Overview

When applying for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190), the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) or the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489), you must have completed either:

• a single qualification that requires at least 2 academic years study, or
• more than 1 qualification that results in a total of at least 2 academic years study

You must have completed your study in Australia in a total of no less than 16 calendar months, while you held a visa authorising you to study.

Your course, or courses, must be on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) and instruction must be completed in English.

The 2 academic years study requirement

Two academic years of study equals 92 weeks that contribute towards 1 or more acceptable qualification. Your study does not have to have been done within a 24-month period. You can have had a break between completing your first course and starting the second.

We will use CRICOS to work out the standard duration of a course. A course that has a registered duration of 92 weeks meets the 2 academic years requirement.

What is meant by 2 academic years study

Two academic years study, or 92 weeks of registered study, is based on the amount of study you have completed rather than how long it took to complete.

You do not need to study full-time for 2 academic years to meet the Australian study requirement. You can take longer to complete the equivalent of 2 academic years study. There is no upper limit on how long you can take to meet the Australian study requirement.

If, however, your course is registered with CRICOS as a 78-week course but you take 92 weeks to complete it, that course only counts for 78 weeks towards the Australian study requirement.

Only courses you successfully complete count towards the 2 academic years. You cannot fail a subject and count the same subject twice.

Credit for prior learning will reduce the amount of study you have completed. You cannot count exempted units towards meeting the Australian study requirement if:

• you are already using them towards meeting the Australian study requirement as part of another course
• you received the credit for study completed either overseas
• you received the credit for study within Australian in a non-CRICOS registered course

Credit granted for study in Australia in a CRICOS-registered course might contribute towards meeting the Australian study requirement, but only once.

Example 1: If your course is CRICOS-registered for 138 weeks (3 years) and has 24 equal weighted units, you will have completed 2 academic years when you have successfully completed 16 units of that course. This means you can get credit based on non-CRICOS registered study of up to 8 units and still complete 2 academic years of study.

Example 2: If your course is CRICOS registered for 92 weeks (2 years) and has 12 equal weighted units, you would need to complete all 12 units to meet the Australian study requirement. If you received credit based on study in another course also registered with CRICOS, then you could use these credits towards meeting the Australian study requirement even if you did not receive a qualification for this other course. However, you may not meet the Australian study requirement if your credit shortens the course duration to less than 16 calendar months.

If you fall short of the Australian study requirement (especially the 16 calendar month requirement) because of credits, you have several options, including:

• have the university cancel the credits and pass these subjects for your qualification
• complete extra units, such as elective units, that the university accepts as award units for the qualification

Note: Non-award qualifications cannot be used to meet the Australian study requirement, but units from a non-award qualification may be used to contribute to the Australian study requirement.

Also note: Your academic transcript should show that credits from prior learning contribute to your qualification for these credits to be counted towards meeting the Australian study requirement. This leaves no doubt that the credits are part of the award of the qualification.

You may wish to complete an extra eligible qualification that can be used together to meet the Australian study requirement. Your extra qualification must be of sufficient CRICOS-registered duration to make up for the credited units from your course (or courses), bringing the total to at least 92 weeks. All qualifications used to meet the Australian study requirement must be closely related to your nominated occupation, if this is required by your visa.

Course requirements

Each qualification you have completed and are relying on to meet this requirement must:

• be either a bachelors degree or higher, a diploma, an advanced diploma, or a trade qualification
• have been undertaken at an Australian educational institution in Australia
• have been taught in English
• be registered on CRICOS

Note: You cannot use English language proficiency courses or enabling programs to meet the Australian study requirement.

Overlap of qualifications

Where your qualifications overlap, you cannot count periods of study more than once.

If you complete more than one 'acceptable' qualification but use only the second to meet the Australian study requirement, then:

• any credit you receive in that qualification from previous qualification(s) counts towards meeting the Australian study requirement
• Any study within the previous qualification(s) on which the credits were based is used towards meeting the regulation '1.15F(1)(b) 16 month requirement'

If you completed study outside Australia

You cannot use any study while outside Australia to satisfy the Australian study requirement. But, you can still meet the Australian study requirement if you:

• studied overseas but completed at least 2 academic years of study in Australia
• took no less than 16 calendar months to complete your studies in Australia

Example 1: You would have completed 2 academic years study in Australia if you undertook a 3-year, 6-semester bachelor degree as follows:

• semester 1 - outside Australia
• semester 2 - in Australia
• semester 3 - in Australia
• semester 4 - in Australia
• semester 5 - outside Australia
• semester 6 - in Australia

The study pattern does not matter as long as the Australian study requirement is met. You may have started your course in Australia, finished overseas, and still met the Australian study requirements.

Example 2: You will not have met the Australian study requirements if you:

• have studied at an overseas campus of an Australian educational institution, or
• studied online or by correspondence with an Australian educational institution while outside Australia.

You must do your studies while you are physically present in Australia.

Evidence to attach to your application

Provide a certified copy of the completion letter from your education provider that shows:

• the date the course started and ended
• whether you did any distance learning
• certified copies of course transcripts
• the date of course completion
• the location of the campus where you studied
• whether you studied full-time or part-time
• the language in which you received instruction

It must show that you received credit for a course that also met the conditions of the Australian study requirement.

The date of course completion is the date you first met the academic requirement for the award or your degree, diploma or trade qualification and were advised in writing by:

• letter
• publication in a newspaper
• publication on the internet
• email
• bulletin board at the tertiary institution.

Attach this evidence to your application.