Guide to applying for the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway
Last updated: 16 February 2026
Step-by-step guide to lodging an RSSP application
Applications are open for the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway. Start by submitting an Expression of Interest. Students who submit an eligible expression of interest will be invited to submit a full application.
Key dates
Monday, 2 March 2026, 5pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT): Deadline for Expression of Interest.
If you are invited to submit a full application:
Monday, 9 March 2026, 5pm AEDT: Deadline to request a free Duolingo English Test coupon (if required)
Monday 16 March, 5pm AEDT: Deadline to submit completed application
How to apply
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To be considered for the RSSP, you must first submit an Expression of Interest form by 2 March 2026. If your form responses indicate you are eligible for the RSSP, you will be invited to submit a full application.
Check you are eligible to be considered for this year's intake of the RSSP:
Be in Malaysia, India or Thailand.
Be registered with UNHCR in Malaysia, India and Thailand.
18-30 years of age at the time of application.
Completed Senior Secondary School (Year 12) or an equivalent program (see options below)
Have not already completed a postgraduate degree (Masters or Doctorate).
Able to study and communicate competently in English (you will be tested on this)
Willing to travel to Australia without family members.
If your answers indicate you are not eligible, we will email you to let you know as soon as possible.
You must have a valid email address in order to complete the Expression of Interest.
Please complete the Expression of Interest in one sitting and make sure to "Submit" at the end.
Your data will be handled by Skill Path Australia in accordance with our our Privacy Policy
Reminder to submit your Expression of Interest by the deadline: 2 March 2026.
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If you are eligible to apply for the RSSP we will email you with an invitation to submit a full application for either the Undergraduate Stream or Postgraduate Stream.
Make sure to check your email (including junk) for an email from apply@skillpath.org.au.
Please do not follow up with us about your EOI within this 24 hour window.
If you have not heard from us 24 hours after you submitted your EOI, you can email us at apply@skillpath.org.au.
If you are not deemed eligible, we will also let you know within 24 hours. If you believe there has been a mistake, you can write to apply@skillpath.org.au with your name, DOB and explanation of what happened so we can investigate.
As the RSSP grows and expands we hope to widen the eligibility criteria to support more and more students. Please be patient as we work through the high demand for this program. -
The application is in three modules:
Module 1: Verification of your UNHCR registration and identity
Module 2: Confirming your English level with a Duolingo English Test
Module 3: Confirming your academic interests, motivation and past results (includes uploading your academic transcripts, your 400 word motivation statement and CV)
We will email you on the email address you provide in your expression of interest. Do not change your email midway through the application process. Make sure to check your junk mail folder to ensure you do not miss any emails about the application process.
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As part of the full application process you will be invited to take an online proctored Duolingo English Test.
If you have already taken a proctored Duolingo English Test in the past 2 years, and you are happy with your results, you may provide us with these scores through your Duolingo portal.
If you have not taken a recent Duolingo English Test, you will need to take a practice test and upload your scores. If your practice test scores show you have met a score of 95 or above we will send you a free DET test code. This code and instructions for taking the test will be sent to the same email address you have given us. Check your junk mail so you do not miss any correspondence from Skill Path or Duolingo.
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Your application is only submitted when all three parts have been submitted and you have completed your Duolingo English Test.
Please ensure to submit your application early to avoid any technical issues that may prevent you from submitting on time.
There will be no extensions of this year’s deadline. Don’t leave it to the last day!
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Skill Path will begin shortlisting applicants on the 17th March 2026. If we feel we need more information about you, we may ask you to submit a 60-90 second video outlining why you believe you should be selected for the RSSP. Videos must under 20 MB and in MP4 (preferred) or MOV file format.
We recommend you are prepared and pre-record your video ahead of time, so you are able to upload it quickly if you are shortlisted.
If you do not upload a video when requested we will still consider your application, but you may be disadvantaged.
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Shortlisted students will be invited to participate in an interview with a panel of experts including representatives from participating universities, Skill Path and partner organisations including Refugee Education Australia. We will also have experts with migration and refugee experience on the panels.
You will be invited to attend an interview on a particular day/time. You must turn up to your interview on time. If you are unable to attend the interview at the scheduled time, you must contact Skill Path at least 48 hours in advance to reschedule. If you face technical barriers to participating in a video interview we will work with you to resolve these, depending on your location.
Interview will last approximately 45 minutes and cover your academic background, as well as your experiences, personal qualities, interests and motivation to apply for the RSSP. Interviews will be recorded for Skill Path records and to refer back to as we are finalising selection.
Selected countries
For this 2026 intake Skill Path will consider direct applications from students registered with UNHCR in Malaysia, India and Thailand.
We will also accept a small number of students through the Duolingo University Access Program from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya. These students must apply directly to Duolingo and not through this form.
Please note the RSSP is a pilot program, and our hope and plan is to expand it to more countries in future years.
Priority areas
This is a list of priority fields of study that participating universities are willing to accept students into, and that lead to the skills needed for high demand occupations in Australia. Applicants are encouraged to select any that align with their previous study and future career goals. Applicants are also able to select other domains of interest. Skill Path aims to ensure a significant proportion of selected students are moving into the fields below, however we are open to students selecting other fields as long as they are needed in Australia, available at participating universities and likely to result in full-time employment after graduation.
Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy (or Health Sciences as pathway into these fields)
Engineering (civil, structural, electrical)
Teaching (Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary)
Software Engineering and other IT professions
Business, commerce, accounting and finance related professions
Law
Electrical Trade
Streams
There are two streams in the RSSP:
Undergraduate stream: For students who have completed Senior Secondary School (Year 11 and 12) or an equivalent program (such as A-Levels or the GED) and have their graduation certificate and results. This stream is also available to students who are currently part way through an undergraduate course of study.
Postgraduate stream: For students who have completed a Bachelor's Degree and have their degree certificates and transcripts available. This stream is also available to students who are part way through a postgraduate course of study.
You do not need to select your stream. When you complete the Expression of Interest we will do an assessment and invite you to the correct stream, if you are eligible.
Undergraduate stream
To apply for the undergraduate stream you must have completed a qualification recognised by Australian universities. This may include completion of Senior Secondary School (Year 12) in your home country or country of asylum, A-levels through Cambridge International Education accredited program, a recognised equivalency test (such as the GED) or completion of some university study.
See our full table of courses we can consider. Not all qualifications listed will have a direct entry pathway into a Bachelor’s Degree. Students in this stream need to be willing to consider a pathway or completing additional prerequisites.
Postgraduate stream
To apply for the postgraduate stream you must have completed a Bachelors Degree at an accredited university. Skill Path relies on the Department of Education Country Profiles to assess accreditation of universities. If your university cannot be located on the DoE site we will make enquiries through our Admissions Advisory Group to assess your qualification and its equivalency to Australia’s qualifications framework.
If your qualification is not equivalent to an Australian undergraduate degree, you may need to switch into the undergraduate stream.
Students who have commenced a Masters program will be considered as long as they are not yet in their final year of the program. Students invited to apply for the postgraduate stream must understand that:
This stream is for students wishing to pursue a Master’s Degree or Postgraduate Diploma. There are no options for PhD pathways.
There is no guarantee of recognition of prior learning. Australian universities have strict policies on recognising credits earned overseas. Students may apply for RPL but it is up to the university to decide.
Students who have already completed a Master’s Degree or PhD are not eligible. The postgraduate stream is designed for students who have not already been able to complete their postgraduate studies.
How your application is assessed
Skill Path selects RSSP students through a rigorous, multi-stage process designed to be fair, transparent and safe.
Eligibility verification – We confirm identity, age, country location and registration status directly with UNHCR, and check a valid English test and sufficient academic information has been provided to assess application. Students who cannot be verified as meeting eligibility criteria are screened out of selection.
English screening – Duolingo English Test results are assessed against thresholds set for each stream.
Academic screening – Each applicant's highest qualification is verified and assessed. We do spot checks with educational institutions to verify validity of academic documents submitted.
Longlist – We rank each candidate on their academic results. We read and score each motivation statement and use this to create a weighted academic score. The strongest candidates progress – around five candidates for every available place.
Shortlist – Skill Path shortlists the top scoring candidates for interview, factoring in the university places available (undergraduate and postgraduate), priority courses and diversity of candidate pool (we strive for gender balance and diversity of different backgrounds). At this stage we examine other documents provided such as CVs to gather a holistic understanding of the candidate’s background. Any documents or information supplied in CVs may be independently verified by Skill Path at any stage.
Interview – Shortlisted students are interviewed by a panel including university and community representatives. Interviewers each score the candidate and their scores are calibrated to remove panel bias.
Final selection – Skill Path agrees on the final cohort taking into account interview panel scoring and feedback. Every finalist is vetted for humanitarian circumstance, character and security prior to being awarded a place.
Waitlist – Students who just missed out may be invited to submit further information (such as a video CV) and be interviewed for the RSSP General Waitlist. Waitlisted students will be considered for future cohorts of the RSSP.
Students who are unsuccessful are encouraged to apply again next year. Skill Path publishes advice on how to prepare for the next round of applications. Given the large number of applications and competitive selection process, it is common for students to miss out the first time they apply. Students are often more likely to be selected the second or third time, so do not give up!
Accuracy of information
Applicants for the RSSP are responsible for ensuring that all information and documentation provided to Skill Path is authentic, accurate, and truthful. Skill Path routinely verifies information provided to us throughout the application process. Applicants who provide false information will not be selected for the program.
Need help?
You can consult our Help Centre for frequently asked questions. Or just share your specific questions with the Skill Path Bot or by emailing us at apply@skillpath.org.au.
