Australia remains a welcoming and high-quality destination for international students. The Government has announced a range of visa measures to support students in Canberra. The measures will be temporary and they will continue for as long as required.
Since July, the Australian Government has made many changes in immigration rules to support international students and those who are wishing to study in Canberra. If your student visa is expiring and you wish to continue your study in Canberra, you’ll need to lodge a new application before your visa expires.
International students will be eligible to lodge a further, student visa application free of charge if they are unable to complete their studies within their original visa validity duration due to COVID-19.
Student visa fee
The government will waive the visa application fee to permit you to submit a further student visa application to complete your study in Canberra. This will be applicable to the students having the student visa on or after 1 Feb 2020 and those unable to complete their course in their original visa validity period because of the impacts of COVID-19 in Canberra. This includes students who:
1) Deferred study as they were unable to enter Canberra because of travel restrictions.
2) Were unable to complete their work-based training or placements
3). Were forced to reduce to a part-time study load.
These measures are not intended for students who are applying for a new student visa because of ordinary reasons including if you have failed a course or a unit of study, deferred for voluntarily or personal reasons reduced your study load.
You should apply for a student visa to have your application for a fee waiver consideration with that affix a completed Form of 1545 COVID-19 Impacted Student from your education provider with a valid Student visa application in Canberra. You can be outside or in Canberra when you apply for the student visa.
If applying for a fee waiver in Canberra, a bridging visa will not be issued automatically as the fee exemption must be checked first.
This waiver is only applied to the visa application fee.
Refunds will not be available for students who have applied earlier for a Student visa in Canberra. Only new applications will be eligible to have the application fee waived in Canberra.
Who can apply for the fee waiver?
The Department of Home Affairs states that this will be applicable to the students who held a student visa on or after 1 Feb 2020 and those who couldn’t complete their course within their original visa validity due to the impacts of COVID-19 in Canberra.
In order to have your application for fee waiver considered, you must apply for a Student visa after midnight AEST from 5 August 2020. Those who have applied before August 5 are not eligible for a refund.
How to apply for the fee waiver
Regardless of whether or not you’re located in Canberra, you must apply for this visa online.
In addition to your student visa application, you will require to attach a completed form, from your education provider, who will be needed to show how COVID-19 has affected your visa requirements. For the most up to date information on student visas and other details affected by COVID-19, visit the Department of Home Affairs or contact us IME Advisors.
Fee exemptions
Visa categories that the delegate or Minister has determined are fee exempt are here. No fees are payable for the dependants of temporary residents in these visa categories to attend a Government school in Canberra.
In addition to an annual review of delegate or minister, exempt visa categories, from time to time, remove or add visa categories to the exemption list.
Fee waivers
In cases of demonstrated financial hardship or an observable change in circumstances after a visa has been granted the delegate or Minister, may agree to waive fees for a period of time to be decided on a case by case basis in Canberra. Fee waivers are not available for subclass 500 visa students. These students, however, be entitled to a fee refund.
