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So you've been accepted into the university, after thanking Allah for the blessing you have been granted, you should be now be trying to figure out what steps need to be taken to actually get to the university and ultimately enrol as a student.
The time between acceptance for study and the start of the first school term is usually only about four weeks, so try not to delay any of the below listed steps!
This step is notorious for taking many weeks to complete, so try to complete the steps as soon as possible.
The visa application process is currently being done by a company based in Canberra named "VFSTasheel". You will be required to gather all the documents they require and have them dully attested (certain documents only) and sent via mail to their office.
The below list of requirements for the visa application is an edited list adapted from the VFSTasheel student visa requirements:
The document containing this table, which is provided by VFSTasheel can be downloaded here. (It has been converted to PDF from .docx for compatibility.)
| Documents | Original/Copy | Particulars | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Passport | Original & Copy |
|
| 2 | 2 x Passport Photos (White Background) | Original |
|
| 3 | Signed Saudi Application Form | Click Here to Download |
|
| 4 | Letter of Invitation | Original or Copy |
|
| 5 | Photocopy of Australian Visa | - |
|
| 6 | Immigration letter stating start & expiry date | - |
|
| 7 | Police Check | Original |
|
| 8 | Qualification / Degree | Original or Copy |
|
| 9 | Doctor's Certificate | Click Here to Download |
|
| 10 | NOB Letter | Original |
|
| 11 | Signed Declaration Form | Click Here to Download |
|
| 12 | Lounge Package (including Visa fee) | Click Here to Download |
|
Your primary means of communication to VFSTasheel will be through email, they do have a phone number, but from past experiences it is HIGHLY recommended that you to stick to email (they are actually quite prompt in responding).
VFSTasheel Contact Details:
These are all the details you should need to begin your application process via email. If you require more contact details, please check the contact us section of their website.
Prior to sending VFST any of your documents, i suggest asking them to help you with a new application, so that they send you most of the information that can be found here themselves, and you will then be sure that the information you have is current. If you are unsure of how to break the ice with them, here is a sample opening email to get the process going:
Dear VFST,
My name is (inset name here), I was recently accepted to Madinah University in Saudi Arabia and was assigned a Visa Number. Could you please advise me on how to begin the visa application process?
Kind regards,
(insert name here)
This should open a line of communication between you and them, and you can use this line of communication of any concerns or issues you may face with your visa application process.
Please note: they cannot help you with your plane ticket. You must call the airline company for that.
A quick note on attesting school certificates through DFAT:
The department has been known to reject people requesting their original certificates be attested, and has requested original copies instead. This means that you need to go to the education ministry of your state (in NSW - the Board of Studies), and request an original copy of your certificates and transcripts. They should provide you with a copy which has a special seal on it stating that it is an authorised original copy, or something to that effect.
Requesting an original copy can cost around $90.
You will need to submit your documents to VFSTasheel via post (i suggest registered post), unless you opt to make an appointment with them via their website and head down to Canberra. Be sure to place any original documents in a plastic sleeve and clearly mark the sleeve stating that it contains original documents and that they need to be sent back when the process is finished.
The following two tables can be found unedited from VFSTasheel in PDF form here.
| Step | Procedure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prepare application and documentation as per visa category |
Your category is Education or Student Visa, as outlined above. |
| 2 | Include 2 passport size photographs with white background |
One clipped to application form, one clipped to front of passport. See table above, #2. |
| 3 | Calculate the following fees and obtain a postal order in favour of “VFS Tasheel International PTY LTD” and include with the rest of the documentation
|
The fees should be confirmed with VFSTasheel before attempting to send anything, as the information on this site may be outdated due to inflation, etc. A postal order is a money order. This can be done either directly at your local post office or on-line here. It costs between $6 and $9 to make a money order. This money order is printed off like a receipt (it is recommend to scan it or taking a picture of it just in-case), you then place the money order in the envelope to VFST with your documents and mail it to them (unless you are taking the email approach with the money order of-course). |
| 4 | Courier the completed package to: Saudi Visa Application centre, Jackobs House, 4th Floor, 8-10 Hobart place, ACT 2600, Canberra. |
If you do not use courier, I would suggest registered post, as it would cause major problems loosing some of these items in the mail... Please check the address with that listed on the VFSTasheel website, to ensure they are still in the same location! |
| Step | Procedure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VFST office will scrutinize the application and the relevant documentation |
|
| 2 | Will send mail to applicant confirming the documents receipt. Office will also inform the applicant of any gaps in their application ( Applicant is advised to take note of any additional requirements stated by VFST and respond promptly in order to avoid any delays in application processing) |
For one applicant, VFST was about to send their documents back for editing without a warning email. To avoid any problems or delays in your application, please be sure to email VFST before you send post, after you send post, and send follow up emails requesting updates during the time they are scrutinising your application. |
| 3 | Once the application is deemed complete, VFST will send a scanned copy of the acceptance receipt to applicant for record and tracking purposes. |
|
| 4 | Once the application is accepted by VFST, applicant is able to track his/her application through VFST website. www.vfstasheel.com. |
|
| 5 | When the processed application is received by VFST from the embassy, it would be couriered back to the applicant on the next working day, the same will be communicated and the tracking number provided to applicant. |
Applicant is expected to confirm with VFST office once they received the processed documents.
VFST will not be liable for any delays or loss of documentation in transit.
If the applicant opt for additional value added services offered by VFST, the same should be mentioned in a mail and the additional charges should be included in the postal order.
The following information is attached for information
Fee list as per category
Added value services available and the price list.
Contact information card.
Agents who submit multiple applications will follow the same process, in this case Agent is expected to nominate a representative where the VFST officers can liaise with.
The university should provide you with a ticket number along with your acceptance letter and visa number. To find any of these, head over to the university website (or click the Accepted Students link on the navigation bar), find your name amongst the list of accepted students, and click the DETAILS button next to your name. God Willing This will give you access to your visa number, acceptance letter and plane ticket number.
Once you have your plane ticket number, call the airline company and quote them your ticket number. They will be able to give you the ticket date of departure along with any other flight details you should need.
There is a departure date attached to your ticket, so if for some reason you are unable to leave before that date, you will need to pay to have the departure date changed.
Bring money to live for at least 2 months ( In some cases you will not start receiving money for the first couple of months).
Bring 20-40 passport photos.
Bring a set of translated documents that you used for the visa process. E.g. translated school certificate, a copy of your passport, etc. Bring copies of everything, INCLUDING YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS!
Some things in your room are supplied by the university, such as a bed, pillow, desk and closet. However extras like a small fridge, carpet, etc. will have to be purchased by the student from one of the many places within Madinah.
Go to building 1, ground level and apply for a room. Show them your acceptance letter and anything else they ask for. They will ask for 10 passport photos.
Go to the university hospital and get your health check. They will need to take blood, and in some cases an X-ray. The process usually takes 2 days, 1 day for the blood and X-ray, then you go in the second day to pick them up. The hospital opens around 7:30, but try to get there early. They will give you a paper with your blood type and the status of your health. This paper will need to be presented at student affairs and for your residence permit.
Go to student affairs and ask for a student card (bring passport photos and any other documents you have). The Australian room is on the 3rd floor, don’t be afraid to ask anyone in any room for directions, they are usually willing to help. Here you will do your interview (to determine if you need to first study Arabic). They will give you 3 papers at the end of the process. One paper will get you your student card, one will get you into your school department (Arabic studies or other – basically take it to the building you will be studying at), the final paper will get you your residence permit (Iqamah).
Once you have a student card, go to student travel, each window booth handles a set of countries, the Australian booth is the last window on the right. Ask them for an Iqamah. You will need to present the paper you received at student affairs, along with the health check paper from the hospital.
Take one of the papers you received from student affairs and present it to the school you entered. They will assign you to a class InshaAllah.