Changing Courses

If you are a Student visa (SC500) holder and would like to change courses and stay at the same education provider, you may do so as long as the course is at the same level or higher than your existing course. If you wish to transfer to a course at a lower level than what you are currently studying, you will need to apply for a new student visa, or you will be breaching your visa conditions.

You will not need to apply for a new visa if you are changing from an AQF level 10 course (doctoral degree) to an AQF 9 course (master’s degree).

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.
• if you are studying a Certificate IV (AQF level 4) and want to transfer to an ELICOS course (non-AQF course), you will need to apply for and be granted a new student visa.

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.

If you change to a new course that is longer than what you were originally enrolled in, you will need to apply for a new student visa before your existing visa expires. If you change to a new course that is shorter than what you were originally enrolled in, you will need to depart Australia within 28 days of course completion, or enrol in a new course and apply for a new student visa within that time frame.

Changing Providers

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:

1. You have obtained a letter of release from your existing provider
2. Your provider, or the course in which you are enrolled, has ceased to be registered
3. Your provider has had a sanction imposed on its registration by the ESOS agency that prevents you from continuing the course through your provider
4. 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 about 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 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.