Australia has the third highest number of international students in the world, behind the United Kingdom and the United States. Like many countries, the Australian education system is divided into three broad sectors - Primary school, Secondary school and Tertiary education.
Each of these sectors features both public and private institutions, although the majority of private institutions also receive some government funding. There were about half million international students studying on a student visa in Australia in 2015.
School education (Primary and Secondary)
School education in Australia is compulsory from the age of five to six to the age of fifteen to seventeen depending on the state or territory. In 2013 there were 9,393 schools in Australia and includes preschool, preparatory (or kindergarten), primary school, secondary school (or high school) and senior secondary school (or college).
Tertiary Education
Tertiary education in Australia is divided into two sectors; Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education.
Higher Education
There are 43 universities in Australia and other institutions offering higher education courses which lead to Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degrees in various fields of study from science to management and commerce, humanities to engineering, and law to health sciences. According to QS World University Rankings, there are 8 Australian universities in the top 100 universities in the world. Quality of Higher Education is assured by Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).
Vocational Education and Training
Vocational education and training (VET) enables students to gain qualifications for all types of employment, and specific skills to help them in the workplace. VET qualifications are provided by government institutions, called Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions, as well as private institutions.
Qualifications offered range from:
- Certificate I, II, III and IV (except ELICOS),
- VET diploma
- VET advanced diploma
- Vocational graduate certificate
- Vocational graduate diploma
The Australian government ensures the quality of VET education through Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) for more than 1.2 million students – including some 125,000 international students involved in vocational education and training.
English Courses
There are a large number of English language colleges throughout Australia offering a range of English courses to suit a range of study needs.
- General English
- English for Academic Purposes
- English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
- Examination Preparation
- English for Teaching
- Study Tours
Foundation Studies
Foundation Studies programs are designed specifically for overseas students and aim to ease the transition from a student's school education in their home country to university study in Australia.
Most Foundation studies programs last 1 year and provides an introduction to the field of study the students will undertake in their degree course.
Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF)
On 1 July 2016, all international students will now apply for a single Student visa regardless of their chosen course of study. All applications for a Student visa should generally be lodged online using a new immigration risk framework with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection aiming to finalise 75 per cent of complete student visa applications within one month of lodgement.
How can ACN help you
If you are thinking of studying in Australia, ACN provides the following services:
- Assess if you’re eligible to apply for General Skilled Migration visa before accepting your student visa application
- Assistance in Course and Education provider selection
- Assistance in submitting your application to the chosen education provider
- Check entry requirements for Course and Visa
- Preparation and submission of student visa application
ACN offers free student visa assistance if you will be enrolling with our accredited partner education providers. Students availing of the Free Student visa assistance are required to pay our partner education providers , insurance providers, panel doctors and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) visa charges directly.
Please contact us for our current offers and discounts offered by our partner institutions.