Student Visa Extension in Australia: Requirements, Documents, and Key Deadlines

If you want to extend your student visa, you must apply for a new visa before the current visa ends. If you don't, you could be expelled from staying in Australia, which could also affect your chances of getting a visa in the future. 

Here’s the reason why you should renew your student visa: 

• If your current course takes longer to finish prior to the expiry of the visa. 
• If you are taking a new course. 
• If your visa expires during examination. 
• If you require additional time to complete research and thesis submission (especially for PhD or post-graduate students) 
• If you face academic challenges due to failed subjects, not meeting the course requirements, delayed withdrawal from courses, or taking a leave of absence due to personal or medical issues. 

We recommend that you apply for a new student visa only when your existing visa has approximately four months remaining. If you apply beforehand, this could lead to delays in processing your visa application. You can, however, still request a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from your education institution. 

If your previous visa was canceled by the Department of Home Affairs due to a breach of visa conditions, please contact our registered migration agent immediately. 

STEP 1: Extend Your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) 

• The Australian government mandates that all international students must have health insurance. You can continue with your existing Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Please contact your health insurance provider to extend your coverage end date. 

STEP 2: Request a New Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) 

• You must obtain a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from your educational institution.
• You will receive a CoE after accepting your offer to study a specific course and paying your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and tuition fees. 

STEP 3: Gather required documents for your student visa extension 

Once you have your CoE and extended OSHC, you need to start preparing your application documents. The document requirements may vary depending on your educational institution and your visa conditions: 

Here is the list of required documents you must collect to renew your student visa: 

• A national ID card and copy of your birth certificate.
• Copy your passport
• All the pages in your passport must contain Australian immigration stamps.
• Confirmation of Enrollment letter (CoE) from your university or educational institution.
• Parental consent letter if you are under 18 years old.
• Proof you have extended your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). 
  Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Migration Agent Form 956 (if applicable)
• Police clearance certificates 

Personal statement: 

• You should provide a personal statement to the Department explaining your reasons for extending study, how that specific course aligns with your future goals, and why you choose Australia over your home country. 

Financial documents:  

• Proof of sufficient funds to cover living expenses, tuition fees.
• If you have taken education loan you must provide evidence of loan agreement and must demonstrate your ability to cover costs while living and studying in Australia. 

STEP 4: Submit your Australian student visa application 

• Create and login to your ImmiAccount, attach the necessary documents and lodge your application. 

STEP 5: Attend Biometrics 

• You may need to submit the biometric within 14 days after receiving the letter and instructions after lodging the application. 

STEP 6: Undergo Medical Examination 

• It is mandatory to go through medical test if you want applying for any visa in Australia. If you do not meet the health requirement, your visa application may be refused. 

STEP 7: Hold a valid visa 

•  You will be granted Bridging visa A (BVA) if your current visa expires. This visa allows you to stay and work in Australia while waiting for another visa. 

STEP 8: Await visa processing 

• The Department of Home Affairs will review your visa application, the immigration authorities might contact you if they need any additional documents. If your visa is granted you need to inform your educational institution as soon as possible. 

Contact Search Education if you need help with your student visa extension process. 

As per the recent visa update, it is not possible to renew your student visa.  

So, you will only have two options.  

• You can apply for a student visa again.  

OR 

• You can apply for a visitor visa.  

Please note that you are not allowed to work on a visitor visa, and you can stay up to 3, 6, or 12 months.   

Find more details on the visitor visa here.  

If you currently don’t hold any visa, you must inform the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) that your visa has expired. The DHA will grant you Bridging Visa A (BVA) as soon as your current visa expires. It is a temporary visa that allows you to stay in Australia legally while you are waiting for a new student visa.  

Please note that you are not allowed to travel outside Australia on Bridging Visa A; otherwise, you will lose the right to return to Australia, and the visa you are currently holding will be cancelled. If you show proof that you have strong reasons to travel outside Australia, you can apply for Bridging Visa B (BVB). This visa enables you to travel in and out of Australia until your new student visa is processed.   

You can use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) to check your visa details and condition.  

If you have been granted a new student visa (subclass 500), then you can get several benefits, such as: 

• You can stay up to 5 years.    
• You can travel in and out of Australia.  
• You can work up to 48 hours per fortnight and unlimited hours in semester holidays. 
• You can include your family members (your partner and children). 

Search Education is a registered migration agent (MARA registered) based in Sydney, Australia. We have decades of experience in the student visa extension process and have guided thousands of students over the past years.  

We know that extending a visa is a very challenging and overwhelming process. Our team works closely with you and guides you from preparing documents to meeting the requirements for your student visa renewal process.  

Whether your course is taking longer than expected to complete, your plans have changed, or your visa is about to expire soon. Don't panic; all international students have gone through this obstacle, and we will guide you every suitable way to secure the chance of staying longer and legally in Australia.   

Contact us to get assistance with student visa extension.