Student Visa Financial Requirements 2022 – how to prove your financial capacity
Understanding what is:
Acceptable source of funds for
student visa Australia
Student visa financial capacity
requirements Australia
Who can sponsor for student
visa in Australia
Importance of this financial capacity
requirement for student visa applicants
You need to show sufficient evidence of having financial capacity throughout your studies in order for your student visa to be granted
You cannot rely on part-time work to establish financial capacity
You need to show genuine access to the funds
If you don’t provide sufficient financial capacity evidence with your student visa application, your visa might be refused without asking for more information
government loans or loans from a financial institution
scholarships or similar financial support
annual income of a parent or partner – see below for more
details
Annual income
You can provide evidence your parents or your partner had a personal annual income of at least AUD62,222 in the 12 months immediately before you apply. If you bring family members, you must demonstrate your parents’ or partner’s income is at least AUD72,592.
If both your parents are working, their
combined income can be considered.
Provide evidence of your parents’ or partner’s income in the form of official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old
It is NOT enough to provide bank statements or direct evidence from an employer.
12 months of your course fees (or pro rata fees, if your course
is less than 12 months)
Use the following information to work out
how much money you need. To calculate pro rata costs, divide the annual cost by
365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in
Australia.
Living costs
12-month living costs are:
for students or guardians – AUD21,041
for partners coming with you – AUD7,362
for a child coming with you – AUD3,152
Course fees
Use the first 12 months of
your course fees. If your course is 12 months or
less, use the total cost.
If you have already paid – provide evidence of payment (receipt, or Confirmation of
Enrolment) and deduct these costs
If you are in Australia and your course
has already started, calculate the course fee for 12 months starting on
the date you lodge your application.
Example 1: your course fee is AUD50,000 for 3 years. The fee
for 12 months is the total course cost divided by the number of years you
will be studying, so AUD50,000 divided by 3 years = AUD16,666, less any
amount you have already paid if relevant.
Example 2: your course fee is AUD15,000 for 10 months and you
have already paid AUD5,000. Deduct the amount you have already paid from
the total amount. AUD15,000 – AUD5,000 = AUD10,000.
Example 3: your course fee is AUD20,000 for 18 months. The fee
for 12 months is the total divided by the total number of months, then
multiplied by 12. (AUD20,000/18) x 12 = AUD13,333. Deduct any costs you
have already paid.
Travel costs
As a guide, when you calculate how much
money you need, include:
AUD1,000 for travel costs if you are applying in Australia. If you will be returning to Africa include AUD1,500
AUD2,500 for travel costs if you are applying from East or
Southern Africa
AUD3,000 for travel costs if you are applying from West Africa
AUD2,000 for travel costs if you
are applying from anywhere else outside Australia
Genuine Access to Funds
If we ask you to provide evidence of
financial capacity you must also prove you have access to it.
If someone else is providing you funds,
give us:
evidence of your relationship with them
their identity documents
evidence of any financial support they have given you or
another student visa holder in the past
If the financial support provided involves
a business, show us proof the business is operating.
If you are providing evidence of deposits
of money, explain their source.
Any education loan to cover your tuition or
living costs should be paid out according to the agreement between you, the
bank and the education provider. If you receive any payments before we make a
decision on your application, give us evidence including the terms of the loan
and the full amount you will be paid.
If you are relying on another kind of loan,
provide:
evidence of the security you used
the terms of the loan
evidence you can cover ongoing costs
The best evidence you can provide of
genuine access to funds if you are relying on a loan is evidence of
disbursement.
Let your provider know any conditions on
your education loan. Some loans offer deferred repayment against your future
earnings. These loans can be conditional on you studying only a specified
course with a certain provider.
Evidence you have genuine access to the money
You must also prove you have access to the
funds.
If someone else is providing you funds,
give us:
evidence of your relationship with them
their identity documents
evidence of any financial support they have given you or
another student visa holder in the past
If the financial support provided involves
a business, show us proof the business is operating.
Deposits: If
you are providing evidence of deposits of money, explain their source.
Educational loan: Any education loan to cover your tuition or living costs should
be paid out according to the agreement between you, the bank and the education
provider. If you receive any payments before we make a decision on your
application, give us evidence including the terms of the loan and the full amount
you will be paid.
If you are relying on another kind of
loan, provide:
evidence of the security you used
the terms of the loan
evidence you can cover ongoing costs
The best evidence you can provide of
genuine access to funds if you are relying on a loan is evidence of
disbursement.
Let your provider know any conditions on
your education loan. Some loans offer deferred repayment against your future
earnings. These loans can be conditional on you studying only a specified
course with a certain provider.
Genuine Access
The Department will consider the
following eight factors:
whether the account is held in the applicant’s name
the relationship of third parties to the applicant and the account holder (for example, are they a relative)
whether the money is a lump sum payment in an account (even if held by the applicant or their spouse/de facto partner /parent) or is there a savings history to accumulate the funds (this should include where third party ‘donations’ or ‘loans’ have come from
how long the money has been in the account
where the account is held (for example, held in Australia, or whether held in a country from which large money deposits cannot be transferred internationally)
if the money deposit is held outside Australia, whether there is evidence that the exchange control regulations of the country permit the remittance of funds for study and where necessary whether evidence of requisite approval is available