Work in order: check each course's conditions, apply to the provider, and wait for the letter of offer. The student visa is the next step, lodged directly with the Department of Home Affairs.
- The provider's assessment takes a few weeks, or longer for postgraduate courses.
- Undergraduate applicants need Year 12 or an equivalent, and some courses add prerequisite subjects.
- If English is your second language, most courses have an English language requirement.
- A successful application brings a letter of offer and an acceptance form.
- A later change of course or provider requires checking the student visa requirements first.
- Agents help with study applications and cannot guarantee a permanent visa or work placement after graduation.
Undergraduate entry needs Year 12 or an equivalent, and sometimes specific subjects
Higher education undergraduate courses ask for an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education, known as Year 12, or an equivalent qualification. Some courses also set prerequisite subjects, meaning school subjects you must already have studied. For the wider picture of undergraduate applications, see our bachelor admissions page.
Hypothetical example: a student with a foreign school-leaving certificate applies to two courses. Both treat it as equivalent to Year 12, but only one also lists a subject the student never took. The first course stays on the shortlist, and the second needs a question to the provider before any application is made.
English language level is set by the course
If English is your second language, there is usually an English language requirement for entry into most courses. The level varies by course, so a result that satisfies one course may fall short of the next.
Fix the shortlist before choosing which English test and score to prepare for. Our IELTS requirements guide covers score targets set at programme level.
Assessment takes weeks, and the offer arrives as two documents
The education provider assesses the application, which can take a few weeks and longer for postgraduate courses. If the application succeeds, you receive a letter of offer and an acceptance form.
Application dates for the 2027 admissions cycle are published on the provider's page for the course and intake. Keep four items beside each shortlisted course.
- Prerequisite subjects, if the course lists any.
- English language level and the evidence the provider accepts.
- Intake and application date.
- Expected assessment time, which is longer for postgraduate courses.
The student visa follows the offer, and changing course later means checking its rules
Once the offer is in hand, the visa application is lodged directly with the Department of Home Affairs. If you later want to change your course or education provider, you must check your student visa requirements and follow the correct procedures. That is a reason to settle the course before accepting an offer. For visa conditions themselves, rely on the Department of Home Affairs, not on this guide.
To compare options side by side, see our university selection page. For planning across destinations in the 2027 cycle, our study abroad 2027 guide is the nearest overview.
Agents help with the study application
The Australian Government notes that education agents cannot guarantee a permanent visa or work placement in Australia after you graduate. Their job is to help with study applications. The same limit applies to admission itself, as our note on admission guarantees explains.
EDMONT helps applicants and parents compare Australian courses against the student's qualifications and subjects, prepare the application to the provider, and plan the order of steps up to the offer.