With thousands of beautiful beaches, rainforests and cities rich with opportunity, it’s understandable why so many people around the world wish to move to this wonderful country.
Whether you’re already living in Australia and are looking for a way to extend your visa or are looking to make the big move, studying at Q Academy is a great solution that can not only help you obtain your student visa, but also give you a variety of skills that you can take with you on your travels (you may never need to work in hospitality again).
Australian student visa application process
Q Academy recommends that you apply for your course as soon as possible to allow enough time to secure your student visa, flights and accommodation. As a general guide the process is as follows:
Step 1 – Read across our website and courses page, then make an application to Q Academy as an International Student
Step 2 – Complete all the enrolment documents including supplying documents to prove your English language proficiency.
Step 3 – Wait for Q Academy to send through an acceptance letter and Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
Step 4 – Apply for your student visa online via eVisa or directly through an Immigration department office
Step 5 – Once you have your visa, start making travel and accommodation arrangements on the Sunshine Coast!
Student visa requirements
Attendance
Q Academy encourages the attendance of all classes. Every class and the content within it is important and required for competency within study. All international students must maintain at least an 80% attendance rate for the full duration of the course, otherwise, their student visa may be subject to review and subsequently cancelled.
Q Academy maintains attendance rolls for all international students studying on a student visa and is kept on record to be made available for inspection by regulatory bodies. Any subject-specific attendance requirements are clearly stated in the Subject Outlines.
If at any time it becomes impossible for a VET student studying on an Australian student visa to achieve an attendance rate of 80% for the entire course, they will be issued an intention to report letter which sets out that Q Academy intends to report the student’s unsatisfactory attendance as required through PRISMS.
This is a requirement of the National Code 2018 for VET students and a condition of the student visa for VET students. There is no discretion for Q Academy not to report a student, even if the student has a genuine reason for all absences (such as an illness) and supporting documentation (such as a medical certificate).
In these cases, however, Q Academy may choose to provide documentation in order to support the student’s continuation of study.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
Overseas student health cover (OSHC) is insurance that provides cover for the costs of medical and hospital care which international students may need while in Australia. OSHC for the duration of the visa is mandatory for student visa holders.
How do I get OSHC?
Q Academy can arrange OSHC for you for the duration of your visa. If you wish Q Academy to arrange your OSHC you must indicate this on your letter of offer. If you choose to arrange your own OSHC you must provide proof of this arrangement to Q Academy and this will be kept on your student file.
Only Australian health funds that have signed an agreement with the Australian Government can provide OSHC. Q Academy currently uses NIB.
If you have arranged your own OSHC you may choose to change your health fund at any time, but you will need to abide by the conditions of change of the health fund provider you are leaving and provide updated proof of OSHC to Q Academy.
What Can I Study At Q Academy?
Q Academy is an Allied Health Training College, who over the last decade, has trained over 2,500 highly-skilled therapists. Some of the courses that you might consider include:
- Diploma of Remedial Massage (Health and Wellness Program)
- Diploma of Remedial Massage (Advanced Rehab Program)
- Diploma of Remedial Massage (Sports Therapy Program)
If you would like to learn more about the courses we offer international students at Q Academy, please visit our course directory.
Living on the Sunshine Coast
Maroochydore is located on the Sunshine Coast which is midway on the eastern coast of the Australian mainland.
It is built close to the beach with a pleasant climate and relaxed lifestyle and an emphasis on outdoor living. The region is known for its beautiful surf beaches, rainforests and mountains.
If you would like to learn more about what it is like to live on the Sunshine Coast, click here.
Student Accommodation on the Sunshine Coast
The cost of renting accommodation while studying in Australia can be high. Many international students choose to share accommodation to keep costs down.
Most international students will rent a home with friends or find people to share with through websites. It is important to stay safe when searching for accommodation or people to share online.
Australian accommodation websites
If you’re not sure where to begin looking for shared accommodation, these websites can be a good starting point.
For information on renting in QLD refer to the RTA website
Living Expenses
Starting from 1 February 2018, a single international student requires a minimum of $20,290 to cover living expenses for 12 months of study.
In their visa application, students are required by the Department of Home Affairs to declare
they have enough money to pay for travel, tuition, and living expenses for the duration of their stay in Australia.
Time to take the next step towards studying in Australia
If you can barely contain your excitement to begin studying at Q Academy on the Sunshine Coast, then enquire on our website to start the application process today.
Upon an internal review of your application, and acceptance into one of our courses and you can begin the process to obtain your student visa. We’ll see you soon!