An applicant with a nutrition/dietetics degree, 5+ years of business-operations experience, and IELTS 7.5 was refused an SDS study permit for a Global Business Management graduate certificate, and asked how to rebuild the application.
What members advised:
- The refusal likely came from course–profile mismatch, not funds or English. With strong IELTS and full funding in place, members zeroed in on the program: a science undergraduate degree followed by a generic business certificate looks unconvincing to an officer assessing academic progression.
- Work experience can bridge the gap — if the SOP makes the link. Others pushed back that business management programs accept any undergraduate degree, and this applicant's 5+ years managing business operations is the logical bridge. The lesson: the connection is defensible, but the SOP must build it explicitly rather than leaving the officer to infer it.
- 'Eligibility' is not the same as 'convincing.' The college's admission criteria (any 3–4 year degree) satisfy the college, not the visa officer. Your SOP has to answer the harder question: why this program, after your degree, at this point in your career.
- On intake timing, no member argued a later intake changes the outcome — fixing the progression story matters more than whether you target May or September.