The Australian Government operates an Overseas Student Program (OSP) that allows people who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents to study in Australia.
Any person who is not an Australian resident may apply to study in Australia under the OSP.A person who wants to study under the program must obtain a student visa before they can commence a course of study in Australia.
You can be granted a student visa only if you wish to undertake a registered course or part of a registered course on a full-time basis.A registered course is an education or training course offered by an Australian education provider who is registered with the Australian Government to offer courses to overseas students.
Students wanting to study English in Australia on a student visa must be enrolled in a school that is a registered provider of ELICOS English language programs.
The work permit for the ELICOS visa subclass is the same as for other classes of the Australian student visa. After you have started your ELICOS course you can apply for a work permit that will allow you to work for a maximum of twenty hours per week during semester and full-time during semester breaks.
The current cost of a work permit for ELICOS student visa holders is AUD$55. Once you have commenced studies you can apply for work permit online here:
Note: Educational institutions are required by law to monitor students to make sure they do not break the conditions of their student visa. A visa can be cancelled if a student breaks any of the conditions attached to it.
