The Department of Home Affairs intends to add additional conditions to the Student Visa – Subclass 500 from 1 July 2022 by amending the Migration Act 1958. The new conditions will prohibit Student Visa holders from changing their course of study including their major, thesis, or research topic unless they apply and receive permission from the Minister.
Currently, condition 8204 only prohibits students in particular course types from changing their course of study, thesis or research topic without seeking the Minister’s approval. The relevant courses are as follows:
- Graduate certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master’s degree
- Doctorate
- Bridging course
The new amendment will affect student visa holders studying at any tertiary education level. The Department of Home Affairs notes that this amendment is intended to protect Australian national security. If a student applies to change tertiary courses after being granted a Student Visa, they will approve the change so long as it does not bring risk to national security.
The new visa conditions 8204A and 8204B will only impact Student Visa applications that are received by the Department of Home Affairs after 1 July 2022.
Changing Providers
Looking Change of Provider agent Sydney Australia contact Study world Global Call now +61 482 050 999 Book an Appointment Now.
If you hold a Student visa and are thinking about changing your education provider, ensure that you continue to meet all the conditions that apply to your student visa.
If you have completed six months or more of your principal course (see below definition), you are free to change provider at any time (unless you have signed an agreement with your provider that prevents you from doing so). If you have not completed six months of your principal course and you want to change your education provider, you will need to meet one of the following criteria:
- You have obtained a letter of release from your existing provider
- Your provider, or the course in which you are enrolled, has ceased to be registered
- Your provider has had a sanction imposed on its registration by the ESOS agency that prevents you from continuing the course through your provider
- You have a government sponsor that considers the change to be in your best interests and has provided written support for the change.
If you want to transfer, your education provider must assess or consider your request to transfer. All education providers have documented procedures for their transfer policy. Make sure you understand your education provider’s transfer policy, and what your written agreement says you must do before you attempt to enroll with a new education provider.