The Statement of Purpose (SOP) is a personal statement required by the universities to get a clear perspective of individuals who are willing to pursue higher education in Australia or any other country. It includes the candidate’s personal interests, goals, academic progress and motivations for the chosen career path.
With many applicants boasting impressive resumes, high GPAs and test scores, it becomes difficult for admission groups to decide which candidates to accept and which should be rejected. This is the reason; the admission committee of different universities put heavy weight on the presentation of Statement of Purpose and its structure.
A well-written Statement of Purpose is extremely critical to get admission in the desired college or university as it is the only chance to assure admission committees why you should be accepted to pursue education in abroad and how you stand out from a multitude of similar applicants.
Despite this, a large number of candidates turn a blind eye and write monotonous stuff in the SOP. In most cases, candidates copy the purposes from their seniors or Internet, making it sound inappropriate and generic to their applications.
If you’re about to start writing your Statement of Purpose or have received rejection, given below is the list of things that you should avoid to convert your purpose into an acceptance letter.
- Stories are more engaging than Statements
How often do you end-up leaving detailed and factual articles in newspapers halfway? Have you ever wondered why? Since they are hard to read or appear boring to us. However, it’s not the same with stories. When we start reading a novel, we get emotionally connected with the beautifully written piece of literature.
Similarly, writing your purpose in the form of statement will not make any difference to admission committee who are going through the 5000 similar application every day. Make sure you write a short and creative storyline that make the reader understand your purpose in no time. - Precise Language goes a long way
The second most important rule to write a unique SOP is to be reflective. Admission officers not want you to just show off your academic achievements. Nor they want to read prolonged literary fiction. Hence, make sure you write in a way that communicates your message effectively and efficiently. - Honesty is the best policy
The Statement of Purpose also provides you a great opportunity to express your problems. If you have had any problems in your academic career or had any work-related problems, you can show in your SOP to reassure the admissions members. However, make sure to be honest and provide the actual reasons that led you to the problems. At the end, don’t forget to highlight the way you dealt with all the problems and what you learnt from the experience. - Little details make a big difference
Before writing a statement of purpose, make sure you’ve all the details of the university you are applying to. You should let admission committee know what exactly you like about their university and how badly you want to be a part of it. You obviously need to do a lot of research both offline and online and be very specific about the college, its facilities and its professors. - The only kind of writing is rewriting
Once you are completed with the draft, it’s time to turn your attention to the details, Go on proofreading until you feel like you’ve written the best possible Statement of Purpose. You need to make it a priority to avoid using too many complex words, misplaced commas or semicolons and typos. You can also ask your family and friends to rate your written SOP for accuracy.
Your Statement of Purpose is the first impression in front of the college admission committee. If you don’t want to take a chance to get admission in the university of your choice, hiring a migration expert is one of the best ways to ensure an instant success.
Being a registered MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority) Agents, Aussizz Group is one of the leading organisations dedicated to providing immigration and education consultancy services to students willing to study Australia.
Take a sneak peak what Aussizz Group’s professionals have to say about writing a brilliant Statement of Purpose.
Our experts are among the best in the world to help you make the right decision through a customised research and shortlisted universities suitable to your profile. Our documentation experts also help you create a unique SOP and prepare the entire application on your behalf.
The decision to study in Australia is one that a growing number of students make every year. However, many of them couldn’t get their student visa because of the lack of vigilance and submission of required documents to the Department of Home Affairs. As per the statistics of last year, around 28000 world wide students were refused a visa because they failed to maintain compliance with the required criteria.
Have you also gone through the rigidities of planning and submitting the documents for a visa, only to end up with a rejection?
Are you about to make your visa application and want to get prepared against a denial?
You can look for the following signs to avoid making certain mistakes and minimise the chances of visa refusal.

Top Reasons for Australian Visa Application Rejection
- inadequate Information
One of the major reasons behind the visa refusal is applicants don’t provide sufficient information to prove their claims made in the application. Take this, for instance, if you are saying yes on whether you’ve been to Australia in the past for any purpose, you are required to attach a proof of that trip, which can either be passport copies or travel documents. - False Information
If the Department of Home Affairs found that the information or claims made in the application are false. The applicant can be charged with visa fraud on the basis of wrong information provided. He/she will either be expelled or prohibited from entering Australia forever. - Inability to meet the health requirements
One cannot expect of visa approval without meeting the health requirements. Department of Home Affairs generally ask applicants to get tested for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis or Hepatitis before the visas are issued.
Related Read: How to avoid the most commonly made mistakes in Australian visa applications?
- Inapposite Character grounds
Applicants who have been involved in the crimes or cacophony in the past may get subjected to visa cancellation. Make sure to abide to the law and policies of government. - Lack of Financial Support Proof
It is one of the major reasons for the Australian Visa refusal. The applicant needs to satisfy the Department of Home Affairs by providing enough documents of the financial stability. Financial support documents can either be from the home country or from a person who is granted visa for Australia. - Insufficient Proof of English Language Proficiency
Student visa requires applicants to provide evidence of their English language proficiency. While those who have English as their first language exempted from this requirement, non-native English Speakers are required to submit IELTS, PTE or TOFEL certificates as a proof of their English language skills. The visa application may get rejected if the applicant failed to meet this requirement. - Avoid getting the Professional Help
Applying for visa demands a lot of preparation and a thorough knowledge of government and Department of Home Affairs requirements. While not hiring the professionals can help you save some bucks, it will never save you from big headaches or frustrations.
Being denied for a student visa is certainly a disappointing situation. One of the best ways to avoid such problem is to speak to a qualified migration expert for support.
With more than 9 years of experience in assisting potential immigrants with visa rejection, Aussizz Group provide comprehensive immigration assistance for student visa which includes filing applications & petitions and gather supporting documents for submission.
We are registered with the office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) that helps us to stay updated with the current laws to provide you with the correct advice.
In case you are looking to get some help with particular queries or if your visa was rejected and you need guidance or you want to ensure that you avoid things that might lead to rejection of your visa then you can visit and post the queries on Immigration Expert Forum
You’ve heard it over and over, and over again;
“Go and study in Australia.”
“You will learn how to communicate across different cultures and become more independent”
“It will increase your employment prospects and help you to grow personally as well as professionally”.
Though Australia is one of the best destinations for students offering world-class universities and an affordable lifestyle, applying for its student visa Australia has its own set of challenges.
It comes as no news that, if you who want to go Australia or any other country to study you need to acquire a student visa. It allows doing a full-time course or working for a specific period after the completion of course.
The Immigration Department needs to be satisfied that the applicant legitimately intends to undertake further education in Australia. This is why, the visa interview takes place, which is usually taken once the student has received a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and submitted the GTE (Genuine Temporary Entrant) for assessment.
Such interviews are generally telephonic, taken by the trained professionals, where the applicants are supposed to provide a statement addressing their reasons for choosing to study in Australia rather than in their home country and how the chosen course is relevant to their academic or employment background.
Hence, preparation is a must regardless of financial security or educational background.
Given below is the assessment conducted in the form of Interview with sample question and answers:
- What is the purpose of your trip?
This question is mainly asked to verify the information submitted in the visa application. Make sure you state the same purpose as in application (For example: I want to pursue higher education in Australia) - What is your qualification?
Provide a brief overview of your degree and the university you are graduated from. (For example: I am an MBA graduate from XYZ university) - Why did you choose Australia for studies?
Currently, Australia is one of the leading education powerhouses with a range of quality study options for local and international students. It also has a strong international reputation for excellence; hence I chose this country to build a strong foundation for my future success. - Have you visited Australia before?
You need to provide an appropriate answer for this question. If you’ve been to Australia just mention the reason for the trip along with the year of visit. - How did you find the university and why you want to get admission in it?
I did an extensive research on this university and found out that all their programs are well-structured and suitable for the field I want to step in. As a result, I decided to take guidance from the education consultants for the visa process. (Mention the name of the education consultants if asked) - Where is the university located?
Since you have done a thorough research before applying in a university, visa officer expects you to tell its location correctly. (You can say, for instance, The University is located in Melbourne and its name is XYZ.) - Can you please tell me something about your course?
Provide an honest statement mentioning about your course. (For example, it is a Master of Social Entrepreneurship which includes exploration of social enterprise field, impact investing, environmental sustainability and global social impact.) - What is the scope or benefit of your course?
This course will provide me many opportunities to get higher job prospects in multinational firms whether at local or international level. - How much does your course cost?
Here you need to provide the exact cost quoted in your Certificate of Enrolment (COE). - Where did you complete your education before applying in Australia?
Provide detailed information on your academic qualifications and the university you studied in. - Could you please show me your TOEFL/IELTS/PTE results?
My IELTS band score is 7.5 in Reading, 7.0 in Listening, 6.5 in speaking and 8.0 in writing. - Why you have scored so low in speaking?
Yes, I got little confused. It took me a while to understand from where to start, thus failed to manage the given time effectively. - How will you manage to finance your living expenses during your course of study in Australia?
Here you can provide bank statement or loan documents as your documentary proof to support your living expenses. - What are your plans after completing your course in Australia?
As the student visa does not permit to continue living in Australia once the course is finished, you need to provide an answer that strongly shows your desire to return to your home country. - What will you do during your semester breaks?
I will come back to visit my family and friends. - Who is sponsoring you finance?
Name the person who is going to sponsor and your relationship with the person. Also, mention the reason why the sponsor is helping you in finance. - What does your father do for a living and what is his annual income?
Provide a statement that clearly demonstrates your father’s occupation and his annual income. You may also need to provide details of the amount your father pay to income tax. - Why you should be granted for a student visa?
I never had any gaps in my studies. Besides, the transcripts and certificates from school clearly show that I am a genuine student.
Related Read: Do you need an Australian student visa 500? Follow checklist in one Click
- What your course commencement and completion date?
Tell them the joining date of your course and at what date it will end. - How can you ensure you’ll return back to your home country after completing your course of study in Australia?
Well, my only aim to get this visa is to get quality education from Australia and serve my nation. I also have many responsibilities towards my family so I need to come back to look after and take care of them. - Do you have any idea about the refund policy? If yes, then please explain.
Yes I know about it.- International students who cancel their admission to a program of study before semester commencement will be charged the fee equivalent to a single subject fee.
- These penalties are waived where a student cancels due to serious illness or personal misadventure – as deemed by the DVC.
- Fees are credited to students’ account and are held for a period of twelve months, after which the monies will be forfeited.
- International students whose visa application is rejected will receive a full refund of fees. Proof of visa rejection must be submitted to the Office of Admissions in writing.
- Do you know about OSHC and why it is necessary for an international student to apply?
Yes, its full form is Overseas Student Health Cover. It is a health insurance necessary for international students in case they get sick or injured during the course of study. - What if your visa gets rejected?
I will make sure not to repeat the mistake and prepare again for the whole visa process thoroughly.
The visa interview typically lasts for 10-15 minutes. It is important to make the most of this time since your career is at stake. To present yourself as a genuine candidate, you can also take the assistance of Overseas Education Consultants. Not only the agents prepare you for the interview but also help in the document preparation and ensure a higher success rate for visa approval.
Bringing out something that can cause a resistance in processing of your visa is surely an unaffordable deal for any of us. try to ignore unnecessary attention of something that can cause failure to you.
Always remember, mistakes are not acceptable in any of the visa or migration processes! May it be unintentional or intentional. Many of us consider a few things for granted but mind well, if you are smart, the one processing your file is smarter. Especially, when you trying for migration to Australia, make sure you stay well prepared.
What are the points that you can keep in mind or ignore while getting your visa processed?
- Mark on your documents…
Make sure you provide all the documents as asked by the case officer, ONLY WHICH THEY REQUIRE. Giving out something that is unnecessary may cause resistance. Many People provide factitious documents, which leads to several hindrances in visa processes. However, sometimes, you can be lucky enough to get positive result with such things, but this doesn’t happen every time.
It’s all about the authenticity of documents and how you provide them. It is advisable to never jump forward with the things, just keep them precise and simple. - The Statement of Purpose (SOP)…
Your documents do not speak everything. You have to make the Australian Commission understand about your purpose to go to Australia. Your SOP can surely make an impact. Try to make it as convincing as you can. If you cannot, try to get it done by a professional who has some better hands on it. Your SOP is your case decider. A bad SOP can be a resistance, while a good SOP can make the officer ignore other documents too. - The timings, keep a track on them…
Try to keep an eye on the intakes when you are applying for a student visa to any Australian university. This will help you to design a perfect timeline for the processing and assessments. Once you skip the period of intakes, you can do nothing instead you will end up wasting your time even if you get the visa.
If you are trying for General Skilled Migration visa, try to keep an eye on the state sponsorships and the number of vacancies that are open. This way you can easily get permanent residency to Australia. There are no fixed numbers for the vacancies or sponsorships that may occur in next month or after, so be as quick as you can when you come across any vacancy or sponsorship opening. - Be patient, it will be when time comes…
‘Time and tide wait for none, but one always has to wait for the biggest tide to surf the farthest.’ There is nothing that can snatch the opportunity away from you, if it’s meant for you. Be patient to wait for the right time to strike, and do not do anything stupid which can cause a resistance or a delay in your process.
Attention to all international accounting graduates,
As you might know, the immigration announced accounting ceiling was 4777 last week. Basically, it brought hopes to all Accounting students more opportunities. However, the new ceiling value 4777 has not been clarified yet until today.
As we mentioned in the previous post, 4777 will be allocated to both POINT TESTS and EMPLOYER SPONSORED VISA subclasses.
Year Quota of Accounting:
2015- 16: 2525
| Occupation ceiling for the 2015-16 programme year | |||
| Occupation ID | Description | Ceiling Value | Results to date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2211 | Accountants | 2525 | 2525 |
| 2212 | Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers | 1000 | 1000 |
2016-17: 4777 (including Point Test + Employer Sponsored Visa subclasses)
| Occupation ceiling for the 2016-17 programme year | ||
| Occupation ID | Description | Occupation Ceiling Value 2016-2017 |
|---|---|---|
| 2211 | Accountants* | 2500 |
| 2212 | Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers | 1413 |
Overall, Accountants have dropped to 2500 in 2016-17. Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers increased from 1000 in 2015-16 to 1413 in 2016-17.
Opportunities for External Auditor ???
External Auditor is one of pathway which helps you get PR. In 2016-17, this quota has increased to 1413. This is great news to all international auditing students.
Please contact us if you fall under same occupation categories. We can assist you further with your EOIs, PR.
Australia is one of the most famous countries in the world, specially known for beautiful travel destinations and you will be amazed to know that this country owns world’s best educational institutes and has a higher number of international students studying and living there. And most of them choose Australia as an ideal country for their future settlement after their course completion. Well, the reasons what entices them to stay further in the country are obvious, i.e. lucrative career opportunities, Quality of life, Climate, sports and the pool of leisure activities all around.
Read the below points to know in little more detail:-
- Best Education
Well, when the country has best education institutes across the globe then it becomes an apparent reason to be discussed about. Education style in Australia is based upon practical learning and you will get platforms to learn and exhibit your skills during your course. Also, Australia allows international students to work on part-time basis while pursuing their studies. This way, it lets students to get the outer exposure. - Career Opportunities in Australia
Australia is skilled job country, and it offers various career opportunities to the aspirants having skill specialization. There are some certifications that can get you a desired job without any hurdles. - Quality of Life
Australians live a high quality life that includes an appropriate balance of both work and leisure activities. ‘No Stress & Healthy Life’ is their life motto and Australia ranks at No. 8 in the list of Healthiest countries.
A true foreign experience is hidden in Australia, which isn’t seen until and unless experienced. - Climate
You will enjoy variety of climates in Australia – snowy, windy, raining, freezing, humid and hot. And you will be amazed to know that you can even experience different climates in just one day. Climate in Australia can be like – warm in the evening, rainy in the evening and too much freezing cold in the night. - Sports
Australia is a sports loving country and there is no game in which Australia has not waived its Flag. Australia has some of the greatest, biggest and historical stadiums in the world. And for leisure, they have most beautiful beaches, exotic pubs and assorted restaurants that serves you the delicious flavours of different countries.
How can you migrate to Australia?
Choose the best MARA Agent
When you plan to migrate to Australia, it is highly recommended to choose a registered MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority) agent to prevent yourself from any frauds or misleading guidance. MARA agents stay updated with all the rules and regulations of immigration and student visa and they can help you with any of your concerns in such regards.
They are authorised agents to provide thorough assessment to your profile and suggest the best options available for you, wherein you can fit yourself and pack your bags for Australia.
Skill Select
Skill Select is a medium to call forth skilled workers from international countries to occupy the available vacancies in Australian companies. It’s an efficient pathway for skilled aspirants that open up the doors of Australia with rewarding career options.
When you plan for Skill Select option, do not forget to the check the latest updates available on the website of Department of Home Affairs.
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