No, this visa conversion would not affect your student visa application since these two are entirely different visas. So, you can extend your stay by getting a subclass 500 student visa without any hassle.
Which Tourist Visa Can be Converted to Student Visa?
Know your visas, before you jump in to travel for that student visa conversion. Depending on the type of visit visas, there are three subclass visitor visas.
- Subclass 651 – eVisitor
- Subclass 601 – Electronic Travel Authority Visa
- Subclass 600 – Visitor Visa
Any Subclass 651 visa holder can stay up to three months at a time each year. Subclass 651 is mainly for tourist or business purposes only. Though this is a free visa, people from specific countries with an eVisitor passport can obtain this.
With a 601 Visa, you can stay up to 12 months with 3months at a time maximum on multiple visits. This allows a visitor to come for tourist or business purposes. Each year a visitor can stay up to three months. Not everyone can get this Visa; only certain passport holders from specific countries can apply for this.
Subclass 600 is a fit for all visas. An individual can stay up to 12 months. There are five different options to choose from for the visitors. Whether it’s a tourist visa to roam around or sponsored family visa to hang with your family, A business, frequent traveler, or an ADS.
The ADS type allows Chinese tourists to travel in Australia in groups also known as Approved Destination Status. This Visa usually takes Six to Nine months to process. Subclass 600 is also cheaper, costs about 145 AUD.
Fun fact: Subclass 600 Visa is the most popular one of all visas; anyone can quickly get it. So, if you have plans to switch your tourist visa to a student one, then this is the way.
Who Can Apply to Convert Visitor Visa Student Visa?
Depending on your file, let’s assume you don’t any bad records. A bad record can be anything. If you have any of these bad records, you will not be able to apply for the visa conversion.
- Low financial stability
- Case filed against you
- Previously rejected student visa
- Poorly written SOP
- No IELTS
- Study gap
- Working during visitation.
- Have 8503 conditions applied on your Visa
Always talk to an Education Consultancy firm if you have any of these issues. A consultancy firm can smooth things over for you to a great extent.
Suppose you meet these essential criteria. You’ll be good to go.
- Minimum 5.5 IELTS score (higher the better)
- Well written SOP (statement of purpose)
- A good working experience history (depends on each individual)
- No study gaps
Hold on; there’s more to it than it meets the eye. We genuinely wish if everything was that easy.
Things to know before you apply
Yes, tourist visa conversion can be acquired, but it is not an easy task to accomplish. If you want to do it all by yourself, you’re in for a pretty complex challenge. The most important thing is, the visitor visa shouldn’t have a “no further stay” 8503 condition. An education consultant can help you get this waived. Being an offshore individual or a potential international student, you need to have met multiple criteria rather than the basic ones we mentioned.
You need to make sure that you don’t get rejected while applying for the visa conversion.
- No 8503 conditions on your Visa
- Have strong reasons to go back to home country
- You have to intention to stay in Australia after graduation
- The course you want to enroll in must be valid, related to your previous education
- Have strong reasons not to study the course in your home country
- The course should ensure future employment
- No visa complications in previous or current visa terms will comply with new student visa terms.
And, of course, each case is different with every individual. You’ll need to have a Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE) letter from universities. And not a lot of universities would be willing to provide you a CoE. So, you will get narrowed down to lesser-level universities to choose from.
A similar case will be for degrees as well, where you’ll be narrowed down to select from lower-level programs. It is also a significant reason why you should take the help of an education consultant.
It would be best to apply for the Visa only after receiving the Confirmation of Enrollment letter (CoE) from an accredited university. Whatever program you enroll in, make sure that it’s a full-time CRICOS registered course as well.
The CRICOS registered course is necessary for four things,
- Clarify (GTE) Genuine Temporary Entrant requirements
- Overseas Student Health Cover insurance
- English skill level evidence
- Meeting health & character standards
Why Should You Hire an Education Consultant?
Higher-level universities tend to avoid international students because they might have language fluency, medical, financial, or Visa complications.
- An education consultant can get you enrolled in higher-level universities and to higher degree programs.
- Educube brings you an instant 1000$ cashback offer on admission.
- The consultancy firms have deals in place with universities that allow them to provide you scholarships as well.
- Educube can lower your tuition fees as well.
- Only Educube offers free lawyer services for any complications you might have.
Applying alone, you would never get these facilities and access to these advantages. An education consultant can offer so much more. Of course, the needs vary for each individual.
Why Should You Convert Your Tourist Visa to a Student Visa?
There are tons of advantages to why you should convert your tourist visa to a student one. The first thing is the student visa might be challenging to get in Australia. You might not be financially strong enough to bear the cost and plan on working during your semesters to pay it all off.
You’ll only be able to work for 20 hours per week. You probably won’t get paid enough to pay off your entire tuition fees with that income, which varies from person to person. It will be enough to bear your lively hood. We have seen some incredible students who were able to earn way more than others.
Whether you’re able to pay it all off or not, if you don’t show enough sponsorship and financial support, you won’t get that student Visa. So, turning your tourist visa to student one is a great way to bypass that.
Another reason, you get to dip your toe in the water before diving in. Settling in a foreign land can be difficult. If you visit via a tourist visa, you have the option to know the area first hand. Secure a flat for rent, taste the cuisine, know the local area or possible future workplaces.
And most importantly, the ability to check your options for universities you might be interested in. You can check the campus, talk to students nearby to set up connections. This makes it a whole lot easier for you to prepare for the journey ahead.
There are tons of processes to go through if you’re willing to go for a student visa. And getting rejected is always a possibility. But converting the tourist visa to a student visa brings you more advantages, a higher success rate, a higher probability of getting a CoE. Let’s not forget the early prep opportunity.
Final Words
To wrap it all up, Tourist visa conversion to student has its perks. When an onshore potential student applies to universities, the individual has a higher percentage of getting accepted than an offshore potential student.
There are no disadvantages to the Visitor visa to student visa conversion process. We don’t see a reason why you should wait. Opportunity is knocking at the door, come now and get it. Educube sees through everything to get you that education you deserve.
FAQS
- Can anyone change a visitor visa to a student visa in Australia?
Ans: In short, yes. Depending you don’t have any bad records on your travel history or visa. But it also differs from person to person. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
- Can I change my Visitor visa to a Work visa in Australia?
Ans: In short, no. There are only a few countries that are allowed a work visa. But you can convert to a Student visa if you want further studies. After acquiring a student visa you can get a 20 hour per week work permit.
- Is the semester gap a bad thing for PR?