Some changes that have already come into force include:

- Lowering the financial requirements for certain student visa applicants to having to show $36 000 less in the bank when applying for a visa than previously.

- Extending the time new PhD students can continue to stay in Australia while their thesis is being marked.

- Allowing prepaid homestay fees to be included in the financial requirements assessment for a student visa.

Further changes, including a new post student work visa, will be introduced in July 2012 and in 2013.

For more information about these changes to the student visa programme, click here.

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Sort Out My Visa is a registered and licensed Australian and NZ visa specialist, providing visa and migration services to individuals and families wanting to travel to, conduct business, work or live in Australia or New Zealand. Visit Sort Out My Visa for more information.

The new amounts will be:

• $18 000 per year for the main student
• $6300 per year for the student’s partner
• $3600 per year for the student’s first child
• $2700 per year for every other child; and where required

All visa applicants may be asked to prove that the funds they are relying upon to meet the costs of studying in Australia will be genuinely available to them during their stay in Australia. This means that a case officer may ask for additional proof about where the funds come from and how they are held.

For more information please follow this link:

http://www.immi.gov.au/students/whats_new.htm

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Sort Out My Visa is a Australian and NZ visa specialist, providing visa and migration services to individuals and families wanting to travel to, conduct business, work or live in Australia or New Zealand. Visit Sort Out My Visa for more information.

While Australia is keen to attract overseas students, the Department of Immigration has expressed concern about potentially fraudulent student visa applicants who use the student visa merely as a measure to enter Australia and then remain in Australia illegally.

As a result of these concerns, the Minister of Immigration has announced immediate changes to the Australian student visa requirements for Indian, Nepalase, Zimbabwean, Mauritian, Brazilian and Pakistani Australian student visa applicants.

The changes spell a tightening up of the visa application screening process for these passport holders and have been introduced as a measure to combat fraudulent visa applications. Nationals of the idenitified “high risk” countries will have to undergo more stringent checking processes prior to having their visas approved. Stricter measures may involve face to face interviews and checks to ensure that they are genuinely able to finance their studies in Australia.

The changes are in line with existing stricter processing of Chinese student visa applicants.

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Sort Out My Visa is a MARA registered migration services provider. We are happy to provide free advice about your best visa options for Australia and New Zealand.