances and with honesty. 
• Do not forget that before submitting your application, you must go for a medical exam. Though most answers need to be answered no or yes depending on your circumstances, however,                     if you think the answer is “Yes” to the bottom three questions (about tuberculosis, conditions requiring treatment, or required assistance) I will advise you to please save your application and contact your program manager or school immediately before proceeding.

Phase 16. Character Declaration

• This question seeks to know more about you and how you have been living in society and with the people around you. 
• So, answer the questions accordingly. 
• In most cases, you will have to provide a Police Declaration Certificate in the country where you are currently residing. This will serve as supporting evidence to be uploaded in the supporting document section.

Phase 17. Student Declarations

• Please read carefully and answer the questions accordingly

Phase 18. Carefully cross-check and review all the details you have entered so far

• You are almost done. Recheck all the information you have entered so far, and make sure you have answered them correctly, honestly and accurately.

Phase 19. Supporting Evidence

Here, it is advisable to provide evidence for everything you must have acclaimed while filling out the application. Provide as much as you can!

• Evidence of Health Insurance: upload your CoE
• Evidence of Identity: upload a photocopy of your passport. This should include your passport number, photo, issuing country, date of issue and expiration, and signature.
• Evidence of police clearance
• Evidence of Genuine Temporary Entrant Requirement: please upload the complete Genuine Temporary Entrant Requirement (In this document, you state clearly your reasons for studying in Australia, and why Australia, what you intend to gain after studying in Australia, what you want to become when you go back to your home country after your studies. You must state all these reasons in a convincing way that you are only coming to Australia genuinely for your studies and with no further incentives to remain. Gives other reasons that prove that you have no incentive to remain in Australia after your studies, it could family ties, properties you own back home, businesses etc.… and all with supporting documents for sure.
• If you stated that you are married, then you should be having a marriage certificate as evidence etc. in the employment question if you stated that you are a student, then you should be having a student ID card or something to prove that status, A businessman? then you should have your business licenses or certificates  to provide that as well etc.…

Phase 20. Online Payment

• A MasterCard or Visa card is required for this process. You will just follow some simple clear instructions and all is done!

Hold on !!!! hold on !!! hold !!! read the final phase below before you submit please!!!!

 CONGRATULATION YOU ARE DONE WITH THE MAIN PART OF YOUR AUSTRALIAN STUDENT VISA.!!!!!!!

Final Phase

    This final phase involves two simple options which are about the required Medical exams.

•      Option 1:   After phase 21, you will receive a TRN (Transaction Reference Number) and fill out health forms which you will use to go do your medical exams at a specifically designated hospital by the Australian immigration. 
• Your medical exams will be sent to them directly by the hospital. All you have to do now is to wait for your visa results! You are completely done!

or

•    Option 2:  In another case after completely filling your application, before payment and final submission, save it, go back and click on “new application”, a new entry will open, this time select “Health “from the entry (see screenshots below).
• Answer the medical questions. When this is done, they will provide you with a medical form and a list of the designated hospitals for the exams they require you to do. You will then fill out the form honestly and accurately. Print it out.
• You can now pay and submit your application. 

Congrats you are done with the online visa application. They will send you a confirmation email for a successful online application and contact you later in case of any update. You will visit a designated hospital for your medical exams, which will be sent to them directly by the hospital. You won’t see it. Finish!!!!! From a personal experience, option 2 was my choice.

Visa Processing Time

Generally, it takes about four weeks on average to process student visas. Nevertheless, we must be aware that each case is very different and some applications can take longer. The exact time will depend on how much information you have provided them with: whether you have provided all supporting documents with your application, whether they need additional information from you and how you respond to any requests for this information, and whether you need to undergo more health checks etc...

Good luck with your student visa application and see you soon in Australia 😃

Don't forget to leave a comment and a like if you find this post helpful                   

Related Topics :  

•  Meeting Australian Student Visa Requirements 
• How to apply successfully to Australian Scholarships 
• Full scholarships in Australia 
• Guide to secure University admissions in Australia

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