It is a visa requirement that from 1 July 2010, students must obtain OSHC for the proposed duration of their student visa. If you extend the length of your student visa, you must renew your OSHC policy. OSHC providers are obliged to provide cover for up to 5 years in respect of the proposed duration of the visa, however they may also choose to provide longer cover.According to the Department of Immigration & Citizenship, you can predict the end date of your visa using the following table:

DURATION OF COURSE

DURATION OF VISA

Longer than 10 months and finishing at the end of the Australian academic year (November – December)

Your visa will usually be granted to March 15 of the following year.

Longer than 10 months (finishing January – October)

Your visa will usually be granted for two months longer than the duration of your course.

10 months or less

Your visa will usually be granted for one month longer than the duration of your course.

Further information regarding visa requirements is available at the Department of Immigration & Citizenship website.