Evidence of Intended Course of Study: CoE Fields and Alternative Evidence Pathways (2026)

Under the Migration (Evidence of Intended Course of Study for Student Visa Applications) Specification 2024, published on the Australian Government’s Federal Register of Legislation, an applicant seeking the primary criteria for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa must accompany the application with evidence of intended courses of study, or study-related activities, that meets one of the listed requirements. The main field-based requirement is a confirmation of enrolment (CoE) number that has not been cancelled or revoked for each intended course, entered in the relevant field of the application form. The alternative pathways are the attached letter or form the instrument names for Foreign Affairs students, Defence students, secondary exchange students, and postgraduate thesis marking.

What does the Specification 2024 require for the CoE field?

Paragraph 4(2)(a) requires the evidence to be “a confirmation of enrolment number (that has not been cancelled or revoked) for each of the applicant’s intended courses of study, included in the relevant field in the application form.” Three conditions sit inside that sentence. The number must be a CoE number. The CoE must not have been cancelled or revoked. Each intended course needs its own number, and the number goes in the relevant field, not only in an uploaded file.

If an applicant intends to study a preliminary course and then a principal course, the rule reads as one active CoE number for the first course and one active CoE number for the second course. An agent checking a file should test each intended course separately rather than treating the package as a single enrolment.

Common field errors follow from the wording. Entering one CoE number when two courses are intended does not meet the rule. Entering a CoE that the provider has cancelled or revoked does not meet the rule. Leaving the CoE field empty and attaching the CoE as a supporting document alone does not meet the “included in the relevant field” wording.

When is an attached letter or form used instead of a CoE number?

The specification does not make the CoE field the only possible evidence. Under paragraph 4(2), the evidence may also be one of the documents in paragraphs (b) and (c), attached to the application:

• Foreign Affairs student: a letter of support from the Foreign Minister.
• Defence student: a letter of support from the Defence Minister.
• Secondary exchange student: an AASES form relating to the applicant.
• Postgraduate thesis marking: a letter from the applicant’s relevant education provider stating that the provider requires the applicant to remain in Australia during the marking of the applicant’s postgraduate thesis.

These are alternative evidence routes, not exemptions. The application still needs evidence of intended study or study-related activities; the difference is the type of document used to satisfy the specification.

The instrument uses the terms “Foreign Affairs student,” “Defence student,” “secondary exchange student,” and “AASES form” without defining them in its own text. Their detailed meanings must be taken from the Migration Regulations 1994 or other official material, so an agent should confirm the current official definitions before relying on one of these pathways.

Which applications does the Specification 2024 cover?

The instrument is made under paragraph 1222(5)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994, and it specifies evidence for paragraph 1222(3)(c) of that Schedule. It commenced on 1 January 2025. Under section 5, it applies to an application for a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa made on or after that commencement, where the applicant seeks to satisfy the primary criteria for the grant of a Subclass 500 (Student) visa.

Schedule 1 repeals the whole of the earlier Evidence of Intended Course of Study 2017/013 (IMMI 17/013). For applications made before 1 January 2025, the earlier instrument applied, so the 2024 specification should not be read back onto those earlier applications.

How should the CoE field be checked before lodgment?

The following steps restate the paragraph 4(2)(a) requirement and do not add separate conditions.

List each intended course of study. Obtain the current CoE number for every intended course from the education provider. Confirm no CoE on the list has been cancelled or revoked. Enter one active CoE number for each intended course in the relevant field. Do not leave the field empty and rely only on an attached copy. Keep the provider record available with the application.

These steps are general reference only and are not personalised migration or legal advice. The controlling text remains the official Federal Register of Legislation version, which should be checked for later updates; readers should confirm current official requirements and, for their own circumstances, any advice they choose to obtain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every intended course need its own CoE number in the form field?

Yes. Paragraph 4(2)(a) requires a CoE number for each of the applicant’s intended courses of study. The number must be included in the relevant field in the application form. One CoE number covering a single course does not satisfy the rule for two intended courses.

Can a cancelled or revoked CoE still be entered?

No. The specification requires a confirmation of enrolment number that has not been cancelled or revoked. A CoE that has been cancelled or revoked does not satisfy paragraph 4(2)(a). The number must be active when it is entered in the relevant field.

Which applicants may attach a document instead of entering a CoE number?

The specification names three applicant categories and one provider-letter case. A Foreign Affairs student attaches a letter of support from the Foreign Minister, a Defence student attaches a letter of support from the Defence Minister, and a secondary exchange student attaches an AASES form relating to the applicant. An applicant whose education provider requires them to remain in Australia during marking of a postgraduate thesis attaches a provider letter stating that requirement.

Are those alternative pathways exemptions from the evidence requirement?

No. They are alternative forms of evidence under paragraph 4(2) of the specification. The application must still be accompanied by evidence of intended study or study-related activities. The difference is the type of document used, not the absence of a requirement.

When did the Specification 2024 start to apply?

The instrument commenced on 1 January 2025. It applies to a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa application made on or after that commencement, where the applicant seeks to satisfy the primary criteria for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa. The earlier Evidence of Intended Course of Study 2017/013 (IMMI 17/013) was repealed by Schedule 1.

Does the instrument define “Foreign Affairs student” or “AASES form”?

The instrument refers to Foreign Affairs students, Defence students, secondary exchange students and the AASES form, but it does not define those terms in its own text. Their meanings depend on the Migration Regulations 1994 or other official material. Readers should confirm the current definitions on the official legislation register.

References

Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation — Migration (Evidence of Intended Course of Study for Student Visa Applications) Specification 2024