Student visa (subclass 500)

Drafted from the official pages listed under Sources, last read on 29 October 2026. Rules, fees and thresholds change: check the official page before you act. This is not legal advice and does not guarantee any outcome.

Who it is for

Home Affairs describes the Student visa (subclass 500) as a visa that lets you study full-time in a recognised educational institution in Australia. You must be enrolled in an eligible course and hold a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). Under-18s also need approved welfare arrangements.

New rules from 2 October 2026. Home Affairs says new rules apply to subclass 500 and Student Guardian (590) applications from that date. Most temporary visa holders can no longer lodge a Student visa application while in Australia, with listed exemptions, and Student visa applicants generally cannot include a partner or children. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged. Read the Home Affairs page and fact sheet before you plan.

How it works

• Choose a registered course and provider, accept the offer and receive your CoE.
• Work out which documents you need with the Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool.
• Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for your stay.
• Answer the Genuine Student questions, show genuine access to funds and English evidence where required.
• Create an ImmiAccount, lodge the application and upload your documents. You do not need an agent, but you may use a registered migration agent or lawyer.
• Respond quickly to any request for more information.

Main requirements

• Enrolment: an eligible course and a current CoE.
• Genuine Student (GS) requirement: applies to applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024 (earlier ones were assessed under Genuine Temporary Entrant). You answer questions in the online form, each response up to 150 words and in English, about your circumstances, why this course and provider, and how the course will benefit you. Documents you attach give the answers more weight. The assessment follows Ministerial Direction No. 106.
• Financial capacity: you must show you have genuine access to funds for travel, course fees and living costs for yourself and any family. StudyAustralia states a minimum of AUD 29,710 in living-cost funds for an individual student on visas lodged on or after 10 May 2024; confirm the current figure in the Document Checklist Tool.
• English: for applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024 StudyAustralia states IELTS 6.0 overall (or equivalent) for the main student visa, 5.0 for ELICOS before a main course and 5.5 for foundation or pathway programs. Online or at-home tests are not accepted.
• OSHC: required for your whole stay unless an exemption applies.
• Health and character: you may need health examinations and police certificates.

Costs and timing

Visa application charge. The charge changes. The 2026 Regulations commencing 1 July 2026 set an AUD 2,050 first instalment for one category of Student applicants (those with a passport from a specified country), but the standard amount was not readable in the source for this guide. Use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator for the exact figure, and budget for health examinations, police certificates, English tests and OSHC.

Funds. The AUD 29,710 living-cost amount is a minimum for the visa: StudyAustralia notes real costs vary and may be higher.

Work. StudyAustralia states that you cannot work before your course starts, may work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session and unlimited hours in scheduled breaks. Check your own conditions in VEVO or your grant letter.

Timing. Home Affairs asks you to apply well before your course starts. Its June 2026 program report records a median Student visa processing time of 31 days for 2025-26 to 31 December 2025. That is a statistic, not a promise for your case.

Preparing your file

• Apply well before your course start date and never plan travel on the assumption the visa will be granted.
• Build the Genuine Student answers from real facts: study history, family and work ties, why this course and provider, and the benefit to your plans.
• Explain large deposits and show the source of funds, including loans or family support, with the relationship evidence.
• Take an accepted English test at a secure centre; keep the result.
• Translate non-English documents into English; for translators outside Australia give their full details.
• If you plan to bring family, read the 2 October 2026 rules first.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Copying generic Genuine Student answers instead of writing about your own circumstances.
• Applying with an offer letter instead of a CoE.
• Funds that cannot be traced or that you cannot genuinely access.
• Using an online or at-home English test, or a test that is not on the approved list.
• Assuming you can apply from inside Australia or add family later: the rules changed on 2 October 2026.
• Paying anyone for a visa guarantee: no one can guarantee a decision, and this platform does not lodge applications.