Australia Student Visa (Subclass 500) 2026: Requirements, Costs and Step-by-Step Application

To get an Australian Student visa (subclass 500) you need a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from a registered provider, answers to the Genuine Student questions, an approved English test score, proof of funds, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), and the AUD 2,500 application charge for most students. Since 2 October 2026, most people must also apply from outside Australia, and most new applicants can no longer bring family members.

Key points

• Base fee: AUD 2,500 for most students for applications lodged from 1 July 2026 (up from AUD 2,000).
• Living costs to show: AUD 29,710 a year for the student, plus course fees and travel.
• English: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.
• From 2 October 2026, most applications must be lodged offshore, and most applicants cannot include partners or children.
• You can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session.

Who the Student visa is for

The subclass 500 visa lets you study a registered course in Australia. According to Home Affairs, you can stay for the length of your enrolment (generally up to 5 years), travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid, and work up to 48 hours a fortnight during study periods.

You must:

• Be enrolled in a registered course and hold a valid CoE when the visa is decided.
• Meet the Genuine Student requirement.
• Meet English, financial, health and character requirements.
• Hold OSHC (unless an exception applies).
• Have welfare arrangements if you are under 18.
• Apply from outside Australia unless you hold an eligible visa and meet an exemption.

Step-by-step application

1. Choose a course and provider registered on CRICOS, and accept your offer.
2. Get your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). For a package of courses, you need a CoE for each one.
3. Buy OSHC from an approved insurer. Offshore applicants’ cover must start from the day they arrive, not the day the course starts.
4. Take an approved English test (if not exempt). At-home or fully online tests are not accepted.
5. Gather financial evidence (see below).
6. Prepare your Genuine Student answers and supporting documents.
7. Lodge online in ImmiAccount from outside Australia, pay the charge and attend biometrics and health checks if asked.

The Genuine Student (GS) requirement

The GS requirement replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant test in March 2024. You answer questions in the online form rather than attaching a long statement. Home Affairs says there is a limit of 150 words per response, all answers must be in English, and statements supported by evidence get more weight (GS requirement page). There is an extra question if you have held a Student visa before or are applying from another visa in Australia.

Useful evidence includes academic transcripts, your study history in Australia (with reasons for any course or provider changes, and gaps of more than 2 months), and links to your home country.

English language requirements

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

Test	Main course only	With 10+ weeks ELICOS	With 20+ weeks ELICOS
IELTS Academic or General Training	6.0	5.5	5.0
PTE Academic	47	39	31
TOEFL iBT	67	51	37
CELPIP General	7	6	5
LanguageCert Academic	61	54	46
MET	53	49	44
OET	1210	1090	1020
C1 Advanced	161	Not accepted	Not accepted

From 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT candidates must select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” when registering. Exemptions apply to some groups, such as passport holders from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland, and students enrolled in postgraduate research or standalone ELICOS.

Proof of funds

You need enough money for 12 months of living costs, the first 12 months of course fees and travel. As of October 2026, the Home Affairs figures are:

Cost	Amount
Living costs, student	AUD 29,710 a year
Living costs, partner (if exempt and included)	AUD 10,394 a year
Living costs, each child (if exempt and included)	AUD 4,449 a year
Schooling, each school-age child	At least AUD 13,502 a year
Travel (most offshore applicants)	AUD 2,000

Instead, you can show that your parents or partner earned at least AUD 87,856 in the past 12 months (AUD 102,500 if family members are coming), using official government documents such as tax assessments. Our student visa financial requirements guide has worked examples.

Costs from 1 July 2026

Charge	Amount
Most students (higher education, VET and others)	AUD 2,500
ELICOS and non-award sector	AUD 2,050
Postgraduate research	AUD 2,500
Family member 18 or over (only if exempt)	AUD 1,530
Family member under 18 (only if exempt)	AUD 500
Subsequent temporary application charge (if applicable)	AUD 700

DFAT and Defence-sponsored students, Commonwealth-scholarship students and secondary exchange students do not pay a charge, and neither do family members of students enrolled in a postgraduate research course. Lower charges apply to eligible Pacific Island, Timor-Leste and ASEAN citizens. Confirm your amount with the Visa Pricing Estimator. The fee was AUD 1,600 before 1 July 2025 and AUD 2,000 from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.

The October 2026 changes in brief

The Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 took effect on 2 October 2026:

• Most applications must be lodged outside Australia. Holders of visitor, ETA, eVisitor, working holiday (417 and 462), 482, 485, 400, 407, 408 and some other visas cannot apply onshore at all. Current primary Student visa holders can apply onshore only if they meet one of six exemptions, such as needing up to 12 more months to finish their course with the same provider, or moving to a higher AQF level.
• Most applicants cannot include family members, and family cannot apply later as subsequent entrants. Exemptions cover PhD students (not Masters by research), DFAT or Defence-sponsored students, fully funded foreign government scholarship holders, nationals of Pacific Island and ASEAN countries, and some current Student visa holders whose family is already on their visa.
• Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules.

Read the full explainer: Australia’s October 2026 student visa changes.

Processing and the National Planning Level

The government set a National Planning Level of 295,000 new international student commencements for 2026 and confirmed the same level for 2027 (Study Australia). This is not a legal cap. It works through processing priority.

Offshore applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are processed under Ministerial Direction 115 (student visa priorities):

• Priority 1: school, non-award, standalone ELICOS, TAFE, PhD, DFAT/Defence-sponsored, scholarship, Pacific and Timor-Leste students, and students at providers below 80% of their allocation.
• Priority 2: students at providers that have reached 80% of their allocation.
• Priority 3: students at providers that have exceeded their allocation.

Your priority level does not decide whether you are granted or refused, only how quickly your application is considered.

Work rights and conditions

• Work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. Home Affairs says students studying a master’s by research or doctoral degree, and their families, have no work limit.
• Maintain enrolment, attendance and satisfactory progress.
• Keep OSHC for the whole stay.
• From October 2026, the transfer restriction period for changing provider has been temporarily extended from 6 to 12 months of your principal course, reverting to 6 months on 1 July 2027 (Department of Education).

What to do next

1. Check your provider and course on CRICOS and get your CoE.
2. Confirm whether you must apply from outside Australia under the October 2026 rules.
3. Book an approved test-centre English test early.
4. Calculate your funds with our financial requirements guide.
5. If your situation is complex (prior refusals, course changes, family), talk to a registered migration agent before lodging.

After graduation, many students move to the Temporary Graduate visa. See more on the Australia hub and the latest rule changes on our updates page.