With the introduction of the new Migration Strategy for Australia, there have been widespread changes in the nation's immigration policy. The Australian government announced that it will replace the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) component with a Genuine Student (GS) requirement to apply for an Australian student visa.

What is the Genuine Student Requirement?

The Genuine Study (GS) requirement has been introduced as a means to gauge applications between who is an actual student and who is aiming to work, rather than study. Instead of writing an essay, applicants for the Student Visa must now answer a set of questions to address the criteria for GS.

These questions include:

• Details of the applicant’s current circumstances, including ties to family, community, employment, and economic circumstances.
• Explain why the applicant wishes to study this course in Australia with this particular education provider, including their understanding of the requirements of the intended course and studying and living in Australia.
• Explain how completing the course will be of benefit to the applicant.
• Give details of any other relevant information the applicant would like to include.

Answers must be in English with a maximum of 150 words to answer in each question.

You can consider the GS as a Statement of Purpose (SOP), to explain your reason behind choosing Australia as a study destination. Writing the GS as an SOP allows you to express your personality and motivations by answering the required questions, allowing the immigration officer to assess your application and see that you are a genuine student intending to study in Australia.

How to write an SOP for an Australian Student Visa application

Writing an SOP as part of the GS requirement can appear to not be easy, but with the information that is provided on the Department of Home Affairs website, and the tips below, the process can be simplified

• There is no fixed formatting when it comes to writing an SOP, but generally, you should keep the font size to a readable amount, between 10-12pt and have the headings in bold or italicised. You can use fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial to give a formal look to your SOP.
• When actually writing your answers, keep them specific to your situation and give examples and evidence wherever possible. Generic statements may not give much weight to your application.
• Remember that your answers must be in English and that you have a maximum of 150 words for each question. Do not include information for the sake of including it, rather include it only if it is relevant and answers the question asked.
• Having short and concise sentences will make your statement easy to read and lay out the information you have clearly.
• Structure your answers in bullet points. Writing full sentences directly can be difficult, so when writing, you can always use bullet points to structure your answer first. Then, you can combine these points to build a concise and succinct answer to the question being asked.
• Always have someone read over your answers. Oftentimes, while writing, we can miss out on any typos or grammatical mistakes. Having another pair of eyes look over your work can help you pick out any errors before you submit your application for the Student Visa.

What information to include:

According to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), they encourage applicants to provide information and evidence-based on five main criteria, as set out in the questions:

Previous Study

This includes:

• Academic Transcripts showing qualifications achieved
• Name of the education providers
• Length of study
• Certificates of attainment

Here you can talk about any degrees or courses that you have completed and talk about your marks and grades achieved for all of them. You can use this section to explain if there are gaps in your academic study and why that was the case. You can also use this section to elaborate how you will be building upon the knowledge and skills gained during your previous study by studying your current course in Australia.

Previous study in Australia

This includes:

• A complete history of study record(s) in Australia
• Reasons for change of course and/or education providers
• Details of information on course progress
• Study gaps of more than 2 months during an academic year
• Any other information the applicant considers relevant to their study record in Australia

If you have previously studied in Australia and are applying for a student visa to continue your studies or study for another degree in the country, this is the section where you can discuss your previous studies. Here, you’ll need to provide information similar to the previous section, in that you can provide explanations for any gaps in your study, provide your grades, and any other information that you think will support this section.

Current Employment

This includes:

• Details of their current employer and company address
• Period of employment
• Details of the position held
• The name and contact details of someone who can confirm the circumstances of the declared employment

If you are employed or have been employed previously, you can use this section to answer questions about your employment. Here, you’ll write about your employer(s) and how long you worked for them. You’ll write about your position and the tasks that you performed as part of your work as well as the length of your employment for each employer.

Circumstances in their home country or country of residence

This includes:

• The nature of the applicant’s personal ties eg. example family, community and employment. They will need to provide reasons for not studying in their home country if a similar course is available.

In this section, you will discuss your family’s circumstances in terms of financial stability, and the number of members of your family. You can also use this section to provide information about your family’s savings and assets, which you will need to provide supporting evidence of with your application. Additionally, you must also write here about why you are choosing to study in Australia rather than in your home country; give reasons depending on your circumstances - more study options, diverse and more all-round degree, higher employment chances after studying said degree/course etc.

Economic circumstances in home country or country of residence

This includes:

• Documents showing employment or business activities for 12 months before lodging an application
• Potential employment offers, including salary and other benefits, after course completion. Provide evidence of the research you have done about the potential companies that can hire you.
• Income tax returns or bank statements

Think of this section as an addendum to the previous one. Here you can provide more specific information and evidence regarding your financial circumstances. You can write about your savings as well as your family’s savings and how that has helped you consider Australia as the best option for your future studies. If you have been employed previously or are employed at the time of your application, use this section to discuss your salary and any other benefits you receive from your workplace. Provide additional evidence by adding your latest income tax returns as well as bank statements. This will make it clear that you have the capacity to pay your tuition fees and your living expenses for the time that you will be in Australia.

Additional Information to Include

When assessing your application, the DHA will look at your potential situation in Australia. They will use your SOP to gauge the level of knowledge that you have about your course as well as the particular education provider. They will also use this SOP and your answer to understand the level of research you have undertaken when it comes to living arrangements and the cost of living in Australia. So, make sure you do this research and include information that makes it clear to the assessing officer that you understand what living and studying in Australia will be like.

There will also be a section where you can include any additional information that you think will be relevant to your application.

Conclusion

Having to write about yourself and your personal life as part of the Genuine Student (GS) requirement can be a daunting task. The GS is like a statement of purpose (SOP), allowing you to elaborate on your circumstances and your reasons for studying in Australia.

However, rather than looking at it with difficulty, look at this like its an opportunity. This GS allows you to provide evidence and further information that will only aid your application for the student visa.

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