Australian Embassy, China

澳大利亚驻华大使馆

Embassy address: 21 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Sanlitun, Beijing - Telephone: 5140 4111 - Fax: 5140 4204

Checklist - Student Visas

On this page: Introduction; Personal and general; Educational and language and Financial capacity

Introduction

For the documentation checksheet relating to student visa applicants from Mongolia, please click here.

The following information relates to nationals of the People's Republic of China resident in either China or New Zealand and applying to study in Australia

You must submit the following documents at the time you apply as a main applicant for a student visa. This list stipulates the minimum documentation only, and is by no means exhaustive. It is open to applicants to submit any documentation they believe may assist in the assessment of their application.

Under the Migration Act 1958, applications may be decided on the basis of available information without requesting further documentation. It is therefore important that applicants ensure that applications are as complete as possible and all supporting documentation is provided at the time of visa application lodgement.

All forms must be completed in English, and documentation provided in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English language translation. All documentation must be certified or notarised copies (as indicated). Do not provide original documents unless they are specified in the list. In China, copies of documents can be certified / notarised by a Notary Public Office.

AFTER YOUR APPLICATION IS LODGED, IF ANY OF THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED CHANGES, YOU SHOULD NOTIFY US IN WRITING. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN AN ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION BASED ON OUT OF DATE INFORMATION.

Personal and General

Payment of the visa application charge in A$, by credit card, money order or bank cheque payable to the Department of Immigration & Multicultural Affairs – this MUST be submitted for the application to be valid.
A fully completed and signed student visa application form (Form 157A)– this MUST be submitted for the application to be valid.
A fully completed and signed family composition form (Form 54).
A copy of this checklist indicating which documents you are providing at time of application.
Copies of the details page of the passport of each person included in the application (if held) DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR PASSPORT AT THIS STAGE.
Copies of the identification card of each person included in this application.
If your correspondence address is in China, four completed self adhesive name and address labels in Chinese characters.
If your correspondence address is not in China, four completed self adhesive name and address labels in English.
One passport sized photographs, not more than six months old, of each person included in the application.
Clear certified copy of each page of your hukou (a form of household register).
If you are under 18 years of age and / or if your parents are involved in providing financial support for your studies, a certified birth certificate for you, showing the names of each of your parents.
If your grandparents are involved in providing financial support for your studies,
- a certified birth certificate for you, showing the names of each of your parents, AND
- a certified birth certificate for your parent, showing the names of each of their parents.
If your brother or sister is involved in providing financial support for your studies,
- a certified birth certificate for you, showing each of your parents, AND
- a certified birth certificate for your brother / sister, showing each of their parents.
If you are under 18 years old and will not be living in Australia with at least one parent or legal guardian:
- a signed undertaking from each education provider for your accommodation, support and general welfare in Australia OR (if relevant)
- a statutory declaration from a relative aged over 21 resident in Australia who has been nominated in writing by your parents and who will be responsible for your accommodation, support and general welfare in Australia AND
- certified birth certificates and legal documents in evidence of each link in the relationship AND
- original police certificate(s) from each country the nominated relative has lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years (see Form 47P).
  
  Please note: A relative eligible to be nominated as a carer includes a brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, step-parent, step-brother, step-sister,step-grandparent, step-aunt, step-uncle, step-niece, or step-nephew.
If you are under 18 years old,
- original letter of consent from each of your biological parents to you going to Australia to study and live AND
- a copy of each of your parents' identification cards.
If you have a spouse, notarised copy of your marriage certificate. For recent marriages and de facto relationships additional supporting documents should be provided attesting to the genuineness of the relationship.
If you have any children, for each of your unmarried children who are under 18 years old, including those who are not included in the application, notarised copy of birth certificates, showing the names of each of the parents.
If you have any children, for each of your children who are included in the application and who have turned 5 years old or will turn 5 years old in Australia, an original letter of offer from the Australian school which that child will be attending.
If you have any children, for each of your children who are included in the application, who have not turned 18 years old yet and whose other parent will not be living in Australia, an original signed letter of consent from that other parent to that child's travel to and stay in Australia and a notarised copy of their identification card.

Educational and Language

Original ‘Offer of a place in a course’ letter from each Australian education provider at which you propose to study - this MUST be submitted for the application to be valid. Each offer letter should indicate your proposed entry level, course name, CRICOS course and provider codes, proposed start and end dates and the full tuition fees for the course. Note that if an english language course is a requirement of the visa category and no offer letter for such a course is provided,the application will be refused.
Clear notarised copies of your formal educational qualifications. Under subclass 571, this must include a Year 9 graduation certificate, under subclass 572 this must include a Year 12 (or equivalent) graduation certificate and under 574 this must include evidence of an undergraduate degree (or equivalent). Under subclass 573 this must include either a Year 12 (or equivalent) graduation certificate, or, evidence of completion of Year 11 (or equivalent) plus evidence of enrollment in a one year foundation course in Australia or completion of a one year foundation course in Australia.
If you are applying to attend a secondary school, an original letter from your current school showing your year level and class.
Certified or notarised copies of your IELTS score (the test must have been taken within 2 years before the date of application lodgement),if evidence of an IELTS test score is required
If you are applying for a subclass 571 visa, are 16 years of age or older, and you are seeking waiver of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requirement, you must complete the “Supplementary Form Student Visa Subclass 571 (Schools Sector)” form and attach the necessary evidence and letter of support.

Financial Capacity

If you and / or any of your spouse, parent(s), grandparent(s),sister(s), brother(s), uncle(s) /aunt(s) are involved in providing financial support for your studies, original letters from each of those persons’ current or most recent employer detailing position(s) held,salaries and other employment based forms of income paid (bonus, dividends or allowances), and dates of employment with that workplace.
If your aunt/uncle is providing financial support they must be usually resident in Australia and either an Australian citizen/permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
If you and / or any of your spouse, parent(s), grandparent(s), sister(s), brother(s), certain uncle(s) / aunt(s) are involved in providing financial support for your studies, clear notarised copies of documents evidencing all non-employment based sources of income of those persons.
Please Note: Non-employment based sources of income may include evidence of business interests, share portfolios etc and the documents may include tax assessment documentation, business licences etc. The documents provided should clearly demonstrate any income stream.
Evidence that you have funds from an acceptable source that are sufficient for the purposes of your application.
Please Note: If you are a national of the Peoples Republic of China, unless you are applying for a visa under subclass 576 information about how much funds will be considered sufficient for the purposes of your application is available on the DIAC website. Please note that the calculation of sufficiency of funds may be different in each of the subclasses.

Acceptable sources of funds are:
- Notarised copy of the letter from an acceptable financial institution stating that you and / or any of your spouse, parent(s), grandparent(s), sister(s), brother(s), certain uncle(s) / aunt(s) have received in-principle approval for a “student loan” for a specified amount and with a term covering at least the designated period.
  
  The use of loans is now acceptable for subclasses 570, 571, 572, 573, 574 and 575. The designated period under all of these subclasses EXCEPT 574 is the lesser of 3 years and the full period of the proposed courses of study. The designated period under subclass 574 is the lesser of the period of any preliminary course plus 12 months and the full period of the proposed courses of study.
  - AND / OR (if relevant)
- Evidence of cash deposits that you and / or any of your spouse, parent(s), grandparent(s), sister(s), brother(s) have held for at least six consecutive months immediately before the date of application lodgement, including:
  - Clear notarised copies of certificates of deposits that show funds are up to date and were still held by the bank at time of application, AND
  - Clear notarised copies of bank passbooks and / or bank deposit slips, relevant to the certificates of deposit.
    
    INTEREST SLIPS ALONE ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE OF THE SIZE AND DURATION OF CASH DEPOSITS
    
    In China, acceptable financial institutions for our purposes for both loans and cash deposits are:
  - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
  - Agricultural Bank of China
  - Bank of China
  - China Construction Bank
  - Bank of Communications
  - CITIC Industrial Bank
  - China Everbright Bank
  - Hua Xia Bank
  - Guangdong Development Bank
  - Shenzhen Development Bank
  - China Merchant Bank
  - Shanghai Pudong Development Bank
  - Industrial Bank
  - China Minsheng Bank
  - Ever-growing Bank
  - China Zhe Shang Bank
  - Bank of Hangzhou
  - Bank of Shanghai
  - ANZ Bank
  - Bank of Nanjing
  - Standard Chartered Bank China
  - HSBC Bank (China)
  - Qilu Bank
- Clear notarised copy of evidence that you have sufficient financial support from either: your education provider; or, the Australian Government or the government of an Australian State or Territory; or, the national government of a foreign country; or, a multilateral agency.

Back to Student Visas

people our business

Disclaimer Privacy An Australian Government website Copyright Commonwealth of Australia