If you’re interested in traveling to Australia, there are specific steps you need to take.
But first, let’s discover a few things about Australia.
Australia is a country as well as a continent. It is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. The major cities in Australia are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
Study in Australia from Nigeria: Step by Step Guide
Some of the major attractions in Australia are the Sydney Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, unique animals species like the kangaroos and duck-billed platypuses as well as its vast interior desert wilderness.
The country has one of the world’s most highly urbanized populations with a majority of the people living in the metropolitan cities. Although Australia has no official language, English is regarded as the de facto official language.
One of the reasons why Australia is a top destination for international students is because of the country’s standard of education.
The country has seven of its universities on the ranking of the top 100 universities in the world. Research has also revealed that it is the third most popular international destination in the world for foreign students, after the United States and the United Kingdom.
The first step is to find your desired school and send an application. Once you have received an admission letter, you will need to obtain a student visa.
Basically, an Australian student visa is a permit to gain access to the country without any restriction. As a Nigerian traveling to Australia to study, you need the Australian visa which will serve as a permit for you to study in the country.
The general visa for students who are 16 years and above is the Australia student visa subclass 500. It allows students to study full-time in an accredited institution of learning in Australia. If you’re below the age of 18, you must be offered provisional admission into an Australian institution and appropriate arrangements should be made for the duration of the period of time you intend to stay in Australia.
This visa also allows you to bring eligible members of your family with you to the country and your family members can be permitted to work for a specific number of hours during your stay there. You can also work for a specific number of hours if you are above 18 years of age.
There are different types of Australia student visa in Nigeria that you can apply for depending on the educational program you’re applying to
· Independent ELICOS (Subclass 570): this stands for English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students.
· Schools (Subclass 571): this type of visa allows students to participate in school exchange programs or to enroll in a primary or secondary school.
· Higher Education Sector Visa (Subclass 573): this type of visa is for undergraduates.
· Postgraduate Research Sector Visa (Subclass 574): is for postgraduate programs
· Non-Award Sector visa (Subclass 575)
· Foreign Affairs or Defense Sector visa (Subclass 576)
So how do you apply for a student visa?
First, there are some documents you will and there are some requirements specified by the commission.
Provisional admission letter
You must have a provisional admission to study in Australia. This is also known as proof of admission. Your admission letter will stand as a proof of admission which will be submitted alongside other documents.
Proof of English Language Proficiency
It is compulsory to present the result of a recently taken English language proficiency test. This could be IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge English Advanced test.
Valid International Passport
You will also need to provide an international passport that is valid for at least six months prior to submission of your application letter. In case the expiring date of your passport is close, you will need to renew it.
Proof of financial status
You need to show proof that you are capable financially of paying your school fees and other expenses in the country. This comes in the form of bank statement of account. And if you are on a scholarship to study in Australia, you will need to present your scholarship letter. Remember that you can also show them the bank account statement of your parents or a sponsor.
Academic Certificates or Transcripts
You are expected to provide original copies of school certificates and transcripts from the schools you have attended prior to the visa application. These documents are meant to show your past academic performance. You can also add a resume of documents from your previous place of work.
Passport Photographs
You will need to also provide the Embassy with your recent passport photographs. You’re expected to submit two passports, but you can have four extra in case the need may arise later.
Other required documents include clearance revealing you have been involved in no criminal offense, a medical clearance (certificates for yellow fever and polio vaccinations).
With all these documents available, you stand a higher chance to get your Australia student visa application approved.
Apart from the quality of education in Australia, one of the attractions of studying in Australia is the availability of scholarships and awards by the Australian Government to professionals from eligible African countries.
These awards are provided in order to give African students relevant study and practical experiences. These scholars are expected to gain the skills and knowledge to drive economic and social development in their home country.
Qualified candidates from Nigeria’s public, private and civil society sectors have the opportunity to apply for Australia Awards Scholarships (Masters-level study at an Australian University) and Australia Awards Africa Fellowships (professional development short courses in specialized fields delivered in both Africa and Australia).
Also, qualified candidates from Cameroon’s public, private and civil society sectors have the opportunity to apply for Australia Awards Africa Fellowships (professional development short courses in specialized fields delivered in both Africa and Australia).
The priority sectors are Public Policy, Extractives, and Agriculture. The application for Masters-level scholarship is usually open in September preceding the year of enrolment. You can find detailed information including eligibility criteria, application processes, and application forms are available at http://www.australiaawardsafrica.org/