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Education Consultants

Study in Australia with confidence

From choosing the right course to your Confirmation of Enrolment - and with a Registered Migration Agent in-house for the visa stage - we guide your whole study journey under one roof, honestly and in plain English.

Book a free study consultationSee the admissions journey
  • Registered Migration Agent in-house
  • CRICOS-registered courses only
  • Free for students - providers pay us
  • Honest advice - no guaranteed outcomes
International students talking together on a university campus lawn in soft morning sun, sandstone building behind
Course → Offer → CoE → Visa · one office
Why BIG STEP

One firm, both halves of the journey

Most education agents have to send you elsewhere the moment your questions turn to visas. At BIG STEP, the education consultant and the Registered Migration Agent are in the same room.

Education Consulting

  • Course, provider and city selection matched to your goals and budget
  • Applications, offer letters and your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
  • Scholarships, OSHC and pre-departure preparation

Migration Advice

  • Student visa (subclass 500) strategy and lodgement
  • Genuine Student requirement guidance from a registered professional
  • Post-study planning - Temporary Graduate (485) and beyond

Only a Registered Migration Agent or Australian legal practitioner can lawfully give you visa advice. Ours is in-house - so nothing gets lost in a handover.

The Australian System

Understanding Australian education

Five sectors, one national qualifications framework. Knowing where each fits - and how they connect - is the first step in choosing well.

Universities (Higher Education)

Australia's universities deliver bachelor, honours, masters and doctoral degrees, with several ranked among the world's top 100. Teaching is research-informed and qualifications are recognised globally.

Typical duration
3-4 years (bachelor) · 1-2 years (masters) · 3+ years (PhD)
Indicative tuition
Roughly A$22,000-55,000 per year for most international courses
Best suited to
Students aiming for a professional degree, research career, or a globally recognised qualification.
Examples
Bachelor of NursingBachelor of Information TechnologyMaster of EngineeringMaster of Business Administration (MBA)

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

Almost every Australian qualification sits on one national ladder of 10 levels, so each step you take is recognised for the next.

  1. 1Certificate I
  2. 2Certificate II
  3. 3Certificate III
  4. 4Certificate IV
  5. 5Diploma
  6. 6Advanced Diploma / Associate Degree
  7. 7Bachelor Degree
  8. 8Honours / Graduate Certificate / Graduate Diploma
  9. 9Masters Degree
  10. 10Doctoral Degree

Bachelor degrees through to doctorates (AQF 7-10), plus some diplomas and associate degrees.

Tuition bands are indicative only, vary widely by provider, course and city, and change over time - we confirm real costs for your shortlist at your consultation.

Every course we recommend is CRICOS-registered

International students can only enrol in courses registered on CRICOS - the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. We only ever shortlist CRICOS-registered courses, and you can verify any course or provider yourself on the official register.

Verify a course on CRICOS
How We Choose

Our course-fit method

A course that fits one student can be wrong for another. We weigh six things together before we recommend anything.

Career goals

Where do you want this to lead? We start with the job or profession, then work backwards to the qualification that actually gets you there.

Budget & scholarships

Tuition, living costs and realistic funding - including scholarships you may be eligible for - so the plan survives all the way to graduation.

Entry requirements & English

Your academic record and English level, matched honestly against each course's entry bar - with pathway options when there's a gap.

Location & lifestyle

City size, cost of living, climate, community and part-time work opportunities - where you'll actually be happy living and studying.

Post-study & PR alignment

We map how a course can support later skilled-visa pathways - and we'll tell you plainly when it can't. Study never guarantees permanent residence.

Intake timing

February, July and other intakes, application deadlines and how long each step takes - so your offer, CoE and visa line up with the start date.

Step by Step

The admissions journey

From first conversation to your first week on campus - here's the whole road, who does what, and roughly how long each stretch takes.

  1. Free study assessment

    ~1 hour

    A relaxed conversation about your goals, background, budget and timeline.

    We do
    Listen first, then give you an honest picture of your realistic options - including any we think you should avoid.
    You do
    Bring your academic documents, English results (if any) and your questions.

  2. Course & provider shortlist

    ~3-7 days

    We turn the assessment into a shortlist of CRICOS-registered courses that genuinely fit.

    We do
    Compare courses, providers, cities, costs and intakes against our course-fit method, and explain each recommendation.
    You do
    Tell us what excites you and what doesn't - the shortlist is shaped around your feedback.

  3. Application & documents

    ~1-2 weeks to lodge

    Your applications go to the providers you choose, prepared properly the first time.

    We do
    Prepare and lodge applications, certify and format documents, and follow up with admissions teams.
    You do
    Supply transcripts, certificates, passport and English results as we request them.

  4. Letter of Offer

    ~2-6 weeks (varies widely)

    The institution assesses your application and issues a Letter of Offer - often conditional at first.

    We do
    Check every condition on the offer, explain exactly what it means, and plan how to meet each one.
    You do
    Review the offer with us and decide - there's never pressure to accept.

  5. Genuine Student preparation

    ~1-2 weeks

    Australia's Genuine Student (GS) requirement asks you to show your genuine intention to study.

    We do
    Help you prepare an honest, well-evidenced GS statement and get you ready for any provider interview.
    You do
    Tell your real story - your reasons, your plans, your ties. Honesty is the whole strategy.

  6. Accept, deposit & OSHC

    ~2-5 days

    You accept the offer, pay the tuition deposit to the institution, and arrange Overseas Student Health Cover.

    We do
    Walk you through the acceptance paperwork and help you compare OSHC options for your whole stay.
    You do
    Pay your deposit directly to the institution - tuition never passes through us.

  7. CoE issued → student visa

    Visa processing varies

    The institution issues your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) - the document your student visa application is built on.

    We do
    Hand over in-house to our Registered Migration Agent, who advises on and prepares your student visa application.
    You do
    Work with our migration wing on the visa - one office, one file, nothing repeated.
    Explore the Student and Guardian Visas (subclass 500) service

  8. Pre-departure & arrival

    Your first weeks

    Flights, accommodation, orientation - and understanding the visa conditions you'll live with.

    We do
    Brief you on your conditions (work limits, course progress, address updates) and what to do in your first weeks.
    You do
    Arrive, settle in, study - and stay in touch. We're still here after you land.

Timings are indicative only - they vary by provider, course, country of application and time of year.

What documents will I need?

Exact requirements depend on your course, provider and country - this is the typical set.

  • Passport (valid well beyond your intended stay)
  • Academic transcripts and completion certificates, certified
  • English test results (IELTS, PTE or equivalent), if required for your course
  • CV / résumé, for postgraduate and some vocational courses
  • Genuine Student statement and supporting evidence
  • Evidence of financial capacity (funds for tuition, living and travel)
  • Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for your visa period
  • Any study-gap, employment or sponsorship documents that support your story
Providers

Finding the right provider

We help you compare CRICOS-registered providers across universities, TAFE, colleges and English centres, so you can choose the course and provider that fit your goals.

Universities
TAFE & VET providers
Higher-education colleges
English (ELICOS) centres

Our provider list will appear here once our agent agreements are in place. In the meantime, ask us at your free consultation and we'll talk you through providers that suit your course and city.

Ask at a free consultation
Fees, Honestly

What our education consulting costs you: nothing

Our education counselling, applications and admissions support are free for students. Here's how that works - and the promises that come with it.

How we're paid

Like most education agencies worldwide, we receive a commission from the education provider when a student we've assisted enrols. You pay the same tuition either way - enrolling through us never costs you more than applying directly.

We tell you this openly because it's how you should judge any agent's advice. Our commitment: we only recommend courses that fit you, from the full range we can access - and if the right course for you is one we earn nothing from, that's still the one we'll tell you about.

What this means in practice

  • Different providers may pay different commission amounts
  • Commission never increases your tuition - you pay the institution's own published fee either way
  • We don't represent every provider, so we can't advise on every possible course
  • You can always ask us whether a course we recommend pays us a commission
  • Visa services (advice and lodgement) are a separate, professionally charged service - not part of this arrangement
  • You're always free to apply directly to any provider instead of going through us

Always in writing

  • A written agreement before any work begins, setting out our services
  • Any fees (if a service ever has one) itemised and agreed in advance
  • A clear refund and cancellation policy
  • Tuition and deposits are always paid directly to the institution - never to us
  • Migration services (visa advice and lodgement) are separate, professional services quoted under our Fee Guide
See the full Fee GuideConsultation terms
Verify Us

Check us before you trust us

The Australian Government tells students exactly what to check before choosing an education agent. We meet that checklist - and we'd rather you verify it than take our word.

Also part of the journey

Ask us - all included in your free consultation.

Based in the GCC?

Speak with Dr Usama Iqbal, our trusted partner in Dubai, before your Australian education matter moves to our team in Australia.

Visit our GCC page
Questions

Education consulting FAQ

Straight answers to the questions students ask us most.

How much does your education consulting cost?
Nothing - our counselling, course applications and admissions support are free for students. We're paid a commission by the education provider when you enrol, which we disclose openly. You never pay more tuition by applying through us, and tuition is always paid directly to the institution. Migration services (visa advice and lodgement) are separate professional services - see our Fee Guide.
Can you guarantee my admission or my visa?
No - and no honest agent can. Admission decisions belong to each institution and visa decisions belong to the Australian Government. What we can do is make sure your application is complete, well-evidenced and realistic, and tell you honestly when we think a plan won't work. Treat any agent who promises a guaranteed offer or visa as a red flag - the Australian Government does.
What is a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)?
The CoE is the official document an Australian institution issues after you've accepted an offer and paid your deposit. It confirms your enrolment in a CRICOS-registered course, and it's the foundation document for your student visa application - you generally can't lodge the visa without it.
What is the Genuine Student (GS) requirement?
Since March 2024, student visa applicants must show they genuinely intend to study in Australia. You answer targeted questions about your circumstances, course choice and plans, supported by evidence. We help you present your real story clearly - the strategy is honesty, structure and evidence, never a script.
Which institutions can you apply to for me?
When we build your shortlist, we'll tell you openly whether we hold a current agent agreement with each provider on it - and if your best-fit course is with a provider we don't represent, we'll say so. Providers publish their authorised agents, so you can always check this on the provider's own website.
Can I work while I study?
Student visa holders can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks. Conditions can change and some courses differ, so we confirm the current rules for your situation before you rely on work income.
Can I bring my partner or children?
Usually, yes - your partner and dependent children can often be included in your student visa application, with school-age children attending Australian schools. Family applications need extra financial capacity and documents, which we plan for from the start.
Do I need IELTS or PTE before I can apply?
Not always. Many institutions accept a range of English tests (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL and others), some offer their own placement tests, and packaged English courses can bridge you to entry. The visa also has English requirements. We check what your specific course and visa actually need before you book any test.
Can I change my course or provider after I arrive?
Sometimes - but there are strict rules. Until 30 June 2027, another provider generally cannot enrol you until you have completed at least 12 months of your main course (6 months from 1 July 2027, and school students have their own rule), unless your current provider releases you or another exception applies. Getting it wrong can put your visa at risk. If you're already in Australia and thinking about a change, talk to us first: we handle compliant course and provider transfers as part of our onshore services.
What is OSHC and do I really need it?
Overseas Student Health Cover is health insurance designed for international students, and it's a visa condition - you must hold it for your whole stay. We can point you to general OSHC information and participating insurers as part of your admissions process, but the policy itself is purchased directly from the insurer.

Take the first step toward studying in Australia

A free, no-obligation study consultation - honest answers about your options, from a team that handles both the education and the visa side.

Book a free study consultationContact us