Undergraduate Full Degree

Student Visa Application Checklist
for Students Attending an Australian Institution
For a Undergraduate Full Degree Program

Please forward the following items to apply for a Student Visa. Use a form of trackable mail (Federal Express, UPS, Airborne, USPS Overnight Mail, etc.) USPS certified mail is not trackable. On the outside of the package, print largely and legibly the student's name and departure date.

* VISA FORM 157A (completed and signed) US Students are in Assessment Level 1
Dowloadable from http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/formlist.htm

* PASSPORT
Your passport need to be signed and valid through the length of your stay in Australia.

* CONFIRMATION OF ENROLMENT (eCOE)
This is the official Immigration Form issued by the institution in Australia to which the student has been
accepted and paid enrollment fees. This form is not the initial "Congratulations you've been accepted" letter.
It contains an official CRICOS code as well as course start and end dates and necessitates the student accepting the offer from the school. This form may be faxed or emailed to you. YOU MUST PRINT OUT A COPY AND SEND IT IN WITH YOUR APPLICATION.

* FEE of US $171
Bank certified checks, money orders, or credit card payments are acceptable. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the Australian Government. The Visa Form 157A has a section if you wish to pay by credit card (page 20). Only students participating in a High School Exchange program are exempt from the fee. Note: This fee includes a a postage and handling fee of US $10 for delivery within the continental US. For return outside of this area, ie the Caribbean, please add an additional US $15. Please provide us with a street address­ PO boxes are not acceptable.

PERSONAL CHECKS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.

* COVER LETTER
Short and to the point, this should contain the departure date as visas are processed in departure date order. Bear in mind if you need your passport returned for other travel that precedes your departure for Australia, your should provide that date instead.

* VISA FORM 26 (please request a copy from the AEO)
Must be fully completed by the student and the doctor. The doctor signing the form MUST BE A QUALIFIED M.D. The doctor must sign across the top of the attached photo. The doctor must also place the form in the attached envelope, seal it and sign across the flap to ensure against tampering. If you have a pre-existing condition include a separate, detailed written report signed by a doctor that documents the condition, tells of any current treatment, and prognosis of the condition. DO (Doctor of Osteopathy) qualifications and PA (Physician Assistant) qualifications are not recognized. Forms signed by anyone other than a MD will be returned.Instruction for MD's can be found here.

* VISA FORM 160 (please request a copy from the AEO)
Filled out in the same method as the Form 26 Instructions for Radiologists/MD's can be found here

The medical forms must be requested from the appropriate DIMA office or through the AEO. They are not downloadable.

Sending forms into the Immigration Office:

Please be advised that during peak student visa processing times, the Department of Immigration handles an extremely large volume of applications in a very short timeframe. As a student visa applicant, you shoud be aware of the common problems which occur and how to ensure your application is dealt with in a timely fashion. Refer to the checklists for student applications an pay close attention to detail. It is to your benefit to submit a complete and accurate application. For instance:

• clearly indicate when you need your passport returned to you
• make sure your application is signed
• make sure you've sent the fee in a cashier's check, money order or credit card only
• make sure the Confirmation of Enrollment has the proper course codes as well as start and end dates
• make sure the medical forms have been completed by a MD, all questions have been ticked and you've included the XRay films and additional reports if abnormalities have been noted by the MD
• make sure you have included your valid, signed passport

As mentioned above, the Immigration office received a very large number of student applications. By submitting a complete application with a clearly marked departure date, you will ensure that your passport is returned to you prior to that time. The Immigration office cannot return calls to individuals who want to check the status of their application. If the application is not complete, an Immigration officer will contact you. Otherwise, your application will be processed with the timeframe specified. Faxes, phone calls and emails about status checks WILL NOT BE RETURNED. Inquiries from outside sources cannot be responded to due to issues of privacy and confidentially. If you have a change of circumstances (new address, lenthening of study from one semester to two), then you should contact the Immigration Office where you sent your application.

Frequent and numerous status checks will delay the processing of ALL applications

1	Issuance of a student visa is dependent on a satisfactory health clearance by the Australian Government
2	If you are under the age of 18, you must enclose a notarized full birth certificate and a notarized letter of consent to travel to Australia signed by both parents
3	If you require an extension of your visa while in Australia, please lodge and extension application with the nearest Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) office in Australia

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