Genuine Student requirement

Information for international applicants

International applicants who intend to apply for an Australian student visa must be able to demonstrate that they are:

  • a genuine applicant for entry to Australia under the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) genuine student criteria 
  • able to fund tuition fees and living costs for the duration of their proposed stay.

Under the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), all education providers, including the University of Melbourne, are responsible for ensuring prospective students are:

  • genuine,
  • well-resourced, and
  • appropriately matched to their chosen course.

Providers must also provide robust screening processes, which can include:

  • identity checks
  • careful review and verification of academic records
  • review of English language proficiency evidence
  • review of financial evidence
  • video interviews.

For this reason, international applicants to the University are required to complete a Genuine Student (GS) declaration as part of their application. In this declaration, applicants must provide details about their immigration history, how they intend to fund their studies, and their reasons for applying to their chosen course.

If an applicant receives an offer of admission conditional upon meeting the Genuine Student requirement, they may receive a request to provide documentary evidence to support the information provided in their Genuine Student declaration.

Frequently asked questions

If your offer includes a Genuine Student requirement, our Quality Assurance and Compliance team may contact you and request additional documentation. This may include a Genuine Student statement and supporting evidence for the claims in your declaration. You can find examples of documents we accept in the Department of Home Affairs’ step-by-step visa application guide (see Step 2 – Gather your documents).

If the University requests a Genuine Student statement from you, ensure you follow the guidelines set out by the Department of Home Affairs’ Genuine Student criteria and include the following:

  • Provide details of your current circumstances, including ties to family, community, employment and your financial situation.
  • Explain why you want to study this course in Australia, and why you chose the University of Melbourne. Show that you understand the course requirements and what it’s like to study and live in Australia.
  • Explain how completing the course will benefit you.
  • Add any other relevant information you’d like us to consider.

The Genuine Student statement should:

  • Respond to each point above, using a heading for each response.
  • Be written in English and in the first person.
  • Include evidence and research to support your statements.
  • Not be AI-generated.
  • Keep each response under 150 words.

If you reach the 150-word limit and need to add more, you can upload a separate document.

The University assesses its Genuine Student requirement using the Department of Home Affairs’ Genuine Student criteria. Even so, DHA makes its own separate assessment. Meeting the University’s requirement doesn’t guarantee you’ll meet DHA’s, so you’ll still need to show DHA that you’re a genuine applicant for entry to Australia.

Living expenses are set by DHA and can be viewed on their website.

Under Step 2 – Gather your documents (click on "show steps"), then scroll to "Evidence you have enough money for your stay" and click on "See how".

If your offer includes a Genuine Student requirement, we’ll review your GS declaration within one University business day. We’ll contact you if we need more documents. We usually assess any documents within five University business days. We’ll then inform you of the outcome, or invite you to an interview. Delays can happen if your documents are incomplete, or if you’ve applied for a later intake than the next available intake.

Please refer to the University's document upload instructions.

This page provides a step-by-step guide on how to upload supporting documents to your University of Melbourne application, including documents requested as part of the Genuine Student requirement.

If your GS assessment is unsuccessful, we’ll withdraw your conditional offer letter and notify you of the outcome.

If we invite you to a video interview, attendance is required as part of your GS assessment. We’ll talk about the details in your declaration, your reasons for studying, and how the course suits you.

The Genuine Student declaration form is a mandatory component of the online application for applicants applying from 16 July 2026. The form is provided within the online application portal and can be downloaded and completed during the application process. You are able to save your progress and return to the application at a later time.
Applicants who have submitted their applications before 16 July 2026 will only need to provide a Genuine Student declaration form if requested.