From January 1, 2025, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs will no longer accept Letters of Offers from individuals applying in Australia for a Student visa.
What to Expect
- Onshore applicants will be required to include a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) at the time of application. The change will only impact applications lodged on or after January 1, 2025.
- Visa applications lodged before January 1, 2025, using only a Letter of Offer from an education provider are not affected.
- After January 1, 2025, not providing a CoE at the time of application will make an application invalid. An associated Bridging visa cannot be granted where the substantive visa application is not valid.
- There is no change to the alternative forms of evidence of intended course of study for Foreign Affairs, Defence or secondary exchange students.
This change will align the requirements to provide evidence of an intended course of study for both onshore and offshore Student visa applications. Providing a CoE at the time of visa application demonstrates a stronger commitment by the student to study at that institution. This will increase certainty for Australia’s international education sector.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Visa holders in Australia are responsible for ensuring they maintain a lawful status. Those intending to study and not able to obtain a CoE before their current visa expires will need to either depart Australia or explore other visa options. However, there are now restrictions to applying for a Student visa while in Australia when holding certain visas. Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.