Understanding Australia’s Genuine Student Test
Criteria for assessing the Genuine student test (GST)
To be granted a student visa, applicants must demonstrate their genuine intention to study. This involves answering specific questions and providing supporting documents as part of the visa application. All answers must be written using a maximum of 150 words per question.
The 4 main types of questions assessed:
1.Applicant’s current circumstances:
Applicant must detail their ties to their home country, including family, community, employment, and economic circumstances. Applicants are required to use their academic transcripts, qualifications achieved, explanation of study gaps, details of current or previous employments as evidence.
2.Reasons for studying in Australia:
An explanation of why the applicant wishes to study a particular course in Australia as opposed to not studying in their home country if a similar course is available.
3.Benefits of the course:
Applicants need to explain how completing the course will benefit them in their personal and professional life.
4.Other Information:
An other relevant information that supports the genuine intention of the applicant to study in Australia.
How will the GST be assessed?
The assessment will also mainly focus on the student’s genuine intention to study in Australia. It will be assessed based on 03 different criteria:
- Circumstances and intention
- Immigration history
- The potential situation in Australia, including knowledge of the proposed course and the financial stability along with the value of the course to future
When choosing courses, applicants should be vigilant in choosing courses that are relevant to their previous studies or career paths. Ensure you demonstrate sufficient financial capacity to support your studies and stay in Australia and make sure your application is consistent with your immigration history.
Course changes leading to higher scrutiny of the GST
Not all student visa holders may have the liberty to switch courses freely. It is essential to first check the conditions attached to your visa. Some visas may restrict the ability to change courses or require prior approval from the immigration authorities.
Students must ensure that you stay enrolled at the same or higher course level. For an instance, if you are on a visa for higher education, switching to a vocational course might not be permissible without applying for a new student visa. At this instance, the students will have to satisfy the GST requirement when obtaining their new visa which is going to be quite challenging. You will generally need a new student visa if you want to change your main course of study to a lower AQF level course or a non- AQF course even if the course is with the same education provider.
Forced
Understanding and effectively addressing the Genuine student test requirement is vital for the success of your student visa application. It is not just about meeting the criteria but also about demonstrating a genuine interest and commitment to studying in Australia.
Keith James
Keith is a graduate of Monash Law School. He moved to Melbourne, Australia in 2014 and has a passion for working with migrants, who aspire to call Australia their dream home. Being a migrant himself, he has a tremendous capacity to empathise with the problems his clients face and focuses on providing them with outcomes that leads to Permanent Residency in the shortest possible time.
Keith practices in all aspects of Migration law, with a particular focus on Skilled Migration and Family visas. He stays abreast on the latest updates in state nomination criteria and has a wide range of options available to assist his clients navigate their migration aspirations.
- LLB (Monash University, Australia)
- Member (Law Institute of Victoria)
- Member (Migration Institute of Australia)
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