Changing from Visitor Visa to Student Visa?
From 1 July 2024, visitor visa holders are no longer able to apply for a student visa, while inside Australia.
They now have to apply from outside Australia.
This has been changed due to the large number of visitor visa holders that have subsequently applied for a Student Visa, and used a bridging visa to enable them to stay after their visitor visa expired.
In the past a visitor visa holder was able to apply for a student visa and obtain a bridging visa, while waiting for the student visa decision.
When this was refused, they then put in a request for review with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
This could take many months, with the applicant still allowed to stay in Australia.
In the last half of 2023, 5% of these AAT appeals took over 608 days, 45% took between 435 and 608 days, while 50% took up to 435 days.
Most visitor visa applicants are confirming that they are wanting a visitor visa purely for a holiday, when they complete their application.
If this is proven to be incorrect, then it is easy for a student visa application, or an AAT appeal, to be refused.