Does Your Visa Expire On 15th March? Here's What You Need To Do...

...The 15th of March is 10 days away, most student visas tend to expire on this date.

There's no need to panic.

Students find themselves in different circumstances that require visa extension;

- your current visa will expire before you can complete your course due to failed subjects, a Leave of Absence, or Reduced Study Load

- you have commenced a new course and havent finished yet 

- your graduate research candidature has been extended
- you have submitted a graduate research thesis for marking, but your current visa will expire before the marking can be finalised
- your first visa was cancelled administratively by the Department of Home Affairs.

It's very easy to renew your student visa while you are onshore...

Student Visa Extension Process

• Organize new CoE. It may take a couple of days to get a new CoE, so don’t leave it for 11th hour.
• Extend your OSHC (health cover).
• Prepare a GTE letter (Genuine Temporary Entrant)
• Lodge an application for a student visa
• Wait for a student visa grant
• Enjoy once granted or contact us if case officer is asking for more documents / additional information

How to apply for a new visa

We recommend applying for a new visa no earlier than four months before your current visa expires.

If you've had a previous visa cancelled by the Department of Home Affairs for a breach of your visa conditions, we recommend seeking assistance from a qualified migration agent or lawyer.

Step one: Extend your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
Extend your OSHC policy to align with your new visa periods. You can continue with your existing insurer or find a new provider.

Step two: Request a new Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
Before applying for a new visa, you'll need to request an extended CoE from your provider.


Step three: Consider your location
Applying while in Australia
If you hold a current student visa when you apply for a new student visa, you'll be able to stay in Australia for as long as it takes to process your visa application.

When you pay for your new visa, you'll receive an acknowledgment letter and a Bridging visa A (subclass 010) (BVA). Your BVA will only become active when your previous student visa has expired, and if your new visa application has not yet been processed.

If you hold a BVA and need to leave the country temporarily, you must apply for Bridging visa B (subclass 020) before departing the Australia.


If you have had several temporary visas granted to you while in Australia, you may also have to pay a subsequent temporary application charge.

Before applying for a new visa, check whether you have a 'no further stay condition' on your old visa. This prohibits you from applying for any further visas while you are in Australia.

Applying from outside Australia
If you are applying from overseas, you must wait until your new student visa is granted before returning to Australia. Plan ahead and factor potential processing delays into your intended return date.

Step four: Submit your application

After you apply, check your email regularly for correspondence from the Department of Home Affairs regarding your application status.

Medical examinations may not always be required for student visa re-applications. For this reason, we recommend you submit your student visa application, then check the “Health Assessment” tab in ImmiAccount to confirm if a medical examination is required. Instructions for the medical questionnaire and organising a health examination can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Step five: Update your visa status
Once your student visa is granted, make sure to update your new visa status with your provider.

PLEASE NOTE

It is imperative to apply for a new student visa before your current one would expire otherwise, you’ll become an unlawful non-citizen and you might be removed from Australia. In some circumstances, department of immigration is allowing applying for a student visa extension up to 28 calendar days after the expiry date of your current visa.

If you apply in Australia while holding a valid student visa you’ll also be granted with a bridging visa A (BVA), which will allow you to remain lawfully in Australia whilst your new visa is processing. BVA will come into effect automatically only if your new visa will not be decided before the expiry date of your current one. If you need to travel overseas while on BVA you’ll have to apply for BVB before departing Australia, otherwise you might not be allowed to re-entry Australia.