General Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all of the eligibility requirements detailed in the Scholarships Handbook, available at http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/publications.cfm.

Applicants must also meet the following specific requirements for Pakistan:

• be a Pakistani citizen (dual nationals are not eligible) and not have permanent residence in Australia or New Zealand;
• not be married or engaged to a person who is eligible to hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residence;
• not have applied for permanent residency in Australia or New Zealand;
• satisfy Australian Government requirements for international student visas for entry to Australia (health, character etc.);
• be able to provide a Police Security Clearance certificate at the time of Visa application;
• not hold another scholarship;
• not have held a foreign scholarship in the 24 months preceding the application (24 months are calculated from the date of arrival back in Pakistan to the closing date for receipt of applications);
• be residing in Pakistan;
• be applying to commence a new course of study and not be seeking support for a course already commenced in Australia (on-going study programs will not be supported);
• be able to take up the scholarship in the year for which it is offered;
• have outlined a case that is clear about their objectives and motivation to make a contribution to development in Pakistan;
• apply for courses that fall within the priority areas identified above;
• satisfy the admission requirements of the Australian tertiary institution and the course to be undertaken;
• have a relevant academic background to proposed study in Australia;
• be applying for a Masters level course;
• have completed 16 years of education;
• have at least two years work experience in the field in which they are applying; and
• be able to demonstrate the ability to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements for the Scholarship at the time of application.

Candidates applying under Profile 4 must have current IELTS score of 7 with no band less than 6 while candidates applying under Profiles 1, 2 or 3 current IELTS score is not a requirement for ADA application; however, candidates successful in preliminary screening and having no current IELTS score, will be required to take IELTS test and acquire 6.5 with no band less than 6.

It is a pre-condition of accepting an Australian Development Award that awardees return to their home country to take up a position that utilises their study for a minimum period of two years.