Student visas – general information The Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa comprises eight subclasses.
Subclasses 570–576 are based on the education sector of your main course.
The subclasses and the prescribed courses for each subclass are:
- Independent ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) (Subclass 570) ELICOS (non-award and Certificate I–IV) as a stand-alone course. Students undertaking ELICOS as a pre-requisite to another course must apply for a visa under the subclass appropriate to the main course.
- Schools (Subclass 571) Primary school; secondary school including junior and senior secondary; approved secondary exchange programs.
- Vocational education and training (VET) (Subclass 572) Certificate I, II, III, and IV; VET diploma; VET advanced diploma.
- Higher education (HE) (Subclass 573) Bachelor degree; associate degree; graduate certificate; graduate diploma; HE diploma; HE advanced diploma; masters bycoursework.
- Postgraduate research (Subclass 574) Masters by research degree; Doctoral degree. Then,
- Non-award (Subclass 575) Enabling course; non-award foundation studies. Other full-time courses or components of courses not leading to an Australian award.
- Finally, Foreign Affairs or Defence (Subclass 576) Full-time courses of all types undertaken by Foreign Affairs. Defence students sponsored by the Australian Government.
Moreover, a further subclass of student visa, the Student Guardian (Subclass 580) visa. It provides for certain persons to reside with a student in Australia where that student requires a guardian. Applications for Student Guardian visas should be made on form 157G Application. Further information on applying for a Student Guardian visa can be found in the information sheet
