Several factors must be considered when issuing a new COE for a student who wants to change courses or education providers in Australia. These include: - Meeting the minimum 6 month requirement in the primary course. - Ensuring the new course is at the same or higher level of study based on the AQF framework. - Considering if the change is in the student's best interests and they meet GTE criteria based on their reasons for changing and Statement of Purpose. - Checking if the new education provider is Level 1 or Level 2, which determines financial evidence requirements for Home Affairs processing.

1. Factors affecting COE
being issued
May 2018

2. Students currently enrolled in Australia
What are you currently studying?
What institution/university are you at?
Questions to ask student if they’re already studying in Australia:
What date do you finish your current course?
Do you wish to continue studies after your course finishes?
What course do you wish to move on to?
Did you enroll in a packaged course?

3. What course do they want to change to?
(Engineering to Visual Art?)
Several factors at play:
Minimum length of time in primary course satisfied (6 months)
What level of study do they want to change to?
(Masters to Diploma? OR Post Graduate Certificate to Masters?)
What institution do they want to change to? (Level 1 to Level 2)
Visa conditions
Student wants to change courses

4. 6 month minimum requirement
National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to
Overseas Students 2018
Overseas students cannot transfer between registered providers prior
to completing six calendar months of their principal course.
The principal course is is usually the final course of study in packaged
courses (i.e English language intensive course + Bachelor degree)

5. Release from 6 month requirement
Either obtain a release from their registered provider
OR
The releasing registered provider, or the course in which the overseas
student is enrolled, has ceased to be registered;
The releasing registered provider has had a sanction imposed on its
registration by the ESOS agency
Any government sponsor of the overseas student considers the
change to be in the overseas student’s best interests and has
provided written support for the change.

6. Transfer process
Each education provider has their own policy. To get letter
of release:
Student MUST have a letter of offer from another registered
education provider
If the transfer is in the overseas student’s best interests
Policy will outline situations where they will refuse transfer
request
Policy gives a reasonable timeframe for assessing and replying
to student’s request

7. Changing field of study
*Genuine Temporary Entrant criteria (GTE)
*Statement of Purpose submitted to the university and Department of
Home Affairs.
For example: Bachelor of Engineering student wants to now study
a Diploma in Hospitality
*COE may not be issued
*Needs to be very good explanation to the change in course to convince
both the university AND Department of Home Affairs

8. Changing level of study
Genuine Temporary Entrant Criteria
AQF Levels:

9. Example scenarios:
*Changing from a Masters (Level 9) to a Graduate Diploma (Level 8)
*Changing from a Bachelor degree (Level 7) to a Certificate IV (Level 4)
*Changing from a Certificate II (Level 3) to a Diploma (Level 5)
Questions to ask:
*Is the field of study the same?
*What are the reasons for changing?
*COE not going to be issued if education provider thinks student
won’t meet GTE criteria

10. Change of education provider
Most importantly
*Is it a change in field of study? (affects GTE)
*Is it a change in study level? (affects GTE)
*Change of education provider (affects financial evidence
submitted to Home Affairs)
*There might be good reasons why. e.g an engineering course
at The University of Adelaide is perhaps better than the
engineering course offered at Flinders University or is more
aligned with student’s research/career interests

11. Change of Education
Provider levels
Education provider levels explained:
Department of Home Affairs decides
what level an education provider is
(Level 1, Level 2 etc)
NO PUBLISHED LIST

12. Difference between provider levels
LEVEL 1 Providers + low risk passport
*Streamlined processing by Home Affairs
*To get COE, student pays 12 months tuition AND shows 12
months of living costs evidence.
*MAY get asked by Home Affairs during visa processing for
evidence but not required upfront.
LEVEL 2 Providers + low or high risk passport
*Still need to pay 12 months tuition AND show 12 months in
costs AND.
*MUST give Home Affairs all evidence of tuition paid and 12
months of living costs evidence UP FRONT

13. How do you work this out?
(When there is no published list)
Student visa (subclass 500) page on Home Affairs website
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/500-
Follow these steps
Document Checklist Tool
ENTER:
*Country of Passport
*Education Provider
*None of the above

14. Evidence of financial capacity
Look for ‘Evidence of financial capacity’ on the checklist.
For COE to be issue student must have evidence that:
*They have paid first year tuition.
*Sufficient funds (approx $20,000) to cover travel costs and 12
months of living costs for student and accompanying family
members (approx $8000 per dependent) and school costs for
any school aged dependents OR.
*Evidence that a spouse or parents are willing to support
student and they have an annual income of at least AUD 60,000
for single students or at least AUD 70,000 for students that are
accompanied by family members.

15. Visa Conditions
BE AWARE
*If a student stops taking classes in their current course, it can affect
their visa (tell them it is extremely important for them to continue their
studies for the time being) .
*If a student changes courses of study and education provider, it can
affect their visa and they will need to speak to migration agent or
immigration lawyer before continuing enrolment process