How to Apply for a Student Visa Subclass 500 to Study in Australia

What does a Student visa subclass 500 allow you to do?

The Student visa (subclass 500) allows an eligible international student to participate in an eligible course of study in Australia. The visa can permit a stay of up to 6 years, with the actual visa period determined by factors including the course and its length.

While the visa is valid, you can generally travel outside Australia and return. Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Student visa holders can generally work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course of study or training is in session. Students studying a master's degree by research or a doctoral degree, and their families, are not subject to that work limit.

Where must you apply from after the 2 October 2026 changes?

From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applications must be lodged from outside Australia. You can apply while in Australia only if you hold an eligible visa and meet an exemption category under the current rules.

If the rules require you to apply offshore, you must leave Australia before lodging and must also be outside Australia when the Student visa is granted. An application lodged in Australia when the rules require an offshore application is invalid.

A Student visa application lodged outside Australia does not give you a Bridging visa. If you return to Australia on another valid visa while the Student visa application is being processed and you are subject to the offshore grant requirement, you must be outside Australia again when the Student visa is granted.

The 2 October 2026 changes also affect who can include family members. Check the current subclass 500 eligibility rules before adding a partner or child rather than assuming they can be included.

Do you need a Confirmation of Enrolment?

For the standard application route, you must be enrolled in a full-time course registered on CRICOS and provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for all intended courses when you apply. The Department states that an application without the required enrolment evidence will not be valid and cannot be processed.

If you have a package of courses, provide a CoE for each course. The final course in the package is generally treated as the main course of study for determining matters such as required financial and English language evidence. Course gaps must generally be less than two calendar months, except for the stated academic-year exception.

How does the Genuine Student requirement work?

All Student visa applicants must satisfy the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. You must be a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student and demonstrate that studying in Australia is the primary reason for applying for the Student visa.

The online application asks you to answer questions about:

• your current circumstances, including family, community, employment and economic ties
• why you want to study your chosen course in Australia with that particular provider and your understanding of the course and life in Australia
• how completing the course will benefit you
• other relevant information you want the Department to consider.

Each GS response must be in English and no more than 150 words. An additional question applies if you previously held a Student visa or are lodging in Australia from a non-student visa. Supporting evidence should be attached in ImmiAccount. The Department states that it gives more weight to statements supported by evidence.

How much money do you need to show?

The exact financial evidence you must provide depends on your circumstances and the Department's current Document Checklist Tool. Where financial capacity evidence is required, you must show enough funds for the costs specified by the Department.

Current minimum calculations include travel, course fees and living costs. The published 12-month living-cost amounts are AUD 29,710 for the student, AUD 10,394 for a partner accompanying the student and AUD 4,449 for each accompanying child. Where a school-age child accompanies you, the published schooling amount is at least AUD 13,502 per year for each child unless an applicable exemption applies.

You also need to account for the first 12 months of course fees, or the relevant pro-rata amount, less qualifying amounts already paid and evidenced.

As an alternative financial evidence route in applicable cases, the Department states that you can provide evidence that your parents or partner had personal annual income of at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months before application, or at least AUD 102,500 if you bring family members. The evidence must be official government documentation such as a tax assessment less than 12 months old; bank statements or direct evidence from an employer are not accepted for this annual-income route.

These are visa evidence figures, not an estimate of your actual cost of living. The Department specifically warns that real living costs can be substantially higher and that students should not rely on work in Australia to support themselves or their family.

Do you need an English language test?

You may need to provide evidence that you achieved the required score in an English language test approved by the Department, unless you meet an exemption category. The applicable test and score can depend on your circumstances and course arrangements.

Use the Department's current Document Checklist Tool and subclass 500 requirements immediately before lodging. The checklist is routinely updated on 31 March and 30 September and may also change at other times.

Do you need Overseas Student Health Cover?

You generally need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), unless you fall within an exemption category. The cover must meet the visa requirements for the relevant period.

The expiry date of your OSHC can affect the period of stay granted. At minimum, OSHC must cover the course length, and if you want the visa to cover additional time after the course, the insurance must also cover that period.

What changes if you are under 18?

An applicant under 18 must have appropriate welfare arrangements covering the required period and parental or guardian consent to travel to and reside in Australia.

Every applicant under 18 must provide a completed and signed Form 1229 or a statutory declaration from each parent or legal guardian giving consent. If consent cannot be provided by both parents or guardians, evidence that one person has sole custody is required. A birth certificate showing the parents' names is also required.

Where an education provider approves accommodation and welfare, the Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) must cover the required period. If a nominated guardian needs a Student Guardian visa, the subclass 500 and subclass 590 applications should be made at the same time. See the separate procedure for applying for a Student Guardian visa subclass 590.

What documents should you prepare?

The exact evidence varies by passport country, education provider and personal circumstances. Use the official Document Checklist Tool shortly before submitting your application. If the checklist requires English language or financial capacity evidence, the Department warns that it must be attached before submission or the application may be refused.

Depending on your circumstances, your application may require:

• passport and identity documents
• Confirmation of Enrolment for each intended course
• Genuine Student evidence
• English language evidence
• financial capacity evidence
• OSHC details
• academic records and qualifications
• health examination information
• character or police documents where required
• parental consent and welfare evidence for applicants under 18
• documents for eligible accompanying family members.

Documents not in English must be translated. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. A translator outside Australia does not have to be accredited but must provide the identifying, contact, qualification and experience details required by the Department. The Department states that these documents do not need to be certified.

How do you apply online?

You must apply for the Student visa online. Create or sign in to ImmiAccount, complete the application, attach the required evidence and pay the visa application charge.

Before submitting, confirm that you are applying from a location permitted under the rules effective from 2 October 2026. If you are required to be offshore, do not lodge while in Australia.

After submission, monitor ImmiAccount and respond to requests for information. You may be asked to complete health examinations, provide biometrics or submit further evidence.

If your contact details change after lodging, see how to update your address, email or phone number on your visa application. If you receive a new passport, use the procedure for updating new passport details.

How much does a Student visa cost?

The Student visa costs from AUD 2,500 for the main applicant. The Department applies limited lower visa application charges to eligible applicants, including specified Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens, eligible ASEAN citizens and eligible applicants in the ELICOS and Non-Award sector.

Additional charges can apply to eligible family members. You may also incur separate costs for health examinations, police certificates and biometrics. Payment surcharges can apply depending on the payment method. Because visa charges can change, use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator before lodging.

The visa application charge is generally not refunded merely because the application is refused.

How long does a Student visa take?

The Department's published median for the overall Student visa category for August 2026 is 22 days. This is a category-level recent processing measure, not a guarantee for your individual subclass 500 application.

Offshore applications are also processed according to government priority rules. For applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025, Ministerial Direction 115 establishes three priority levels. The Department currently aims to commence processing Priority 1 applications within 1 to 4 weeks, Priority 2 within 5 to 8 weeks and Priority 3 within 9 to 12 weeks.

These are commencement targets rather than guaranteed decision times. Processing can be affected by application volumes, integrity checks, whether the application is complete, and identity, character and health requirements. Check the Department's processing time guide when you apply.

What happens when the Department decides your application?

The Department will notify you in writing. If the visa is granted, the notice states your visa grant number, expiry date and visa conditions. The visa is digitally linked to your passport, so you do not receive a physical visa label.

If the application is refused, the Department will tell you why and whether you have a right to review the decision. Where review rights exist, see the separate guide to requesting Administrative Review Tribunal review.

Once granted, check your visa conditions carefully. You can also use VEVO to check your visa expiry date, work rights and conditions.