Australia Student Visa: Confirmation of Enrollment Made Mandatory Starting This Month – News18

Last Updated:January 02, 2025, 16:36 IST

Australia Student Visa: Applications lodged before January 1, 2025, using only Letter of Offer will be considered, the official statement read

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs will no longer be accepting Letter of Offer for student visa applications. Applicants will need to provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from now onwards. A Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) confirms a student’s enrollment in a course offered by an Australian varsity along with other admission details.

“Not providing a CoE at the time of application will make an application invalid. Visa decision makers cannot assess an invalid application. An associated Bridging visa cannot be granted where the substantive visa application is not valid,” states the official notice.

A Letter of Offer is an official document issued by an Australian university containing information on the course the student wishes to enroll in, tuition fees, and other admission-related details. Visa applications lodged before January 1, 2025, using only Letter of Offer will be considered, the statement added.

Both onshore and offshore applicants will be required to meet the same criteria. “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 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,” the notice read.

Furthermore, visa holders in Australia are responsible for ensuring they maintain a lawful status. If they intend to study and are not able to obtain a CoE before their current visa expires, they will need to either depart Australia or explore other visa options.

In September 2024, Australia introduced new restrictions on international student enrollment and capped the number of overseas students at 270,000 for the year 2025. This limit applies to both higher education and vocational courses and applies to fresh international students who will begin their studies in Australia for the first time in 2025.