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Applying for a student visa

Before you can apply for your new student visa, you must have a valid Confirmation of Enrolment. This is a document provided by us that includes the length of time you'll need to stay in Australia to complete your ECU course.

The Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs will require your Confirmation of Enrolment when you submit your visa application.

If you are an International student considering post study visa application, you need to be aware of the Department of Home Affairs Australian study requirements.

Important

To receive your Confirmation of Enrolment from us, you must:

  1. Accept your course offer as outlined in our email to you.
  2. Pay the fees specified in your offer letter, as well as your Overseas Student Health Cover. Details of amounts are also in the offer email.
  3. Avoid delays and make your payment online by following the instructions in this article.
How to pay fees online

Is your passport still valid?

It's your responsibility to ensure you maintain a valid passport and student visa for the duration of your stay in Australia.

As an international student, you must apply for a new student visa before your present visa expires.

You can find information about how to apply on the Department of Home Affairs web page. There's also a handy checklist tool to help you understand what documentation you'll need for your visa application.

What's a full-time study load?

If you're a student visa holder, you must be enrolled full-time at ECU.

A full-time study load for an International student on a student visa is 60 credit points each semester, or 4 units of study, depending on the course you're studying.

A student visa holder is required to enrol in sufficient units to complete their course within the duration stated on their Confirmation of Enrolment, e.g. 3 years for a typical ECU Bachelors degree.

Approval may be granted for a reduced study load if you’re at risk of not meeting satisfactory course progress requirements, or where there are compassionate or compelling circumstances.

If you're in your first semester, these circumstances would have to be extreme for approval to be granted.

For advice and support, please contact a Student Success Officer.

Related articles

Overseas Student Health Cover

As an international student, you'll need to get health cover before arriving in Australia. Here's what you need to know to get started.

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uni•speak

What does
that mean?
Here's a quick guide to some of the things we mention during the Get Started stage.

  • A Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is issued by us to overseas students and must accompany an application for a student visa. It confirms the student's eligibility to enrol in the particular course of the registered provider.

    For domestic students, it's a confirmation of your current enrolment. You can get your CoE through SIMO.

  • If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.

    Note: If you're an International student on a student visa, you must enrol in a full-time study load, usually 4 units or 60 credit points.

  • The majority of undergraduate study units at ECU are worth 15 credit points. You can find out the credit point value of your units by checking the handbook.

    Full-time study is when you're enrolled in 45 credit points or more. This is generally three or more units per semester.

    Part-time study is when you're enrolled in less than 45 credit points. This is generally one or two units per semester.

    Note: If you're an International student on a student visa, you must enrol in a full-time study load, usually 4 units or 60 credit points.

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