Six-year-old Chinese can now apply for Australian student visa

Two Korean students learn to make dumplings at an elementary school in Hangzhou city, East China's Zhejiang province, Dec 29, 2012. [Photo/IC]

Chinese pupils from the age of six can apply for student visas to study in Australian schools from July, according to Australia's new student visa policy announced recently, xkb.com.cn reported on Tuesday.

From July 1, pupils can apply to study in Australia with a streamlined visa application, and their parents can apply to accompany them, according to the latest policy announced by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in Australia.

The Streamlined Student Visa Framework permits students to apply for all elementary schools in Australia with a two-year valid term. Under the Framework, all international students, no matter what courses they choose, will apply for the same student visa and submit their applications online.

As for parents applying for student dependent visas, they should provide a certificate showing they have an annual income of more than $51,548 or a deposit certificate showing an annual living expense of $14,728, when they submit visa applications.

Besides, parents accompanying their children in Australia cannot work; however, they can apply for immigration if they meet certain requirements, said Pan Miaoxia, who is in charge of overseas study in EIC Education.

Pan said: "As the elementary schools just recently decided to enroll international students, many schools haven't announced tuition fees for international students. But if we go by the tuition fees in high school, the fees in public elementary schools will be between 50,000 yuan ($7,610) and 60,000 yuan. So if every child will be accompanied by one parent, then a family will spend around 240,000 yuan on tuition fees and living expenses in a year."

This is a new step from 2014 when Australia opened the application of overseas study for junior high school students.

"Nowadays, only a handful of countries are granting student visa application. Given that there are few Chinese students in New Zealand and Singapore as well as difficulty in getting Canadian visas, Australia with a suitable weather and mature international student market will be welcomed by parents in South China's Guangdong province," said Zou Zhaohuang, head of international student center at a Guangzhou-based travel agency GZL.

According to Australian Financial Review, there are nearly 50,000 Chinese students studying in Australia till now in 2016, up 23 percent compared to 2015.