Major changes to Australia's Student Visa Program will come into effect on 1 July 2001. From that date, the student visa class will have seven subclasses. 

Each subclass is based on the education sector of your principal course of study: 

570 - Independent ELICOS 

- for overseas students undertaking an ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) as a stand-alone course, and not as a prerequisite to commencing another course (for example, a degree course);  

571 - Schools 

- for overseas students undertaking a course of study at a primary school or a secondary school, including both junior and senior secondary school;  

572 - Vocation Education and Training (VET) 

- covers certificate I, II, III and IV, Diploma, Advanced diploma and Advanced certificate;  

573 - Higher Education 

- covers a Bachelor degree, Graduate certificate, and Graduate diploma.  

574 - Masters and Doctorate 

- covers a Masters degree by coursework or by research, and a Doctoral degree;  

575 - Non-award Foundation Studies/Other 

- covers foundation, bridging or other courses that do not lead to the award of a degree, diploma or other formal award; and  

576 - AusAID or Defence Sponsored 

- covers full-time study undertaken by AusAID- or Defence-sponsored students for the whole or part of an education or training course offered by an Australian education provider.  

The restructured program will replace the current gazetted/non-gazetted country arrangement and the Special Entry Arrangements for students from the People's Republic of China .  

If you want to know how is your student visa application affected by the changes, please contact AAEMC offices. 

Please note: these new arrangements do not take effect until 1 July 2001. Do not use form 157A until 1 July 2001.