Essay

Student Visa Program Assessment Levels

This information sheet contains a list of the current Assessment
Levels for all passports and education sectors in Australia’s
Student Visa Program (SVP). These Assessment Levels came into effect on 24 March 2012 and apply to student visa applications made on or after this date.

Visa subclass/education sector
There are a number of different types of student visas. The following subclasses are based on the education sector of your main course of study:

Applying for a Student visa
Use the Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa form if you intend to apply for a Student visa in Australia. You must identify your highest Assessment Level before you can proceed with your student visa application.

 571 – Schools

 570 – Independent ELICOS
 572 – Vocational Education and Training
 573 – Higher Education
 574 – Postgraduate Research
 575 – Non-Award
Refer to information sheet Applying for a student visa, or the
Department of Immigration and Citizenship website www.immi.gov.au/students for more information about applying for a student visa.
Course packaging
If you intend on packaging courses, you will be assessed under the visa subclass applicable to your main course of study (the principal course) indicated on the application, and at the highest
Assessment Level of the courses in your nominated package
(with the exception of any ELICOS course within the package).
You may also be eligible for streamlined visa processing.
For more information on course packaging, refer to information sheet Applying for a student visa.
See: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/
Using this information sheet
Your Student visa application will be assessed against one of the following: 

your highest Assessment Level. The lowest Assessment
Level being Assessment Level 1 and the highest Assessment
Level 5



The streamlined visa processing requirements if you are an eligible student.
The passport you hold