Have your living circumstances changed? Do you need to transfer your course to a similar education provider in a new location? There are lots of options and we can place you in any college or university anywhere in Australia. You will also need to make sure you are acting in accordance with your visa.
Student visa holders who would like to change their course provider are eligible to do so as long as they maintain the same course type or level. It is vital that you ensure you continue to meet all the conditions that apply to your student visa. If you have not completed six months of your principal course (the main course of study you are undertaking) and you want to change your education provider, there are circumstances in which this will be possible.
- Unless special circumstances apply, you need to request permission from your existing education provider to transfer to another institution. This is called a Release Letter.
- If you want to transfer, your education provider must assess or consider your request to transfer. All education providers have documented procedures about their transfer policy. You can contact ISA for assistance or refer to your current institution to make sure you understand the education provider's transfer policy, and what your written agreement says you must do, before you attempt to enrol with a new education provider.
- If your education provider does not give you permission to transfer to another education provider and you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should first use your education provider's internal appeal process. If you are still not satisfied, you can appeal the education provider's decision at an external complaints handling body such as the State or Territory Ombudsman or the Overseas Student Ombudsman.
If you have completed more than 6 months of your principal course, then you may transfer without a Release Letter. Your principal course is the highest level course your current Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and visa cover. For example:
- If you have two CoEs - one for an English course or a diploma course that progresses into a bachelor's course.
The bachelor's course is your principal course. - If you have two CoEs - one for a graduate diploma and one for a master's.
The master's course is your principal course.
If your change of provider includes enrolment into a course that is at a lower Australia Qualifications Framework (AQF) level or a non-AQF level course, you will need to obtain a new student visa. This requirement applies even if the course you change to is with the same education provider. For example, if you are studying a Bachelor of Science (Level 7) at a university and wish to transfer to a Diploma of Accounting (Level 5) at the same institution, you would need to apply for and be granted a new student visa. You will not need to obtain a new visa if you are changing from an AQF level 10 course (doctoral degree) to an AQF 9 course (Master's degree), as long as the terms of your visa are maintained under the new course especially in relation to duration i.e. the transfer does not result in a completion date beyond your current visa expiry date.
However, if you are studying a non-AQF course and want to transfer to an AQF course, you would not need to apply for a new student visa. You will need to ensure the terms of your visa are maintained under the new course, especially in relation to duration i.e. the transfer does not result in a completion date beyond your current visa expiry date.
These are important and sometimes complex matters. Contact ISA for assistance in your course selection, and in ensuring your application and visa requirements are satisfied.