GTE Criteria for Australia's Student Visa

Posted by Australia Online Visa on February 20th, 2020

How to Meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant Criteria for Australia’s Student Visa

Do you have Australia firmly in your sights as a study destination? Maybe you’ve applied for your course, researched your study venue and you’re ready to get started on your Student Visa application?

NOW is the time to take a closer look at Australia’s Genuine Temporary Entry(GTE) requirements for the Australian Student Visa.

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs must feel absolutely certain that Student Visa holders genuinely intend to stay in Australia on a temporary basis. It therefore has a number of Genuine Temporary Entry requirements that Student Visa applicants need to satisfy before their application can be approved.

What are these Genuine Temporary Entry requirements and how do you ensure that you meet them? This post outlines all the essential information you need.

Let’s find out more about Australia’s GTE criteria for theStudent Visa…

What is the Genuine Temporary Entry requirement?

Australia’s government requires all Student Visa applicants to submit a written statement alongside their application showing that they have a genuine intention to live in Australia on a temporary basis to gain a respected qualification.

Applicants are recommended to include evidence to support and verify the information they provide in their Genuine Temporary Entry statement.

This can sound quite daunting, but if you truly intend to visit Australia temporarily for study purposes, the GTE shouldn’t cause too many issues. It’s simply a case of providing the Case Officer assessing your application with the information they’re looking for.

And don’t forget, your Case Officer will take all your personal circumstances into account when they decide on the outcome of your Student Visa application. Your overall situation is considered carefully during the Genuine Temporary Entry assessment process.

Genuine Temporary Entry: 4 key requirements

Meeting the Genuine Temporary Requirement largely depends on 4 key areas:

Your circumstances in your home country
Your potential circumstances in Australia
The value of your study course to your future, and;
Your immigration history.

Here we explore each of these requirements in more detail...

Your circumstances in your home country

Your Case Officer must feel confident that you have strong ties to your home country and plan to return home after your studies. They will examine your reasons for not choosing to study in your home country or region, particularly if a similar course is available there.

If there are a wide variety of similar courses available in your home region, you’ll need to provide your Case Officer with solid reasons for not undertaking the course in your home nation. For example, if you plan to study an English language course, it would make sense that you would prefer to study in an English speaking country, even if cheaper courses may be available in your home country.

Essentially, you will need to outline the advantages of studying in Australia.

Your Case Officer will look into your economic situation, personal ties and military service commitments in your home country and decide if these circumstances support a temporary stay in Australia. They will also consider the current political situation and geographical issues in your home country, including any civil or military unrest or problems relating to climate change or similar.

Your application will be assessed carefully if the income earned in your home country is far below the cost of living in Australia, or if there are high levels of unemployment in your home country. Likewise, if your home region is politically unstable or experiencing environmental problems, your Case Officer will closely examine your motivation for applying for an Australian Student Visa.

If you have few family ties or community links, or a sparse employment history in your home country, this could give you a strong incentive to remain in Australia indefinitely. You’ll need to make sure that despite these factors, your Case Officer feels confident that you fully intend to stay in Australia temporarily.

Your potential circumstances in Australia

Your Case Officer will also examine your potential circumstances in Australia. They will look at whether you have personal ties to Australia that could provide a strong incentive to remain in Australia when your course finishes. They will also examine your knowledge of living in Australia and the immigration history of any family members living in Australia.

You will need to prove that you have a thorough level of knowledge about your study course and education provider. Your Case Officer will look at all your circumstances, including previous studies and qualifications, your planned living arrangements in Australia and your financial stability. They will also take your age, culture and other circumstances into account when assessing this criteria.

Having strong family or community links in Australia won’t necessarily have a negative impact on your Genuine Temporary Entrant statement. If you have family or close friends in Australia this could be viewed as a positive factor and a legitimate reason for choosing to study in Australia.

However, the other aspects of your statement need to reiterate your intention to leave Australia at the end of your temporary stay.

The value of the course to your future

Your Case Officer will consider the value of your chosen study course to your future. They will decide if the course is consistent with your current level of education and relevant to your past or intended future employment in your home country, or another country.

The salary that you could potentially earn with this study qualification in your home country or another country will also be taken into account by your Case Officer.

If your chosen course is not consistent with your education or employment background, or does not relate to your future plans, your GTE statement will be further scrutinised and you’ll need to explain your motivation for your choice of course.

Likewise, if you’re enrolling on a course that is considered to have a low value in terms of improving your future employment prospects, your GTE statement is also likely to be examined very closely and you will need to carefully explain your reason for choosing the course.

Your immigration history

Your immigration history will also be carefully examined, including any previous Australian visas you may have held or applied for, as well as any visa applications to other countries.

Your Case Officer will take into account any previous visa refusals, non-compliance issues or visa cancellations you may have had. They are looking for anything that could indicate that you don’t intend to stay in Australia temporarily.

The statement that you submit for the Genuine Temporary Entry requirement will be scrutinised if you have continued to stay in Australia with a succession of short term, temporary visas, or if you’ve lived in Australia before and undertaken several study courses that you’ve failed to complete.

Ultimately, your immigration history will be weighed up against the other factors in your GTE statement.

What if you want to stay in Australia permanently?

If you’re applying for a Student Visa, it’s important to remember that this visa is only intended for people who want to study on a CRICOS-registered course in Australia and to improve their education.

Your Student Visa application needs to support this intention. It’s important that your Case Officer doesn’t reach the conclusion that you’re only applying for a Student Visa to maintain ongoing residence in Australia, or obtain permanent residency in Australia.

You may be considering Australia for long term residence and you will have the option to apply for permanent residence or a temporary work visa when you complete your studies. But, please note that this is a separate process and there is no guarantee that having had a Student Visa you will be granted a temporary work visa or permanent residency.

Ready to apply for a Student Visa?

We hope we’ve outlined the main Genuine Temporary Entry requirements that you’ll need to meet and helped you with this aspect of your Student Visa application.

Essentially, your GTE statement needs to strongly support the intention that you wish to stay in Australia for educational reasons only.

Please get in touch with AustraliaOnlineVisa’s friendly and experienced team if you have any further questions. We can put your mind at rest and help you to submit a successful Student Visa application. You could soon be embarking on a life-changing experience living and studying in Australia!