How do I apply for a Visa after I got my study place?

The most important point in context with traveling or studying in Australia is, that everyone needs a Visa. There are different categories and some of them are really difficult to get. But not to difficult to get are the Touristvisa for up to three months (in case someone wants to visit you) and of course the Studentvisa.

Finding a flight to Australia should not be a problem, but if you are not flexible about when you want to flight, you should probably book latest 3 months before you want to leave. Another point is to check how long the tickets (for the return flight) are valid, it depends on the airline, tickets are valid for one year others only for half a year.

The next Australian Embassy is in Berlin and they also handle the cases from Switzerland (and other European countries): australian-embassy.de
All applications for Visas can be found online and also other information about traveling in Australia.

1. The most importan point is to finalise everything with the University as fast as possible. To be able to apply for a Studentvisa you will need a CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment).
   To get my CoE I had to pay the study fees for the first semester first, which may need some time as well until you get your CoE.
2. After you have your CoE you have to think about how long you want to stay in Australia. In case you want to stay longer than a year, you have to do a healthcheck.
3. The next point is filling out the application form ... for Assesment Level 1 this is not such a difficult task, you only have to fill out half the pages of the application form.
4. Finally send the application form (or online) and wait.

or:

Well, that is the way you can choose or you can do as I did it, because I did not have enough time to apply for a Visa in Switzerland. So I entered Australia with a Touristvisa and changed it in Perth to a Studentvisa. If you are a Swiss citizen (or Assesment level 1) it is possible to do that, without leaving Australia, but otherwise you may have to leave and reenter with the new Studentvisa.
After I had all papers ready, I had my student visa within one hour. Also it was easier to get all the papers from the University and paying the fee - however, if you have enough time, I still would recommend to organize everything from Switzerland.

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