Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
A packaged course vs A single course
A student who intends to do two courses in sequence, a diploma into a bachelor, an English course into a degree, applies for one Student visa covering the package, with a confirmation of enrolment for each course and the visa granted to the end of the last; a student who enrols in one course gets a visa for that course and applies again for the next. Since 2 October 2026 the second application cannot be made from inside Australia by most students, so the package is no longer a convenience but the only way to study a sequence without leaving. The package costs one visa charge, one set of evidence and one Genuine Student assessment; the single course costs a second application from abroad and the risk that the second visa is refused.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Visa
- One Student visa to the end of the last course in the package · One Student visa for the course
- Confirmation of enrolment
- One for each course, with clear progression between them · One
- Charge
- $2,500 once · $2,500 for each application
- Next course
- Covered, if the progression holds and the student stays enrolled · A new visa, applied for from outside Australia for most students since 2 October 2026
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About the CPD →Side by side
| A packaged course | A single course | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | One Student visa to the end of the last course in the package | One Student visa for the course |
| Confirmation of enrolment | One for each course, with clear progression between them | One |
| Charge | $2,500 once | $2,500 for each application |
| Next course | Covered, if the progression holds and the student stays enrolled | A new visa, applied for from outside Australia for most students since 2 October 2026 |
| Genuine Student assessment | Once, on the package | Once per application, with the second read against the first |
| Changing the plan | Dropping a course in the package or changing level can need a new visa | Changing course within the same level is a notification; a lower level needs a new visa |
| Watch out | The principal course sets the funds and the conditions | The visa ends with the course; the gap before the next is the problem |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
A student who intends to do two courses in sequence, a diploma into a bachelor, an English course into a degree, applies for one Student visa covering the package, with a confirmation of enrolment for each course and the visa granted to the end of the last; a student who enrols in one course gets a visa for that course and applies again for the next. Since 2 October 2026 the second application cannot be made from inside Australia by most students, so the package is no longer a convenience but the only way to study a sequence without leaving. The package costs one visa charge, one set of evidence and one Genuine Student assessment; the single course costs a second application from abroad and the risk that the second visa is refused.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
A packaged course or A single course — which is better?
A student who intends to do two courses in sequence, a diploma into a bachelor, an English course into a degree, applies for one Student visa covering the package, with a confirmation of enrolment for each course and the visa granted to the end of the last; a student who enrols in one course gets a visa for that course and applies again for the next. Since 2 October 2026 the second application cannot be made from inside Australia by most students, so the package is no longer a convenience but the only way to study a sequence without leaving. The package costs one visa charge, one set of evidence and one Genuine Student assessment; the single course costs a second application from abroad and the risk that the second visa is refused.
What is the main difference between the A packaged course and the A single course?
Visa: A packaged course — One Student visa to the end of the last course in the package; A single course — One Student visa for the course. Confirmation of enrolment: A packaged course — One for each course, with clear progression between them; A single course — One. Charge: A packaged course — $2,500 once; A single course — $2,500 for each application.
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