500 Student visa (subclass 500)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Student visa (subclass 500)
Purpose	Study in Australia
Stay	Up to 6 years
Cost	From AUD2,500
Apply from	Inside or outside Australia
Eligibility timing	CoE valid at decision
Work rights	48 hours per fortnight
Study	Eligible CRICOS full-time course
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Health cover	OSHC usually required
Travel facility	Multiple entry while valid
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Partner and dependent children
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport
Processing	Guide tool; varies

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Purpose and stay

This temporary visa lets you participate in an eligible course of study in Australia.

• Stay is generally up to 6 years, based on course type and length.
• Primary school students beginning Years 1–4 are generally granted up to 3 years.
• You cannot extend this visa. To continue studying, apply for a new Student visa.
• If the visa expires before graduation, you might be eligible for another visa, such as a Visitor visa, with a provider letter stating the graduation date.

Who can apply

You must:

• Apply online.
• Be aged 6 or older.
• Be enrolled in a full-time course registered on CRICOS.
• Provide a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for all intended courses when applying, unless an exception applies.
• Hold a valid CoE when the application is decided.
• Be a genuine student, with study as the primary reason for the visa.
• Have enough money for your stay.
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Hold and maintain adequate health insurance, usually OSHC.
• Make suitable welfare arrangements if under 18.
• Sign the Australian Values Statement if aged 18 or over.
• Have repaid, or arranged repayment of, Australian Government debts.
• Meet any applicable English-language requirement.

A visa may not be granted if you have had a visa cancelled or refused, or if grant is not in an applicant child’s best interests.

School-student age limits

School students, other than secondary exchange students, must be:

• Under 17 when starting Year 9.
• Under 18 when starting Year 10.
• Under 19 when starting Year 11.
• Under 20 when starting Year 12.

Applying in Australia

You can apply in or outside Australia. If applying in Australia, you generally must hold an eligible substantive visa.

You cannot apply in Australia while holding:

• Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403), Domestic Worker stream
• Domestic Worker visa (subclass 426)
• Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
• Visitor visa (subclass 600)
• Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)
• Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602)
• eVisitor (subclass 651)
• Transit visa (subclass 771)
• Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988)
• Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995), if primary holder

A dependent holder of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa may apply in Australia.

If you do not hold an eligible substantive visa, you may apply within 28 days of holding a Student, Special Purpose, or dependent Diplomatic visa, or within 28 days after the Tribunal sets aside a visa cancellation. A further application may be invalid if you previously made an application without holding a substantive visa.

Enrolment and packaged courses

Provide a CoE for every intended course. An application without the required CoE is invalid and cannot be processed.

CoE exceptions include:

• Foreign Affairs or Defence-sponsored students: letter of support.
• Secondary exchange students: AASES form.
• Eligible scholarship students: letter of support.
• Postgraduate research students awaiting thesis marking: provider letter.

For packaged courses:

• Include every CoE code in the application.
• Courses must clearly lead from one to the next.
• Course gaps must usually be under two calendar months.
• A longer gap may be accepted between academic years.

Financial capacity

If required by the Document Checklist, attach financial-capacity evidence when applying. The Department may refuse an application without requesting further information if required evidence is missing.

You must have enough funds for:

• Travel costs.
• Up to 12 months of course fees.
• Up to 12 months of living costs.
• School fees for accompanying school-age children.

Minimum annual living costs

Person	Required amount
Student	AUD29,710
Partner	AUD10,394
Child	AUD4,449
School-age child schooling	AUD13,502

Travel-cost guidance:

• East or Southern Africa: AUD2,500.
• West Africa: AUD3,000.
• Outside Australia, elsewhere: AUD2,000.
• Applying in Australia: AUD1,000.
• Returning to Africa from Australia: AUD1,500.

Alternatively, provide official government income evidence showing parents’ or partner’s annual income in the previous 12 months of at least:

• AUD87,856 for the primary applicant.
• AUD102,500 where family members accompany you.

Bank statements and direct employer evidence are not accepted for annual-income evidence.

Financial evidence can include deposits, government or financial-institution loans, scholarships, or similar support. You may need to show genuine access to funds and the source of deposits.

Subsequent entrant family members must provide financial-capacity evidence with their application.

English language

Use the Document Checklist Tool to determine whether English evidence is required. The Department may request evidence during processing even if it was not required at lodgement.

If required, an English test must generally be completed:

• Within two years before lodgement for Regular Evidence applicants.
• Within two years before decision for Streamlined Evidence applicants, if requested.

Fully online or at-home tests are not accepted.

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, minimum overall scores are:

Test	Standard	With 10-week ELICOS/pathway	With 20-week ELICOS
C1 Advanced	161	Excluded	Excluded
CELPIP General	7	6	5
IELTS Academic	6.0	5.5	5.0
IELTS General Training	6.0	5.5	5.0
LANGUAGECERT Academic	61	54	46
MET	53	49	44
OET	1210	1090	1020
PTE Academic	47	39	31
TOEFL iBT	67	51	37

From 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT applicants must select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” during registration.

You may be exempt from English-test evidence, including if you:

• Hold a passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, or Republic of Ireland.
• Are a Foreign Affairs or Defence-sponsored student, or secondary exchange student.
• Are studying a registered school course, standalone ELICOS, non-English-delivered course, or postgraduate research course.
• Completed at least five years’ study in English in specified countries.
• Recently completed specified Australian study while holding a Student visa.

British National Overseas passport holders may still need to provide English evidence.

Health insurance

You and applying family members must maintain adequate health cover throughout the Australian stay.

Usually, you must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) through an approved Australian provider.

• Applicants outside Australia need cover from their arrival date.
• Do not enter Australia before OSHC starts.
• Applicants in Australia must avoid any coverage gap.
• The visa may be refused if required OSHC details are not provided.

OSHC exceptions may apply to:

• Norwegian students covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
• Swedish students covered by Kammarkollegiet.
• Belgian students covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement.

Under-18 students

Applicants under 18 must have appropriate welfare arrangements covering their stay or until turning 18, whichever occurs first. They also need parental or guardian consent to travel and live in Australia.

Welfare evidence may include:

• Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW).
• AASES form for secondary exchange students.
• Relevant Minister approval for Foreign Affairs or Defence students.
• A nominated guardian using Form 157N.

Applicants under 18 must generally provide:

• Form 1229 or statutory declaration from each parent or legal guardian.
• Birth certificate naming parents.
• Photo identification for consenting parent or guardian.
• Sole-custody evidence, where relevant.

Family members

You may include:

• Your partner.
• Your or your partner’s unmarried dependent child under 18.

Declare all existing family members in your application, even if they will not travel immediately. Undeclared family members generally cannot later apply to join you.

Family members may apply later as subsequent entrants if they were declared, or became family members after visa grant. They must meet health, character, financial-capacity and genuine student dependent requirements.

A child who turns 18 before visa finalisation must apply for their own visa.

Cost and concessions

The visa application charge starts from AUD2,500 for the main applicant. Additional charges apply for family members.

Other possible costs include:

• Health examinations.
• Police certificates.
• Biometrics.
• Health insurance.

A lower application charge may apply to eligible:

• Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens.
• ASEAN citizens.
• Applicants in the Independent ELICOS and Non-Awards Sector.

Eligible family members may receive the lower charge based on the primary applicant’s passport.

A visa application charge exemption may apply to certain Commonwealth scholarship holders, Foreign Affairs or Defence-supported applicants, secondary exchange students, eligible provider-default applicants, certain postgraduate research family members, and eligible COVID-19-affected students.

Do not claim an exemption unless eligible. An invalid application may affect visa status.

How to apply

1. Check the Document Checklist Tool using your passport country and education provider.
2. Obtain a valid passport and required CoE or alternative enrolment evidence.
3. Gather identity, financial, English, health-insurance, health, character, welfare and family documents.
4. Translate non-English documents into English.
5. Create or log in to ImmiAccount.
6. Complete the online application and genuine-student responses.
7. Attach supporting documents.
8. Pay the required visa application charge or provide exemption evidence.
9. Monitor ImmiAccount and respond promptly to requests.

Keep copies of the completed application and all documents.

Required documents

Your exact requirements depend on the Document Checklist. Common documents include:

• Passport biodata pages.
• National identity card, if available.
• Name-change evidence, if applicable.
• CoE, letter of support, AASES, or provider letter.
• Genuine Student supporting evidence.
• English-test evidence or exemption evidence, if required.
• Financial-capacity evidence, if required.
• OSHC details or exemption evidence.
• Health examination or biometrics evidence, if requested.
• Polio vaccination certificate, if applicable.
• Family relationship, custody and consent documents.

Scan or photograph documents in colour, ensure they are legible, and combine multi-page documents into one file. Certification is not required.

Processing

Processing times vary. Use the visa processing time guide tool for recently decided applications.

Apply well before the course start date. Processing may take longer if the application is incomplete, information must be verified, or further documents are needed.

Applications lodged outside Australia are processed under:

• Ministerial Direction 111, if lodged before 14 November 2025.
• Ministerial Direction 115, if lodged on or after 14 November 2025.

Rights and conditions

With this visa, you can:

• Study in an eligible course.
• Travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid.
• Work subject to visa conditions.

You and family members must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws. Check your grant letter or VEVO for your specific conditions.

Work rights

• You and family members cannot work before the student starts the course.
• During course sessions, students and family members may work up to 48 hours per fortnight.
• Students undertaking a master’s by research or doctoral degree, and their family members, have no work limit.
• For master’s coursework or master’s extended students, family members may work more than 48 hours per fortnight; the student remains limited to 48 hours per fortnight during sessions.
• Students may work unlimited hours when their course is not in session.
• Family members retain limited work rights when the course is not in session.

Travel

You may leave and return to Australia as many times as you want while the visa remains valid.

Time outside Australia does not extend the visa.

If you apply in Australia and hold a Bridging visa A, it ceases when you leave Australia. A Bridging visa B may allow return while the application is being processed.

After applying

• Keep your CoE valid until a decision is made.
• Check ImmiAccount regularly.
• Respond promptly to requests for further information.
• Provide biometrics within the requested timeframe, usually 14 days.
• Do not book travel before the visa is finalised.
• Remain lawful in Australia while the application is processed.
• Tell the Department about changes to contact details, passport, relationship status, welfare arrangements, or a child’s birth.
• Notify the Department of errors using Form 1023 or ImmiAccount.

If your provider defaults after lodgement, provide a new CoE for a new education provider.

Important warnings

• A missing required CoE makes the application invalid.
• A cancelled or completed CoE is not valid.
• Missing required financial evidence may result in refusal without further requests.
• Missing required OSHC information may result in refusal.
• False or misleading information may result in refusal and future visa consequences.
• Do not cancel your current visa while in Australia; this may make you unlawful and ineligible for a Bridging visa A.
• Visa application charges are not refunded if the application is refused.
• The visa is digitally linked to your passport; no passport label is issued.