Australia changed the rules of student visa, without which document students will not be able to study?

Australia Student Visa: There has been a major change in student visa rules in Australia from January 1, 2025. The Australian Department of Home Affairs has announced that ‘Letter of Offer’ (LoO) will not be accepted for student visa applications. Instead, students will now need ‘Confirmation of Enrolment’ (CoE) at the time of application. This change has been made so that the credibility of the Australia visa system is maintained and the right students can get visas.
From 1 January 2025, all onshore student visa applications must include a CoE. Applications without CoE will be considered invalid. Visa officers will not be able to take any action on such applications. Invalid applications will also not be eligible for a ‘bridging visa’, which can cause applicants to lose the right to remain in Australia legally if their current visa overstays. This change does not apply to visa applications submitted with LoO before January 1, 2025.

What is ‘Confirmation of Enrolment’ (CoE)?

‘Confirmation of Enrolment’ (CoE) is an official electronic document issued by Australian educational institutions. This confirms that the student has taken admission in a registered course and the required tuition fees have been paid. Besides, through this the seat in the course has also been confirmed. CoE contains information about the students, like which course they are studying, for how long their course will be studied and also the fees for the course.

Whereas, earlier the ‘Letter of Offer’ (LoO) which was accepted for visa application, included tuition fees, course details and conditions of visa application. Although it also contained all the necessary information, there was a lack of commitment due to which people were misusing the student visa.

What things do students need to keep in mind?

Now students applying for student visa will first have to take admission in an Australian university and pay the required tuition fees. After this, CoE will have to be taken from the university. The CoE must then be submitted for the student visa application. If someone does not provide CoE at the time of application, his/her application will be invalid. Because of this he/she will not even get a bridging visa. Students must obtain the CoE before the current visa expires.