Visa information for currently enrolled international students

Visa regulations for studying in Australia are set by the Australian government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

• How to apply for a visa extension
• How to apply for a visa if you are outside Australia
• How to apply for a visa if you are already in Australia
• Country assessment levels
• Visa subclass
• English language proficiency
• Health Requirements - Medical Exams and X-Rays
• I’ve got all the correct documents, now what should I do?
• AusAID scholarship students
• Health Insurance
• Schooling for your children
• Getting a permanent resident visa for Australia
• Need further help?

How to apply for a further student visa
(for example, renew or extend your visa)

If your student visa is going to expire but you haven’t finished your course yet then you will need to apply to for a new student visa. This is commonly referred to as a student visa extension, but in fact it is a very similar procedure to when you first applied for your initial student visa.

All students must carefully check the individual visa requirements relevant to their country of origin, and the education sector for which they are applying. Download the student visa checklist for your assessment level and your subclass.

Please note that if you are on a spouse visa and you intend to study for more than 3 months then you must apply for your own independent student visa.

How to apply for a further visa if you are outside Australia.

To apply for a visa if you are outside Australia, please refer to the DIAC website

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How to apply for a further visa if you are already in Australia

If you need a visa in order to complete your course or to study other courses in Australia, you must submit your application 4-6 weeks prior to the expiry date of your visa.

You must take the checklist with you when you attend DIAC along with all the documents requested on the checklist. To get some of the documents on the checklist refer to table below.

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Country assessment levels

Your country assessment level will depend on the passport you hold and the education sector relevant to your application. For further information please visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)  website.

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English language proficiency

English language proficiency is a requirement when applying for a student visa. When you first applied for visa you would have had to submit IELTS results. However, generally if you have been studying your course in Australia and the teaching has all been in English for more than 12 months then you will not need to sit another IELTS test when you are renewing your student visa. Please refer to your specific Assessment Level checklist  to confirm English language proficiency details.

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Health Requirements - Medical Exams and X-Rays

This is also one of the requirements on the checklist. If you have not had a Medical Examination or Chest X-Ray (for visa purposes) within the last 12 months you will need to make an appointment with Health Services Australia or by phoning
Health Services Australia
Level 4, 501 Swanston Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
Telephone: 9224 8334

You will need two forms: Form 26A Medical Examination and form 160A Radiologist report on chest x-ray. You can download the forms or they can be obtained at a DIAC office. Please see the Health Services Australia's Online Booking system  for information about the procedures and fees.

If you have undertaken medical examinations within the last 12 months and provided the results to DIAC you may not need to do further medicals. For residents of Iceland, Monaco, San Marino, Sweden and Norway, health examinations are generally not required unless a health condition of special significance is declared.

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Health Insurance

It is a visa condition that holders of a student visa maintain Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of your course.

You will need to show that you:

• have obtained Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or
• are an unaccompanied student sponsored by AusAID or Defence, or
• are a Norwegian student covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, or
• are a Swedish student covered by either CSN (the Swedish National Board of Student Aid) or by Kammarkollegiet. Note: if you are an exchange student, only Kammarkollegiet can cover you.

Further information about the health insurance requirements for your visa, please see your student visa checklist on the DIAC website.

Currently Monash University’s agreed provider of OSHC is OSHC Worldcare for International students commencing their studies for the first time. Visit the OSHC Worldcare website for more information on your policy features and benefits.

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I’ve got all the correct documents, now what should I do?

You can submit your application either electronically with a credit card or manually by calling 131881 and making an appointment. Ensure you have all of your documentation with you when you visit DIAC, as they will not usually allow more than 2 appointments for any visa application.

DIAC are located at two locations convenient to Monash Students:

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AusAID Scholarship Students

Please contact the Fees Unit (Sponsorships) in Building 3C, Clayton, for information and procedures on how to extend your student visa or telephone: +61 3 9905 4272.

Related websites
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Immigration
OSHC Worldcare
Department of Education (Victoria)
Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (Australia)
Australian Taxation Office

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Need further help?

Currently enrolled students can ask further questions or contact a Student Adviser on your campus.

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