Student Visa Subclass 500: Requirements, Application Process and Costs
The Student Visa Subclass 500 is the visa most international students need to study full time in Australia. It covers university degrees, vocational courses, English language programs, school study and postgraduate research. It also carries conditions, evidence requirements and obligations that continue after you arrive, which is why careful preparation matters before you lodge.
The rules changed on 2 October 2026. Applicants inside Australia now face tighter limits on applying for a student visa, and most new applicants can no longer bring a partner or children. These changes are explained in a dedicated section below, so please read it before planning your application.
This page explains who can apply, what the Department of Home Affairs expects, which documents to prepare, what the application costs, how the Genuine Student requirement is assessed, and what happens after you graduate. It is written for applicants in Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Europe, so the practical sections speak to the concerns people in those countries commonly raise.
If you would like your situation reviewed by a person, Migration Factor offers a free consultation. You can request a free consultation through our contact form. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of a visa outcome, and eligibility always depends on your own circumstances and the rules in force on the day you apply.
On this page
What the Student Visa Subclass 500 Is
The subclass 500 visa allows you to enter and stay in Australia to study in a course registered for international students. The Department of Home Affairs describes it as a visa to study full time in a recognised educational institution. You cannot use it for casual or part time study that does not meet the full time requirement.
The visa can be used for several types of study:
- Higher education, including bachelor and master degrees
- Vocational education and training courses
- English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students, known as ELICOS
- Postgraduate research, including doctorates
- School study, usually with a parent or guardian arrangement for younger students
The length of stay granted depends mainly on your course dates. In many cases a visa can be granted for a period that follows the length of your enrolment, up to a maximum of five years. Your grant letter will show the exact expiry date, and that is the date that counts.
It is a temporary visa. It does not lead directly to permanent residence, although Australian law recognises that students may develop skills the country needs and may later choose to apply for another visa. The Department states that future intentions of this kind do not count against a student under the Genuine Student requirement.
Who the Visa Is For
The subclass 500 suits people who have been offered a place in a CRICOS registered course and intend to study in Australia as their main purpose. CRICOS is the national register of courses and providers that can enrol international students.
Typical applicants include:
- School leavers moving directly into an Australian degree
- Graduates from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or India planning a master degree
- Professionals returning to study to improve their career prospects
- Applicants who need an English language course before starting a main course
- Current student visa holders who qualify for one of the limited exemptions that still allow a further application from inside Australia
If your main purpose is tourism, a short course that does not require a student visa, or work, a different visa may fit better. A consultation can help you identify the right pathway before you spend money on an application.
Student Visa Changes From 2 October 2026
New rules for the Student visa subclass 500 and the Student Guardian visa subclass 590 apply to applications lodged on or after 2 October 2026. Applications lodged before that date continue to be assessed under the rules that applied when they were lodged. The Department also confirms that a student visa you already hold is not changed by these rules.
Applying from inside Australia
Most temporary visa holders in Australia can no longer lodge a student visa application while they are in the country. Home Affairs publishes the list of affected visas on its subclass 500 page. Study Australia gives Working Holiday Maker and Skills in Demand visa holders as examples of people who are caught by the change.
Current student visa holders are also affected. In general, you cannot lodge another subclass 500 application from inside Australia. This includes a current dependant who wants to apply as a primary applicant.
An onshore application is still possible if one of these exemptions applies to you:
- You need up to 12 more months after your original course end date and are staying with the same provider. If you are on a course package, the course needing more time must be your main course.
- You are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence.
- You are studying a doctoral degree.
- You are undertaking primary or secondary school study.
- You have completed your main course at one level of the Australian Qualifications Framework and are moving to a higher level. If you completed a higher education course, the next course must also be higher education with a higher education provider.
- You have completed school and are moving to a course that has no Australian Qualifications Framework level.
- You have completed a course with no Australian Qualifications Framework level and are moving to one that has a level.
- Your education provider has defaulted and cannot continue your course.
If the new rules stop you from applying onshore, you must be outside Australia both when you lodge the application and when the visa is granted. In practical terms, anyone planning to switch from another temporary visa into study should speak to a professional before the current visa ends, because the options are now narrower.
Current Student Guardian visa holders can still lodge a further subclass 590 application from inside Australia.
Including family members
Primary applicants can generally no longer include a partner or dependent children in a subclass 500 application. This applies to first applications and to further applications. Four groups are exempt at the time of application:
- Students studying a doctoral degree
- Students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence
- Recipients of a fully funded foreign government scholarship
- Eligible students from Pacific countries or ASEAN member countries
If your family members are already in Australia and were included in your current student visa, they can be included in your next subclass 500 application when you are eligible to apply onshore. The primary applicant and every included family member must be in the same location when the application is lodged.
Family members also cannot be added after a student visa has been granted. The Department states that this rule has no exemptions.
For applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, this matters a great deal, because none of these countries is in the Pacific or ASEAN exemption groups. Unless you fall under another exemption, such as a doctoral program, you should plan to study without your family. If you intended to bring a partner or children, review your plans carefully before paying course fees.
Changes announced but not yet detailed
Study Australia reports that a Transfer stream within the Student visa is planned for students changing providers, and that restrictions on including family members in Temporary Graduate visa applications are also planned. At the time of writing, no start dates or details had been published for either, so please check the Department's website before relying on them.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
Every applicant has to satisfy a core set of criteria. The details vary by course level, provider, country of passport and personal history, but these are the main elements.
- A Confirmation of Enrolment, known as a CoE, issued by your education provider for a registered course
- Satisfying the Genuine Student requirement
- Enough funds to cover tuition, living costs and travel for you and any family members who are permitted to accompany you
- Evidence of English language ability, unless you are exempt
- Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole period of your visa
- Meeting health and character requirements
- Being in a location from which you are allowed to apply under the current rules
- For applicants under 18, suitable welfare and accommodation arrangements
You cannot lodge a valid application for most courses without a CoE, so choosing a provider and accepting an offer comes first. Applicants sometimes lodge too early and then discover their enrolment documents do not match the visa application. Matching the details exactly saves problems later.
The Genuine Student Requirement
The Genuine Student requirement, often shortened to GS, applies to student visa applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024. It replaced the earlier Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement for subclass 500 applicants. Applications lodged before that date were assessed under the older rule.
Home Affairs says every applicant must be a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student and must be able to show an understanding that studying in Australia is the primary reason for applying. This is assessed in the online application form, not in a separate essay in most cases. The Department prefers that applicants answer the form questions directly rather than attach a separate statement.
The form asks you to cover these areas:
- Your current circumstances, including ties to family, community, employment and your economic situation
- Why you want to study this particular course with this particular provider, and your understanding of studying and living in Australia
- How completing the course will benefit you
- Any other relevant information
- A further question if you have held a student visa before or are applying from within Australia on a non student visa
There is a limit of 150 words for each response, and every response must be in English. This limit changes how people should prepare. A rambling story will not fit. Each answer needs to be specific, honest and consistent with your documents.
Home Affairs also says it gives more weight to statements supported by evidence. You attach supporting documents to your ImmiAccount alongside the form answers. The Department lists the kinds of material it encourages, including:
- Academic transcripts and certificates from previous study
- A history of study in Australia, if any, with reasons for changing course or provider and details of study gaps longer than two months in an academic year
- Details of current employment, including employer, position, dates and a contact who can confirm the role
- Evidence of personal ties in your home country or country of residence
- Documents showing employment or business activity for the 12 months before you lodge, potential job offers after the course, and tax returns or bank statements
The assessment looks at your overall situation. It considers your circumstances at home, what you know about the course, provider and life in Australia, the value of the course to your future, your immigration history, and any other relevant matter. Visa and travel history, previous refusals and cancellations are part of that picture. If you are a minor, the intentions of your parent, legal guardian or spouse are also considered.
The full framework is set out in Ministerial Direction No. 106, which the Department links from its Genuine Student page.
One practical point is worth stressing. If similar courses are available in your home country, the Department expects you to explain why you want to study in Australia instead. A reason such as a particular specialisation, research facility, industry link or course structure is usually stronger than a general statement that Australian education is better.
Financial Capacity
You must show that you can support yourself while you study. For most applicants this means evidence of funds covering course fees, living costs and travel for yourself and any accompanying family members who are permitted under the current rules, and in some cases schooling costs for children.
The living cost figure used in the assessment is set by the Department and has been updated several times in recent years. Different websites quote different amounts, and some are out of date, so please confirm the current figure on the official Student visa page before relying on any number, including numbers published elsewhere.
How you show the funds matters as much as the total. Common evidence includes:
- Bank statements in your name or the name of a close relative who is supporting you
- Evidence of how the money was earned, saved or received, such as salary slips, business records, property sale documents or tax returns
- A letter or declaration from a sponsor, with proof of their relationship to you and their own financial position
- An education loan approval letter from a recognised lender
- A scholarship letter that states the amount
Large deposits that appear shortly before you apply, with no clear source, often raise questions. So can funds held by someone who has no clear connection to you. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India are commonly asked to explain family sponsorship arrangements, and a short covering explanation backed by documents usually helps the assessing officer follow the story.
English Language Requirements
Unless you are exempt, you must provide evidence of English language ability from an approved test. The Department's approved tests include IELTS Academic, the Pearson Test of English Academic, TOEFL iBT and the Cambridge English tests. The test must generally have been taken within two years before you apply.
The required score rose for applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024. For most higher education and vocational study, the overall IELTS score needed went from 5.5 to 6.0 or an equivalent score on another approved test. Scores for students who begin with a packaged English course before their main course are lower, and the foundation and pathway program rules differ again. The exact scores and exemptions are set out in a legislative instrument, so please check the current table on the Home Affairs website before you book a test.
Two practical suggestions apply. First, remember that your education provider can set a higher English requirement than the Department does. You must meet both. Second, if your score is slightly below what you need, an English course packaged with your main study may be an option. Your provider can explain whether that applies to your course.
Overseas Student Health Cover
Overseas Student Health Cover, called OSHC, is health insurance that student visa applicants are required to hold for the full duration of their visa. If family members are included in your application, they must also be covered. You usually arrange OSHC through your provider or directly with an approved insurer, and the policy details go into your visa application.
Do not buy the cheapest policy without reading what it covers. The cover period must match your intended stay, and a policy for the wrong period can create a gap that is troublesome to fix.
Health and Character Requirements
You may be asked to undergo health examinations, depending on your country of citizenship, the length of your stay and your course. If requested, you complete these with an approved panel physician. Character requirements usually involve declaring any criminal history and supplying police certificates from countries where you have lived for a certain time. The requests appear in your ImmiAccount, so check it regularly after lodging.
Documents You Will Need
Document needs vary, and the Department may request more once an officer has reviewed your file. A solid starting list looks like this.
- A valid passport with enough remaining validity, and passports for any family members included in the application
- Your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment
- Evidence of Genuine Student claims, as described above
- Evidence of financial capacity with the source of funds
- An approved English test result or exemption evidence
- Your OSHC policy details
- Academic transcripts, certificates and any gap explanations
- Employment letters, business registration or tax documents where relevant
- Relationship and identity documents for accompanying family, such as marriage and birth certificates, where family inclusion is allowed
- Police certificates and health examination results when requested
- Certified English translations of any document not in English
Take particular care with translations. A document that is hard to read or poorly translated creates a doubt that might never have existed. Names, dates and figures should match across your passport, bank statements, transcripts and application form.
How to Apply Step by Step
The application is lodged online through ImmiAccount, the Department's secure portal. The general sequence is below.
Check where you may lodge. Since 2 October 2026, many applicants must be outside Australia when they lodge and when the visa is granted. Confirm which rule applies to you.
Choose a course and provider. Confirm the course is CRICOS registered and suits your education and career background.
Apply to the provider and accept an offer, then pay any required deposit so the provider can issue your CoE.
Arrange an approved English test, if you need one, and obtain your result.
Buy OSHC for the right period and for any family members who are permitted to be included.
Collect your financial documents and Genuine Student evidence.
Create or sign in to your ImmiAccount and complete the Student visa form carefully, including the Genuine Student responses.
Attach your documents in the correct categories and pay the visa application charge.
Complete any health examinations and biometrics the Department asks for, and respond to any request for further information promptly.
Wait for a decision, and do not travel or make non refundable plans until you have your grant.
Checking the form before you submit is worth the time. Incorrect or inconsistent information can cause refusal, and a false statement can have longer consequences for future applications.
Visa Costs and Related Expenses
The base visa application charge for the subclass 500 changed on 1 July 2026. Amending regulations took effect that day, and migration practitioners report that the base charge for most primary applicants increased from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500. Lower or different charges apply to some applicants, such as eligible citizens of certain Pacific island countries, Timor Leste and ASEAN member states.
The charge that applies to you is the one in force when the Department receives your application, and it is not refundable if the application is refused. Use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator to confirm your exact amount before you pay.
The visa charge is only part of the overall cost. Budget also for:
- Tuition fees and any enrolment deposit
- OSHC premiums
- English test fees
- Health examinations and police certificates
- Document certification and translation
- Flights and initial accommodation
- Living costs, which are covered by the financial capacity requirement
Planning for the whole amount avoids the stress of finding extra funds partway through your application.
Processing Time Guidance
No one can promise how long your application will take. Processing depends on your country of passport, your course level, the provider, how complete your documents are, whether further evidence or checks are needed, and the Department's workload at the time.
Home Affairs publishes a visa processing times guide on its website, and it is updated as the Department's data changes. It gives an indication, not a guarantee. A sensible approach is to lodge well before your course start date, allow time for health and character checks, and respond to Department requests quickly. Agents cannot speed up the Department's processing, and anyone who says otherwise should be treated with caution.
Work Conditions on the Student Visa
Student visa holders can work, but with limits. The general rule reported across current sources is a cap of 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and work rights begin once your course starts. Rules for specific groups, such as postgraduate research students, and for work during official course breaks can differ.
Your grant letter and the Department's visa conditions page set out the exact conditions that apply to you. Breaching a work condition can lead to visa cancellation, so check them before accepting any job. Employers and universities should not decide this for you.
Other conditions also apply, including maintaining enrolment in your registered course, meeting attendance and course progress requirements, keeping your OSHC active, and telling your provider and the Department about changes such as a new address.
Family Members and Dependants
Family rules are now much stricter than they were before 2 October 2026. As explained above, primary applicants can generally no longer include a partner or dependent children in a subclass 500 application, and family members cannot be added after the visa is granted.
The exemptions at the time of application are doctoral students, students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence, recipients of a fully funded foreign government scholarship, and eligible students from Pacific or ASEAN member countries. Family members already included in your current student visa may be included in a further onshore application if you remain eligible to apply from inside Australia.
If a family member can be included, they must meet health and character requirements, you must show additional financial capacity for them, and OSHC must be arranged. School age children may need to be enrolled in school, and costs for that can form part of the funds you must show.
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 continue to be assessed under the rules in place at lodgement. If you lodged before that date, keep your lodgement records, because they show which rules apply.
If you are a parent seeking to accompany a younger student, the Student Guardian visa subclass 590 may be relevant. It has its own requirements and its own onshore rules, so do not assume subclass 500 rules carry over.
Common Reasons Applications Are Refused
Refusals tend to come from a handful of causes. Understanding them lets you prepare better.
- Genuine Student concerns, such as vague responses, a course that does not match prior study or career, or answers that do not fit the evidence
- Financial evidence that is incomplete, inconsistent or unexplained
- English test results that are below the required score or too old
- Incomplete or inconsistent documents, including mismatched names or dates
- Health or character concerns that are not resolved
- A poor immigration history, including breaches of visa conditions
- False or misleading information
- Lodging an application from a location where the current rules do not allow it, or including family members who cannot be included
Many of these are fixable before lodgement. A professional review of the file before you submit can reveal inconsistencies that would otherwise surface only in a refusal letter.
If Your Application Is Refused
Read the refusal notice carefully, because it explains the reasons and any review rights. Review rights depend on where you were when you applied and the type of decision. In some cases the Administrative Review Tribunal can review the decision, and the Tribunal rules introduced in May 2026 allow some student visa reviews to be decided on the documents without an oral hearing. In many offshore refusals there may be no review right, and a new application is the path. Strict time limits can apply, so seek advice quickly rather than guessing.
Extension, Changing Courses and Life After Study
The subclass 500 is not extended in the way a tourist stay might be. If your course will run past your visa expiry, or you change to a longer course, you generally apply for a new student visa before the current one ends. Since 2 October 2026, applying for that new visa from inside Australia is allowed only in limited situations, such as needing up to 12 more months with the same provider or moving to a higher level course after completing your main course. Otherwise you must apply from outside Australia, and you must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.
Changing provider needs particular care. A Transfer stream has been announced but not yet detailed, and a switch can affect your visa conditions and your Genuine Student record. Talk to your provider and check the Department's requirements before you change.
After your studies, some graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa subclass 485. Eligibility depends on your qualification, the timing of your application, age and English requirements that have changed in recent years. Its application charge was also increased in 2026, and restrictions on including family members have been announced for this visa. Check the current criteria at the time you approach graduation. Others look at skilled migration, employer sponsored visas or further study.
The Department does not treat an interest in later options as a problem in itself. It does expect the application to be honest about your plans and to be consistent with the study you have chosen.
Considerations for Applicants from South Asia and Europe
The Department's assessment is individual, but some practical issues come up often for applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. These include documenting the source of family funds, obtaining certified translations of Urdu, Bengali, Sinhala, Tamil or other documents, getting police certificates on time, and presenting employment or business evidence that can be verified. The level of evidence expected can vary with the applicant's country and the provider, so ask your provider what they have seen. The family inclusion changes from 2 October 2026 also deserve early attention, because they affect budgeting and living arrangements.
Applicants from Europe commonly ask about English test exemptions, the recognition of previous study, and the amounts needed for study. The rules depend on your passport and your qualifications, and no exemption should be assumed.
Applicants already in Australia on another temporary visa, including a working holiday visa, should check the new onshore rules before making any plans. In many cases an application now has to be made from outside Australia.
How Professional Help Can Assist
A migration professional cannot change the rules, guarantee a decision or make the Department process your file faster. What a good adviser can do is help you understand which pathway fits, check your eligibility under the rules as they now stand, assess whether your evidence is consistent, help you prepare clear Genuine Student responses that fit within the word limit, identify gaps in financial documents, and tell you what to do if the Department asks for more.
That kind of review is most useful before you pay for the application, since the visa charge is not refunded after a refusal. Make sure anyone you pay for immigration advice in Australia is appropriately authorised, and ask to see their registration details.
Why Consider Migration Factor
Migration Factor provides information and assistance on Australian visa pathways, including student visas. We offer a free consultation where you can talk through your course choice, your documents and your circumstances before deciding on your next step. To arrange one, request a free consultation through our contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Student Visa Subclass 500?
It is the Australian visa for people who want to study full time in a registered course. It covers higher education, vocational study, English courses, research and school study, and it comes with conditions about enrolment, work and health cover.
What changed for student visas on 2 October 2026?
Most temporary visa holders in Australia can no longer lodge a student visa application from inside the country, current student visa holders can apply onshore for another one only in limited cases, and most primary applicants can no longer include family members. Applications lodged earlier are assessed under the old rules.
Can I apply for a student visa from inside Australia now?
Only in limited situations. Examples include needing up to 12 more months with the same provider, moving to a higher level course after finishing your main course, doctoral study, school study, sponsorship by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence, or provider default. Otherwise you must lodge from outside Australia and be outside Australia when the visa is granted.
Who can apply for the subclass 500 visa?
Anyone who has an offer and a Confirmation of Enrolment for a registered course and who meets the Genuine Student, financial, English, health, character and insurance requirements, and who lodges from a location the current rules allow. Eligibility depends on your individual circumstances.
What is the Genuine Student requirement?
It is the assessment that you genuinely intend to study in Australia and understand that study is your main purpose. It applies to applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024 and is answered through the online form, with a limit of 150 words per response.
How much does the student visa cost?
The base charge for most primary applicants is reported to have risen from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026, though some applicants pay different amounts. Use the Visa Pricing Estimator for your exact fee. The charge is not refundable after refusal.
How long does the subclass 500 visa take to process?
There is no fixed time. Home Affairs publishes a processing times guide that gives an indication only. Lodging early and answering requests quickly helps.
What documents are required for an Australian student visa?
Typically a passport, your Confirmation of Enrolment, Genuine Student evidence, financial documents, an English test result or exemption, OSHC details, and academic records. If family inclusion is allowed in your case, relationship documents are needed too. More may be requested.
What are the Australian student visa financial requirements?
You must show funds for tuition, living costs and travel, and sometimes school fees for children if family inclusion applies. Check the current living cost figure on the Home Affairs website, and explain the source of your funds clearly.
What are the English language requirements for a student visa?
Most applicants need an approved test result, taken within two years before applying, unless exempt. The minimum overall IELTS score for most courses rose from 5.5 to 6.0 for applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024. Check the current table before booking a test.
Is OSHC compulsory?
Yes. You must hold Overseas Student Health Cover for the period of your visa, and any included family members need it too.
Can I work on a student visa?
Yes, within limits. The general cap reported is 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, but your grant letter sets out your exact conditions.
Can I bring my family on a student visa?
Generally no for applications lodged on or after 2 October 2026. Exemptions exist for doctoral students, students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence, fully funded foreign government scholarship recipients, and eligible students from Pacific or ASEAN member countries. Family members also cannot be added after the visa is granted.
Can I extend my student visa, and what happens after graduation?
You generally apply for a new student visa if you need more time to complete study, and the onshore rules for doing so are now limited. After graduation, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa subclass 485 or another visa, depending on your qualification and the rules at the time.
Next Step
If you are weighing a course, preparing a Genuine Student response, or want to understand how the 2 October 2026 changes affect you or your family, request a free consultation with Migration Factor through our contact form. Please bring your offer letter, passport details and a summary of your funds so the conversation can be specific.
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