Genuine Student Requirement vs Statement of Purpose

Genuine Student requirement and Statement of Purpose explained

The Genuine Student requirement appears in the Department of Home Affairs' visa requirements, and in the application process for RMIT as the Genuine Student Statement of Purpose.

This page explains what the Genuine Student (GS) requirement is, how it differs from your Statement of Purpose (SoP), and which one you need at each stage.

What is the Genuine Student (GS) requirement?

The Genuine Student (GS) requirement is a standard set by the Department of Home Affairs for the Student visa (subclass 500), rather than just being a form or document you fill out.

It assesses whether your main reason for coming to Australia is genuinely to study and considers your circumstances at home and whether your chosen course aligns your education
and career goals. The standard is the same for every applicant, whether you're studying a certificate or a PhD, but what you're asked to provide along the way can differ depending on your level of study.

GS Statement of Purpose vs the visa's GS questions

Along with the Home Affairs' GS requirement, Australian universities also require international applicants to satisfy their own genuine student criteria while applying. At RMIT, this is called the Genuine Student Statement of Purpose.

RMIT's GS Statement of Purpose and the GS questions in your visa application are two separate things, even though both ask about your intention to study. They're assessed by different people at different stages, and each informs a different decision: RMIT decides whether to offer you a place, subject to meeting all other admissions requirements, and the Department of Home Affairs decides whether to grant your visa.

Below shows how RMIT's GS SoP differs from Home Affairs' GS questions.

	RMIT GS Statement of Purpose	GS questions in your visa application
What it is	RMIT’s own document, where you explain your personal background and intention to study	Questions Home Affairs uses to assess whether you meet the GS requirement
Assessed by	RMIT, to decide whether to offer you a place, subject to meeting other admissions requirements	A Home Affairs case officer, to decide whether to grant your visa
When	During your RMIT application, before you receive an offer or Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)	When you lodge your student visa application, after you've received your CoE
Where it lives	A form provided by RMIT and submitted with your application.	Questions built into your visa application on your ImmiAccount.

Which Genuine Student document do you need?

If you're applying to RMIT and haven't yet received an offer, you need to check your application portal and submit the RMIT GS Statement of Purpose (PDF, 69 KB), if required, as part of your university application. Note that RMIT will not share your GS Statement of Purpose with the Department of Home Affairs or other providers, as these exist indepently of each other.

If you're applying to another university in Australia, check your provider's application requirements or ask its admissions team whether they need a statement at this stage.

If you already have a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and are lodging your student visa application, the GS questions are part of your ImmiAccount application, so there's no separate form to prepare.

The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement was the previous version of the GS requirement. It was retired and replaced by GS on 23 March 2024.

RMIT's GS Statement of Purpose: your university application

RMIT may ask applicants to complete a GS Statement of Purpose as part of the admissions process, before an offer or Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is issued.

RMIT is a Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) provider, and looking at whether your intent to study is genuine before enrolling you is part of how it assesses applications. Your responses inform RMIT's decision on whether to make you an offer and issue a CoE. They aren't part of your visa assessment.

What RMIT's GS Statement of Purpose covers

The form's nine sections ask about four main areas: your personal background and academic history, why you've chosen your course and RMIT specifically, your career goals, and why you want to study in Australia rather than in your home country.

Read RMIT's How to write a GS Statement of Purpose

The GS questions on your student visa application

When it comes to the actual visa application, the GS questions aren't a separate document. They're built into the ImmiAccount visa application itself, and you answer them directly in the form, with each response limited to 150 words and assessed by a Home Affairs case officer as part of your visa decision. What you wrote for your RMIT GS Statement of Purpose can inform how you approach these answers, but Home Affairs doesn't see that document. You're answering fresh, for a different assessor.

What happens if your RMIT application or visa GS assessment is unsuccessful

Your RMIT GS Statement of Purpose wasn't successful

If your application to RMIT isn't successful after you've submitted your GS Statement of Purpose, that outcome relates to your RMIT application only. It isn't a visa decision, and the Department of Home Affairs isn't involved. Your next steps sit with RMIT, so contact the admissions team through Study@RMIT to find out
what options are available to you.

Contact Study@RMIT

Your visa's GS assessment wasn't successful

If Home Affairs refuses your student visa application, that decision is made internally by them, separately from your RMIT application, and follows their own processes. Your decision notice will set out whether you have review rights and the deadline for using them, and you may also be able to lodge a new application.

More information

Entry requirements

Before you apply to RMIT, make sure you meet all entry requirements for your chosen course.

Documents required

Learn which documents you need to apply or, to accept your offer and receive a CoE.

Student visas

If you plan to study in Australia, it's important to understand and meet your visa requirements.

Apply to RMIT as an international student

Learn how to apply to study at RMIT University as an international student

International Student Enrolment

Once you accept your offer to study at RMIT, your next step is to complete your enrolment.

Have more questions?

Our friendly staff at Study@RMIT are available five days a week to assist you.

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Genuine Student Requirement vs Statement of Purpose