Genuine Temporary Entrant Assessment

Image of a passport and some other documents

When applying for admission, international students also need to complete a questionnaire, known as the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) assessment. GTE is used to demonstrate that the student is coming to Australia for genuine study purposes and has a realistic prospect of returning home once their studies have finished. The questionnaire asks a series of questions to identify applicants who are using the student visa program for motives other than gaining a quality education.

Students need to complete their GTE questionnaire before they can accept their offer of admission. Some institutions will send students the link to complete the GTE questionnaire once they apply, while others may ask the student to complete the GTE questionnaire when they send a conditional offer of admission.

Statement of Purpose

Along with the GTE questionnaire, students need to submit a Statement of Purpose, discussing their background, current study plans, and future career aspirations. Some of the things that should be discussed, include:

  • Previous study, and gap in previous study (if any)
  • Current employment (if any), and potential employment in home country after graduation
  • The value of chosen course to the student’s future
  • Ties to home country or country of residence (evidence of financial, family or social ties to show they have significant incentives to return home)
  • Situations in their home country or country of residence (the reasons for not studying there, and their ties that support their intention to return)
  • Immigration history

Visa officers pay close attention to information in the Statement of Purpose when making the visa decision. Learn more about what students should cover in their Statement of Purpose.

Interview

Education providers will also invite the student for an online or in-person interview after the student submit the GTE questionnaire. In some cases, the institutions may forego the interview.