What makes a prospective international student a genuine temporary entrant (GTE)?

The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement is an integral element of the student application process. It is a means for governments to ensure that students are studying overseas temporarily with the purpose of gaining a quality education.

The following factors are taken into account in determining whether applicants meet GTE requirements, and are discussed in further detail below:

• Your student’s financial stability
• Your student’s age
• Your student’s circumstances in their home country (or country of residence)
• Any gaps in your student’s previous study
• The value of the course to your student’s future
• The level of education your student is applying to study at
• Your student’s Statement of Purpose (SOP)
• Your student’s immigration history

1. Your student’s financial stability

Prequalify your students by asking for proof of financial support at the beginning of the process. This ensures that you and the education providers do not spending time on students who will not qualify to receive an offer to study.

Firstly, question who is the student’s sponsor. The closer the relationship (parents, siblings, spouse), the more likely they will be successful in their application

How much money should be in the bank? A minimum of the first year’s tuition fees in addition to the cost of living for the first year. The more funds, the better the chances of the student.

How long should the money be in the bank? A minimum of three months.

Some applicants will not need to provide financial capacity evidence with their education provider application, however they will have discretion to ask the student for this during the application process.

2. Your student’s age

While technically there is no age limit for people to an education provider, most data points to the difficulty of education providers letters of offer being issued when the student is mature.

The following conditions will reduce highly the chance of receiving an offer:

When the applicant is older than 25 years and is applying for undergraduate studies
When the applicant is older than 35 years and is applying for postgraduate studies.

3. Your student’s circumstances in their home country (or country of residence)

Countries with unstable governments and countries bordering these areas are often scrutinised more carefully by education providers, and there is a lower chance of letters of offers in these areas being issued due to security concerns. Other circumstances include the lack of ties to the home country that support the intention not to return once the study is complete.

4. Any gaps in your student’s previous study

If a student has a gap in previous study of six months or more, they must provide a resume or explain what they have been doing during this time.

Students who have only completed high school are good candidates up to 3- 5 years afterwards. Once a student has been out of high school for more than five years the chance of getting a letter of offer is lower.

Students applying to Postgraduate and Master’s programs are good candidates for up to five to seven years after completing their diploma or degree. After seven years the chance of getting a letter of offer is significantly lower. The only exception to this rule is if the student has been working for a large global or international company in a good position during this time.

5. The value of the course to your student’s future

Students who apply for courses that are not related to what they have already studied or to their work experience have a low chance of receiving a letter of offer.

6. The level of education your student is applying to study at

The education provider usually rejects applications from students who are applying for another undergraduate degree (especially in the same field). To fix this, students should apply to a Masters or postgraduate degree.

7. Your student’s statement of purpose (SOP)

Ensure your students submit a SOP which answers the following questions and includes any other information relevant to the processing of your application:

a. Why do you wish to study overseas in the course of application

b. What is your overall educational goal?

c. Why are you not pursuing a similar program in your country of residence?

d. What research have you done into studies in your country of residence or of citizenship?

e. How will this program enhance your employment opportunities in your country of residence or of citizenship?

f. What are the job outlooks for the program?

g. What ties do you have to your country of residence or of citizenship?

h. What is your parents’ or guardians’ immigration status in their current country of residence? What are the financial assets owned by your parents?”

i. Do you have a travel history? Please mention about your previous travels. In case you do not have the same, please confirm if your parents or sibling have a travel history.

j. Who is sponsoring your education and why are they sponsoring your education.

8. Your student’s immigration history

If a student has been refused or cancelled a visa before to Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom, New Zealand or Australia, chances of education providers issuing a letter of offer are very small.