7 Reasons Why Your Australian Student Visa Could Be Rejected

Thinking of applying for an Australian Study Visa? Here's why thousands of student visas get rejected every year.

Have you always wanted to study in Australia? You’re not alone. Australia is among the top choices for students worldwide, with beautiful beaches, moderate climate, multicultural population, world-class universities, and tremendous opportunities. What’s more, 8 of the top 100 universities in the world are in Australia and its 2 major cities, Melbourne, and Sydney, regularly feature among the world’s best cities for students and working professionals. 

To be able to study in Australia, you need a student visa, also known as the Subclass 500 visa. Applying for a study visa to Australia is easier than it is for most other countries; but not everyone who applies for a student visa is successful. In fact, there are many reasons why Australian student visa applications get rejected. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Failure to meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirements

You need to prove that you’re genuinely coming to Australia for the purpose of education and pass the GTE test with a personal written statement and supporting documentation. 

2. Failure to meet Academic qualifications

While this varies on a course-to-course basis, to be eligible for the student visa, you’ll need to have competed the required academic level to study further. 

Generally speaking, apart from English language requirements, entry requirements for different course levels are:

Undergraduate: You must have an overseas equivalent to an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Some undergraduate courses also have specific pre-requisite subjects.
Postgraduate: You must have (satisfactorily) completed an undergraduate degree. Some institutions also take research ability or relevant work experience into consideration.
Failure to meet English requirements

As Australia is primarily an English-speaking country, you will need to prove your English language skills with an IELTS score of 6.5 or above or other equivalent tests.

3. Insufficient funds

You’ll need to demonstrate proof of genuine access to funds including an annual living expense of around $AUD 20,000 or more, along with the ability to meet tuition requirements for your course.
In order to prove this, you may need to provide:

Evidence that another person or business is providing funds, including evidence of your relationship, identity documents of the person providing said funds, or proof that the business is still operating
Evidence of any deposits, including details of any recent and ongoing deposits (including wages).
Documentation or proof of tertiary loan to cover your tuition and/or living expenses, along with evidence of the terms and total amount of the loan that will be disbursed.
Proof of collateral, terms of agreement and ability to cover ongoing costs for any other type of loan you are planning to secure.

4. Absence of acceptable Health, Overseas Health Cover (OSHC) or Welfare Arrangements

You will need to provide evidence of acceptable health and depending on which country you’re applying from, undergo a medical examination. You will also have to obtain an Overseas Health Cover (OSHC) which your education provider or you will have to arrange. 

5. Past misconduct

If you’ve ever tried to enter a country in the past and been rejected or have a criminal record in any country you’ve lived in, you risk visa refusal. You may be required to provide police verification certificates from your country/countries of residence. 

6. Incorrect/Incomplete documentation

One of the biggest reasons for visa rejection is failure to provide the documentation required for the visa application process. The list of documentation can be quite daunting and typically includes all or most of the following:

• Birth Certificate
• Passport identity page with each page that has a visa label and immigration stamps for any countries of past travel to.
• National Identity Card.
• All pages of the Household Registration Book.
• A Curriculum Vitae (CV) certified by local authorities.
• Valid electronic Certificate of Enrolment (CoE) for courses being undertaken
• A GTE statement
• Evidence (scanned and uploaded original documents in colour) of qualifications and associated transcripts of any courses completed and/or attempted and/or currently studying.
• Evidence of any scholarship(s) awarded for your studies in Australia.
• Valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the proposed duration of the student visa.
• If under 18: Parent consent letters, signed and witnessed.
• Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare Arrangements (CAAW), linked with your CoE.
• A signed financial undertaking from the individual(s) providing the funds, outlining the relationship between you and the financial sponsor(s), including either: Evidence of funds & genuine access to funds OR evidence of annual income.
• English language test certificate that was taken less than 2 years before date of application.

7. Applying on your own without proper knowledge of the process

Again, one of the most common and avoidable reasons for student visa rejections is people applying without complete knowledge of the application process or professional guidance from an experienced person with a proven track record of past successful applications. 

When applying for a study visa for Australia, it is important to choose an organisation with a proven track record of successful applications and satisfied applicants. We at Immi Smart, have helped thousands of students like you take their first steps towards a quality Aussie education.  

Our trained counsellors and advisors are here to provide you with 

• the highest quality of service
• personal case-based coaching
• 1-on-1 personal guidance
• Nearly 100% success rate of student visa applications

Get started on your Australian education journey, book a FREE consultation call with one of our trained advisors. Call 1300 02 1300 today!