Genuine Student (GS) for International Students

Starting 23 March 2024, the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) criteria for student visa applicant to Australia will be replaced by Genuine Student (GS) requirement criteria.

The requirement that the stay of student visa applicant is ‘temporary’ is not required for applicants by 23/03/2024. The focus of the Australian government is for student applicant to genuinely enter and stay in Australia as a student. With the removal of the term ‘temporary’ stay, international students can plan to stay in Australia as a permanent resident after completion of their course on occupations that are on demand.

However under the new criteria, the decision maker will still evaluate the student applicant whether he is a genuine student and the Department of Home Affairs will consider the (a) the applicant’s circumstances in his country – which is about his ties in his home country and his capacity to pay the expenses of being an international student (b) immigration history – whether they have applied a visa before and whether it has been approved or refused (c) compliance with visa condition – for example, an applicant has been to Australia and has complied with the visa condition before.

With the new criteria, international student can now plan or take a course that has a pathway for permanent residence that could fill in the skill shortages without telling the Australian government that he will return to his home country after completion of his course as his stay as student is temporary.