Do you need a visa to study in Australia?

For your CISabroad program in Australia, you WILL need to obtain a visitors visa. The visa instructions packet is part of the post-acceptance materials in your portal, and contains important information regarding how and when to apply for your Australia visitors visa.

Please read through this information carefully, as visa instructions can be complicated, and materials can take weeks to obtain.

The Australian Visa is an electronic visa which does not require that you visit consulate or send in your passport. The visa application is completed online and takes roughly 20 minutes to complete. You will need your Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE) Code in order to apply for your visa. This code is issued by the Australian government and is sent to you by your program coordinator. Please make sure that you fill out all of the information in the visa application to ensure that your visa application is processed quickly and correctly.

When you have submitted your visa application and payment you will then need to check your email for a confirmation of the visa being granted. Typically you will receive your confirmation within 3 hours of your application being lodged, although it may take up to 3 days.

Once you have been granted your visa please print our your visa confirmation and carry it with you while you travel to Australia. When you arrive at Australian Customs and Boarder Control your passport will be scanned and your visa will be displayed on the immigration agent’s screen. We always recommend that you have a hard copy of your visa confirmation in case there is a computer issue.

For more information regarding the Australian Student visa please check out the Australia Visitors Visa Instructions.

IMPORTANT: CISabroad will only advise students on visa procedures for travel requirements for your CISabroad program only. CISabroad is not responsible for advising students on visa issues if they plan to travel internationally before or after the program dates. Traveling before or after your program is a great opportunity to enhance your international experience, please make sure that you  have met all legal requirements for this extra travel!

These instructions are intended for US passport holders. International students must also be aware of additional documentation and/or processing time needed for their visas. Please contact your Program Coordinator to discuss your visa.

Please note that all consulates have varying visa processing times and/or requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of their assigned consulate’s visa processing period and to send in their complete visa application well enough in advance to allow adequate time for processing. Each consulate lists the visa processing period on their website. Note: Required documents for your visa are always subject to change at the discretion of the consulate.