International Students

Unity College Australia is an approved CRICOS training provider (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students)

Unity meets all the Australian Government requirements for hosting international students and we can help you with all the details. We also offer English classes for non-native speakers.

Australia is a great destination and Unity College is a great place to develop your English, vocational and/or ministry skills.

International students from over 70 nations who have already experienced life at Unity College Australia can tell you about the life changing experiences they've had.

For information about which campuses can enrol International students, please contact the National Office in Canberra on info@unity.edu.au.

Your time at Unity will be a time of learning and growing, developing life-long friendships with people both in Australia and around the world. Uniquely Australian in its flavour, Unity’s strength lies in developing community through personal growth. We have a tight knit community at the college that accepts people from all walks of life.

We won't confine you to the classroom, but give you a range of opportunities to exercise your training through an assortment of activities.

Unity College is assisted in the process of introducing overseas students by the following organisations whose details can be found here.

Visa processing varies from country to country. To allow yourself plenty of time we recommend you apply by the following deadlines.  Students from Category 3 countries (see Visa Requirements) should add three months to these application times to provide adequate time for visa approval.

Semester 1 - Commences early February
Apply by 15 November the previous year

Semester 2 - Commences late July
Apply by 15 April the same year

A summary of the process involved in international students applying to study in Australia, which includes the requirement to obtain a visa, is as follows.

1. Obtain a passport that is valid for the duration of your intended stay.
2. Apply to Unity College Australia (online - see button top right)  including providing a certified copy of your passport as well as paying the relevant application fee.
3. Ensure that any required references has been completed and forwarded to us (selected courses only – please see individual courses to check availability).

Please email certified copy of your passport and references to info@unity.edu.au.

Once steps 1 to 3 are completed we will then assess your application to be able to make an offer of enrolment to you.

For applicants from level 3 and 4 countries (see Visa Requirements for explanation) you will need to lodge a pre visa application with the appropriate Australian Embassy/High Commission. If your pre visa application is approved the applicant is advised by the department to proceed with medicals (if not already undertaken) and meet further requirements as follows:

Once you have accepted our offer of enrolment we will request payment of any advance course fees and health insurance.

Once received we will provide the Australian government the necessary advice and send you a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)

International students studying in Australia require a visa to enter and stay in the country. All students will be required to obtain a student visa except for short courses (less than three months) where a tourist visa may be adequate. Unity College Australia takes no responsibility for the outcome of visas that may not be approved.

Students are assessed on the basis of their country of citizenship. The length of time required to obtain a visa can be substantial especially for students from countries that the Australian government considers to be of higher risk.

The Australian Government uses the combined evidence level outcomes of the student’s education provider and country of citizenship to guide whether the student needs to provide evidence of financial and English language capacity with their student visa application. For more information click the following link:

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/education-program/what-we-do/simplified-student-visa-framework

 Unity College Australia courses are either categorized under

-   visa subclass 572 (VET)

-   visa subclass 570 (ELICOS) where are study English as a second language (ESL) as your major area of study.

You can also find this information from the Australian diplomatic mission in your home country where you can also get up to date information on detailed procedures and on the associated ‘Country Assessment Level’ for your home nation. This ‘assessment level’ (which has been allocated by the Australian Immigration Authorities) determines how you should go about applying for a student visa.

All international students must obtain an ‘Application for a student (temporary) visa’ (form 157A). You can also get the form ‘Applying for a student visa’, which gives you further information.

Students from Level 1 and 2 Countries

We will guide you through the process of paying your overseas student health cover (compulsory health insurance for your student visa). We will also require you to sign an ‘Acceptance of Place form’. Once we have these, we will send you a ‘Confirmation of Enrolment’ which you will need to include with your student visa application form. The Australian diplomatic mission will notify you of any further requirements – for example they may require you to have an x-ray and medical. It can take anywhere from 2 to 4 or more weeks to get your visa.

Students from a Level 3 Country

People from countries with assessment level 3 has been identified as being at risk of over-staying their visas. Not necessarily you personally but many who have entered Australia from such countries in the past. Thus stricter rules are used to assess their visa applications. Applicants must demonstrate that they are genuine students, can support themselves and have reasons to return home after their studies.

The first step to applying for a visa is that you will be required to lodge their letter of offer with the appropriate Australian Embassy/High Commission. The department undertakes an initial assessment of the application. If the application is deemed as meeting requirements, the applicant is advised by the department to proceed with medicals (if not already undertaken), pay fees including overseas health insurance and obtain confirmation of enrolment. We will guide you through these latter matters.

You will need to advise us that you intend to take up the offer of enrolment by means of a signed Acceptance of Place we will provide for you.  Please be aware that it can take from 3 to 6 months to obtain your visa in some countries.

Health Insurance

Health Insurance is required for overseas students for the duration of your course of study. You will need to pay for Australian health insurance for the duration of your course of study. In most cases you cannot use a health insurance policy from your own country.

Note : Unity College Australia does not arrange the OHSC on behalf of the student. It is the responsibility of the student to directly purchase the OHSC.

For more information please click the link: https://www.internationalstudent.com/study_australia/insurance/

English Language Skills (if required)

If English is not your native language and you have not lived in an English speaking country for a reasonable period of time you will be required to achieve a satisfactory score in the IELTS test (an English language test) or TOEFL test for selected countries. This test is administered through the Australian consulate/embassy as part of your application for a student visa and by IELTS through selected learning institutes in your part of the world.

Once you have completed this test you will provide us a certified copy of your result.

Unity College accepts students with an IELTS score of 5.5 or 6.0 depending on the course selected. Students wishing to study English as a Second Language will also need to complete IELTS but lower scores will apply. Applicants from some countries are able to use the TOEFL test instead.

Apply For A Visa

Apply for a student visa with the Australian consulate/embassy in your country of residence. You will need to take your COE form with you. Depending on the country you are from there will be varying requirements that the Australian consulate/embassy will ask you to meet. These could include having a medical including a chest Xray and providing proof of financial viability to study in Australia.

The Australian immigration process is fairly efficient, although the process can take some time so plan early to avoid a last minute rush. If we can be of any assistance contact us by phone as soon as possible.

Course Fees

International student course costs are in the Course Outlines on the Courses pages which can be found by clicking here.  The college reserves the right to alter charges.

Living costs

Apart from the cost of the course – you will need to have enough money to live in Canberra. This includes paying rent/board and weekly living expenses. Immigration will test this, and provides guidance on their website www.immi.gov.au

Compared to most western nations Australia is relatively cheap, however in comparison to Asian and African countries living in Australia is more expensive.

Overseas Student Health Insurance is compulsory and needs to be paid as part of the student application process.

For more details regarding costs of living click here

Work rights

You are legally permitted under a student visa to work up to 40 hours per two week period whilst studying during term time and full time during any term breaks. However the college does not guarantee or acquire work on your behalf and the course schedule will limit time available for work.

The money you earn while working in Australia should only supplement your income and not be used as your only source of income.

Other Australian Visas

If you have a valid visa other than a student visa for entering Australia, you may be able to study at Unity College on either a full time or part time basis. You would need to check the work rights as they applied to that particular visa.

Students from overseas wishing to study at Unity College Australia have their overall education care and conditions assured by the Australian Government's "ESOS Framework". This framework can be viewed and downloaded here.

As a government approved provider of international training Unity College is required to take certain precautions to protect students and their training investment.

Firstly Unity College is required to take out insurance to cover international students in the unlikely event that a college closes. This insurance provides the funding so that students can transfer and continue equivalent studies at another college at no extra charge to the student. We are covered by the ESOS Assurance Fund which is overseen by the Federal Government Department responsible for Education and Training.

If you are thinking about studying in another country you would be wise to check if the training organisation has this level of insurance.

Secondly we quarantine monies received in advance from international students so that the funds are always available in the event of a refund being payable.

Thirdly we are a not-for-profit organisation and hence we care about training first and foremost rather than the bottom line (ie return to shareholders). We have been running for over 25 years now so we are here for the long term.