Glossary

Plain-English definitions of visa, migration, and study terms used on this site. Every definition links to its official government or authority source.

52 terms · all sourced from Australian Government and authority publications

This glossary defines the acronyms and technical terms that appear on StudyVisaHub data pages. Definitions are written at a Year-8 reading level and link to the official published source for each term. Hover or tap any underlined term across the site to see its definition inline.

A

ABS: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australia's national statistical agency. Maintains the ANZSCO classification and publishes employment, population, and economic data.; Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
ACS: Australian Computer Society. The designated skills assessing authority for ICT occupations under skilled migration. ACS assesses whether an applicant's qualifications and work experience meet Australian standards.; Source: Australian Computer Society
ANZSCO: Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. The official six-digit code system used to identify occupations in migration, employment, and education policy.; Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
AQF: Australian Qualifications Framework. The national system that describes the levels of qualifications in Australia — from Certificate I (Level 1) up to Doctoral Degree (Level 10). Used in visa and skills assessment.; Source: Australian Qualifications Framework

C

CoE: Confirmation of Enrolment. An electronic document issued by your registered institution after you pay your fees. DHA requires a CoE before they can grant a student visa.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
CRICOS: Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. All Australian institutions that teach international students must be registered on CRICOS. Only CRICOS-registered courses can be used for a student visa.; Source: Department of Education
CSOL: Core Skills Occupation List. The list of occupations eligible for Australia's Skills in Demand employer-sponsored visa (Subclass 186 equivalent stream). Maintained by the Department of Home Affairs.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

D

DEWR: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The Australian government department responsible for employment policy, skills, and workplace relations. Relevant to labour market data and skills shortages.; Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
DFAT: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Australian government department responsible for foreign policy, trade, and consular services. Relevant to student visa applicants seeking Australian immigration information from abroad.; Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
DHA: Department of Home Affairs. The Australian government department that administers visas, immigration, and citizenship.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

E

ELICOS: English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students. Registered English language courses for international students, such as General English, Academic English, and IELTS preparation.; Source: TEQSA
EOI: Expression of Interest. The profile you submit to SkillSelect to be considered for an invitation to apply for a skilled migration visa. An EOI is not a visa application.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
ESOS: Education Services for Overseas Students Act. The Australian law that sets the standards and protections for international students studying in Australia, including provider obligations and student rights.; Source: Department of Education
Evidence levels (L1/L2/L3): DHA's three-tier risk rating for student visa applications. L1 requires the fewest supporting documents (lower scrutiny); L3 requires the most (highest scrutiny). Set by the WET tool based on nationality and course.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

G

Grant rate: The proportion of visa applications that were granted in a given period. Expressed as a percentage. Published by DHA for each nationality and sector. Historical rates describe past populations — they do not predict any individual application.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
GS / GTE: Genuine Student (GS) and Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE). A visa officer's assessment of whether an applicant intends to study genuinely and leave Australia when their visa ends. Not a formal test — it's a judgement based on the application.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

I

IELTS: International English Language Testing System. One of the main English proficiency tests accepted by DHA and Australian institutions for student visa and skilled migration applications.; Source: British Council / IDP / Cambridge

J

JSA: Jobs and Skills Australia. The statutory body that advises the Australian Government on workforce and skills needs, including the Occupation Shortage List (OSL), the Skills Priority List, and skills assessments.; Source: Jobs and Skills Australia

L

Lodgement: The act of formally submitting a visa application to the Department of Home Affairs. A lodged application is not yet decided — it is in the queue for processing.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

M

MARA: Migration Agents Registration Authority. The regulatory body (within the Department of Home Affairs) that registers and oversees migration agents in Australia.; Source: Migration Agents Registration Authority
MARN: Migration Agent Registration Number. The seven-digit number issued by MARA to a registered migration agent. Always check an agent's MARN on the public register before engaging them.; Source: Office of the MARA
MD115: Minister's Direction 115. A DHA policy direction that sets the processing priority order for student visa applications — which countries and course types get processed first.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
MLTSSL: Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List. Occupations on this list qualify for the widest range of skilled migration visas, including the points-tested Subclass 189 independent pathway.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

N

NCVER: National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Australia's independent body for collecting and publishing data on the VET sector, including enrolments, completions, and graduate outcomes.; Source: National Centre for Vocational Education Research
NOSC: New Overseas Student Commencement. DEWR publishes an annual NOSC allocation for each CRICOS-registered private VET provider — the cap on new overseas students that provider can enrol before its offshore Student visa applications shift from Priority 1 to a slower processing tier under MD115. TAFE providers are exempt and retain unlimited Priority 1 processing. For 2027, DEWR set allocations across 971 private providers (total: 90,887 NOSC places).; Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
NPL: National Planning Level. DHA's annual policy cap on how many student visas will be granted. Affects processing volumes and wait times across the sector each year.; Source: Department of Education

O

Offshore: Applying for a visa from outside Australia. For student visas, many applicants apply offshore before travelling to Australia to begin study.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Onshore: Applying for or currently holding a visa while physically inside Australia. Some visa types can only be applied for onshore; others can be applied for either onshore or offshore.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
OSCA: Occupational Skills Classification for Australia. A newer classification that groups ANZSCO occupations for the Skills in Demand visa framework and JSA shortage assessments.; Source: Jobs and Skills Australia
OSHC: Overseas Student Health Cover. Health insurance that international students in Australia are required to hold for the full duration of their student visa. Similar to Medicare but specifically for overseas students.; Source: Private Health Insurance Ombudsman
OSL: Occupation Shortage List. Jobs and Skills Australia's classification that groups occupations into shortage, potential shortage, or no shortage tiers based on labour market data. Used in skilled migration and workforce policy. Not the same as NOSC (New Overseas Student Commencement) — the NOSC is a DEWR education-sector cap, not a labour shortage rating.; Source: Jobs and Skills Australia

P

Points test: DHA's scoring system for general skilled migration. Points are awarded for age, English level, skilled employment, qualifications, study in Australia, and state nomination. A minimum score is required to be invited.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
PTE: Pearson Test of English Academic. A computer-based English proficiency test accepted by DHA and many Australian institutions as an alternative to IELTS.; Source: Pearson

Q

QILT: Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching. Australia's national survey data on student experience and graduate outcomes — including employment rates, median salaries, and further study rates for each field.; Source: Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching

R

ROI: Round of Invitations. A periodic selection event in SkillSelect where DHA invites the highest-scoring EOIs to apply for a skilled visa. The minimum points score changes with each round.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
ROL: Regional Occupation List. Occupations listed here qualify for regional visa pathways (Subclass 491) when sponsored by a regional state or territory authority.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
RTO: Registered Training Organisation. Any organisation approved to deliver accredited VET training in Australia. Includes TAFEs and private colleges. RTOs are regulated by ASQA.; Source: Australian Skills Quality Authority

S

SID: Skills in Demand visa. Australia's employer-sponsored work visa from December 2024, replacing the Subclass 482 TSS. It has three streams based on occupation and salary.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
SkillSelect: DHA's online points-based system for skilled migration. Skilled workers submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and are invited to apply in Rounds of Invitations based on their points score.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
State nomination: A state or territory government sponsoring a skilled migration applicant. Adds 5 points (Subclass 190) or 15 points (Subclass 491) to the points test, and requires the applicant to live and work in that state for a period.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
STSOL: Short-term Skilled Occupation List. Occupations on this list qualify for employer-sponsored visas but not for the Subclass 189 independent points pathway.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Subclass 186: Employer Nomination Scheme visa. A permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by an approved Australian employer.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Subclass 189: Skilled Independent visa. A permanent points-tested visa for skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer or state. Requires an invitation through SkillSelect.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Subclass 190: Skilled Nominated visa. A permanent points-tested visa for workers nominated by an Australian state or territory. Worth 5 extra points toward the points test.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Subclass 482: Temporary Skill Shortage visa (TSS). An employer-sponsored work visa that preceded the Skills in Demand visa. Some holders are still on this visa; new grants use the SID framework.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Subclass 485: Temporary Graduate visa. Allows students who have recently graduated from an Australian institution to live and work in Australia for a period after their studies.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Subclass 491: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa. A provisional visa requiring nomination by a state/territory or sponsorship by a family member in a designated regional area. Worth 15 extra points.; Source: Department of Home Affairs
Subclass 500: The Student visa. The main visa that lets international students study full-time in Australia at a CRICOS-registered institution.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

T

TAFE: Technical and Further Education. The network of government-funded vocational training institutions in Australia. TAFEs offer certificates, diplomas, and degree-level vocational qualifications.; Source: Australian Government
TPS: Tuition Protection Service. A government-run scheme that protects students' prepaid tuition fees if their education provider closes or fails to deliver a course. Managed by the Australian Government.; Source: Tuition Protection Service

V

VET: Vocational Education and Training. Practical, job-focused qualifications in Australia — typically Certificates and Diplomas. Delivered by TAFEs and private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).; Source: Australian Skills Quality Authority

W

WET: Web Evidentiary Tool. DHA's online tool that sets the evidence level required for a student visa application based on nationality, course type, and provider risk. The output (L1, L2, L3) determines how many supporting documents are needed.; Source: Department of Home Affairs

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Definitions are for general information only and do not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa criteria change — always verify with the official source before relying on any definition.