The Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is an official document that is issued to International students by Victoria University (VU). It is evidence that you are eligible to enrol at VU and that you have accepted your place.

The CoE is required when you lodge your student visa application. It outlines important information of your enrolment status, your personal details, the course you are studying, estimated fees and course duration.

Students on a student visa must have a valid CoE at all times and are expected to complete their course within the specified duration as stated in the CoE. It is your responsibility to ensure that your CoE is current and up to date.

VU will not issue a CoE on the spot. You are encouraged to apply for a CoE at least 6 months before you need to lodge your application to renew your visa.

Reasons for CoE extension

As per Standard 8 of The National Code 2018, your enrolment and CoE can only be extended in one of these circumstances:

  • VU has assessed that there are compassionate or compelling circumstances, and there is evidence to support this assessment
  • VU has implemented, or is in the process of implementing, an intervention strategy for you if you are at risk of not meeting course progress requirements
  • an approved leave of absence or suspension of your enrolment has occurred.

The following are not reasons for a CoE extension:

  • you have applied for a reduced study load but it wasn’t approved
  • you haven’t tried to make up for missed study by overloading in compulsory study periods
  • financial hardship is preventing you from enrolling in a full study load
  • you intentionally took fewer credits than required, without permission, thinking you could still complete the course on time
  • you intentionally took fewer credits than required, without permission, to improve your grades in remaining units of study
  • you don’t like the available unit(s) on offer, including major electives, so took fewer credits than required or had gaps in your study sequence
  • your job prevents you from taking the required credits
  • you missed classes or assignment-deadlines (without compassionate or compelling reasons) and need to repeat unit(s).

In cases where a CoE extension is not granted, you may complete your course of study from your home country via distance studies.

How to apply for a CoE extension

To apply for an extension to your CoE, you must complete all of these steps:

Students who need to renew or apply for a student visa should contact the Department of Home Affairs.

It is recommended that you apply for a visa extension at least six months in advance if it becomes apparent that you can't finish your course within the prescribed course duration and meet the above criteria.

Find more information about the student visa application process:

Further information