Student Visa

Written By SW Marketing

Subclass 500

Stay

Up to 5 years and in line with your enrolment.

Cost

From AUD650, unless exempt.

With this visa you can

You must

  • be enrolled in a course of study in Australia

  • hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or fall in one of the exemption categories

  • must be 6 years or older

  • prove you have a welfare arrangement, if you are under 18

  • If in Australia hold an eligible substantive visa. See, ‘Have this Visa if applying while in Australia” in Eligibility Tab.

Note:

  • A substantive visa ceases to be in effect if another substantive visa is granted

  • Applications are received Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) (or Australian Eastern daylight standard time (AEDST) when applicable)

Eligibility

  • If you are a school student (but not participating in a secondary school student exchange program), you must be aged 6 or older to apply for this visa.

    You must also be:

    • less than 17 years old when you begin Year 9

    • less than 18 years old when you begin Year 10

    • less than 19 years old when you begin Year 11

    • less than 20 years old when you begin Year 12

  • You must include evidence of enrolment in study with your student visa application, or your application will not be valid and can't be processed.

    Providing a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)

    • You must be enrolled in a full time course registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

    • Applying outside Australia: provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each course of study with your visa application.

    • Applying inside Australia: provide a CoE or Letter of Offer for all intended courses. You must provide your CoE before we can grant your visa.

    Packaged courses and CoEs

    • If you are applying for more than 1 course in your student visa application you must include all CoE codes in the application form or your visa period may only consider the duration of the course according to the the CoE provided.

    • You can apply to take 2 or more courses on your Student visa where one course clearly leads to the next. Course gaps must be less than two calendar months, unless the first course finishes at the end of the standard academic year and the next course commences at the beginning of the standard academic year.

    • If you are applying for more than 1 course in your student visa application you must include all CoE codes in the application form or your visa may only cover the CoE provided.

    Other evidence of enrolment

    You do not need to provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) if you are:

    • enrolled in a full-time course of study or training under a scholarship scheme approved by the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: provide a letter of support

    • sponsored by the Australian Department of Defence: provide a letter of support

    • a secondary exchange student: provide an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form

    • a postgraduate research student who needs to stay in Australia while your thesis is marked: provide a letter from your education provider

  • If you are applying for a student visa and you are under 18 years of age, you must have adequate welfare arrangements in place while you are in Australia.

    If you will be 18 years of age when you arrive in Australia, you must tell us as you might not need to provide some of this information. Learn more about this and welfare arrangements for student visa holders.

  • You might need to provide evidence of your English language skills at the time you submit your visa application. To find out the evidence you need to provide use the Document Checklist tool.

    We allow extra time for you to provide English language test results if you were unable to take a test because of COVID-19. See: COVID-19 and the Border.

    Note: We can ask you for evidence of your English language skill after you have submitted your application, at any time while we are processing your application, even though the Document Checklist tool shows that you don't need to provide evidence of your English language skill when you submit your application.

    If you need to provide evidence of your English language skill, you must provide evidence that you:

    • have obtained a certain test score in an English language test that the Department has approved, or

    • fall into an exemption category listed below

    English language evidence exemptions

    You do not need to provide evidence of an English test score with your visa application if one of the following applies:

    • you are a citizen and hold a passport from UK*, USA, Canada, NZ or Republic of Ireland

    • you are an applicant who is a Foreign Affairs or, Defence sponsored student or a Secondary Exchange student (AASES)

    • you are enrolled in a principal course of study that is a registered school course, a standalone English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS), a course registered to be delivered in a language other than English, or a registered post-graduate research course

    • you have completed at least 5 years’ study in English in one or more of the following countries: Australia, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or the Republic of Ireland

    • in the 2 years before applying for the student visa, you completed, in Australia and in the English language, either the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education or a substantial component of a course leading to a qualification from the Australian Qualifications Framework at the Certificate IV or higher level, while you held a student visa.

    Note: You may be required to provide evidence of an English test score with your visa application if you hold a British National Overseas (BNO) passport.

  • You and your family members must have and maintain adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay in Australia. To find out the length of coverage you will require, see student visa grant periods.

    You and your family members must be covered by Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) from an approved Australian health insurance provider, unless an 'Exception' applies.

    Applicants outside Australia

    Your cover must start from the day you and your family arrive in Australia, not the day your course starts.

    If you have been granted a visa and want to travel to Australia before your course begins, the OSHC start date must be the same as the date you arrive, not the date your course starts. Generally this is a minimum of 1 week to 1 month before your course starts.

    You must:

    • ensure you don't enter Australia before your OSHC begins, and

    • maintain your OSHC until you leave Australia.

    You may be refused entry to Australia if you cannot prove you have health insurance in place when you arrive.

    Applicants in Australia

    Applicants must have OSHC. If your previous visa required you to have health insurance, cover must be continuous with no gap between your previous health cover and your OSHC.

    Exceptions

    You do not need to have OSHC if you are:

    • a Norwegian student covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme

    • a Swedish student covered by Kammarkollegiet

    • a Belgian student covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia

    How to get Overseas Student Health Cover

    To get OSHC:

    • find an approved provider

    • pay for your policy

    Your education provider or agent might arrange OSHC for you.

    If your education provider arranges your OSHC coverage, you will need to know the name of your health insurance provider, the date that your policy starts and finishes and should be aware of the terms and conditions of your policy. Your education provider will also need to include your health insurance information on your Certificate of Enrolment (CoE).

    If you arrange OSHC coverage yourself, you will need to know the policy number to include in the visa application.

    We will refuse your visa application if you don't give us this information when you apply for your student visa.

    Insurance for family members

    If you have a single OSHC policy and you have family members, including children born in Australia after your arrival, consider getting a family policy. Every member of your family must have health insurance.

    Any family member who joins you after you arrive in Australia must show us they have OSHC for the duration of their stay in Australia.

  • If you are in Australia:

    You must hold an eligible substantive visa.

    Note: a bridging visa is not a substantive visa.

    If you do not hold an eligible substantive visa, you must apply within 28 days of:

    • holding a Student visa, a Special Purpose visa, or a dependent Diplomatic (temporary) visa or

    • being notified by the Tribunal that your visa cancellation has been set aside.

    Note: you can only do this once. You cannot make a valid application for a student visa if you do not hold a substantive visa and you have previously been granted a visa based on an application made when you did not hold a substantive visa.

    If you do not hold a substantive visa, you can't apply for a student visa if you have ever held a substantive visa that you applied for in Australia while unlawful.

    If you have one of these visas, you can't apply for this visa while you are in Australia:

    • Domestic Worker (Temporary) Diplomatic and Consular visa (subclass 426)

    • Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream

    • Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) – primary visa holder only. A family member of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) can apply for a Student visa in Australia

    • Transit visa (subclass 771)

    • Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Sponsored Family stream or in the Approved Destination Status stream

  • You must have enough money to pay for your stay in Australia. To see how much money you need to have for cost of living, your course and travel expenses go to Gather Documents in the 'Step by Step'.

  • You must be a genuine temporary entrant and intend to return home after studying in Australia.

  • You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa must meet our character requirement.

  • You and any family members who apply for the visa must meet our health requirement.

  • If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:

    • have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and

    • sign an Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws

  • If you or any family members (including those who don't apply for the visa with you) owe the Australian government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.

  • We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application, which means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

  • We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Processing Time

  • 25% of applications in 2 Days

    50% of applications in 7 Days

    75% of applications in 16 Days

    90% of applications in 34 Days

  • 25% of applications in 13 Days

    50% of applications in 67 Days

    75% of applications in 9 Months

    90% of applications in 15 Months

  • 25% of applications in 6 Days

    50% of applications in 12 Days

    75% of applications in 29 Days

    90% of applications in 59 Days

  • 25% of applications in 15 Days

    50% of applications in 33 Days

    75% of applications in 3 Months

    90% of applications in 5 Months

  • 25% of applications in 8 Days

    50% of applications in 22 Days

    75% of applications in 37 Days

    90% of applications in 54 Days

  • 25% of applications in 9 Days

    50% of applications in 14 Days

    75% of applications in 37 Days

    90% of applications in 63 Days

  • 25% of applications in 8 Days

    50% of applications in 13 Days

    75% of applications in 21 Days

    90% of applications in 35 Days

  • Your application can take longer to process if:

    • you do not fill it in correctly

    • you do not include all the documents we need or we need more information from you

    • it takes us time to verify your information

    We can't process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge. We will notify you if this is the case.

    Processing times are available through Global Visa Processing Times.

APPLY FOR STUDENT VISA

ESSENTIAL CHECK LIST FOR STUDENT VISA

Identity - Passport
- Birth Certificate
- National Identity Card or Driver Licence
Evidence of intended study - Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for all intended courses if applying outside Australia.
- CoE or letter of offer for all intended courses if applying in Australia (a CoE must be provided before the visa can be granted).
*For special categories, please contact us for enquiries.
Welfare arrangements for under 18 year old student Evidence of accommodation and welfare arrangements in Australia if you are under 18 years of age must be provided to make a valid application.
This must be one of the following:
- Form 157N - Nomination of a student guardian in Australia
- confirmation of appropriate accommodation and welfare letter from the student’s education provider
- an acceptance advice of secondary exchange student form for secondary exchange students only
- letter of support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Australian Department of Defence stating that arrangements have been made for the student’s welfare.
Parental consent If you have a child under the age of 18 included in the visa application and one or both parents (or legal guardians) are not applying for an Australian visa, both parents will need to complete and sign the Form 1229 - Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years.
If you have sole custody of the child/ren, provide evidence such as a court order.
Health insurance Evidence of adequate health insurance. Health insurance must be Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
You must obtain OSHC for yourself and any accompanying dependants from at least one week before your course starts and for the duration of your stay in Australia.
If you or your agent have organised OSHC, you will need to include the name of your health insurance provider, the dates your policy starts and finishes and the policy number in your application form.
If your education provider arranged your OSHC, you will need to include the name of your health insurance provider and the dates your policy starts and finishes. You do not need to include the policy number in your application.
Note: If you are from Norway, Sweden or Belgium, you might not have to obtain OSHC. Check Homeaffairs's website for more information
Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement (GTE) Evidence to show that you meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement for a student visa. This must include a statement in your application form that you intend to stay in Australia temporarily and/or documentation to support claims. The statement must be written by the applicant even if using an agent.
You can include evidence such as:
- Proof of employment – your current or most recent employment which includes payslips or a contract. You can also attach your most recent curriculum vitae or résumé. Your curriculum vitae or résumé should include employment and educational history.
- Qualifications - a certified copy of your academic transcripts, Educational Certificate (Degree, Diploma etc.) or letter/statement from your overseas Education Institution.
- Australian qualifications - a certified copy of your academic transcripts, Educational Certificate (Degree, Diploma etc.) or letter/statement from your Australian Education Institution.
We will consider your circumstances, your immigration history, if you are a minor and the intentions of a parent, legal guardian or spouse, and any other relevant matter.
Change of name If anyone in the application has changed his or her name, certified copies of documents verifying the name change. This might include a marriage or deed poll certificate or a certified copy of evidence of the name change.
Relationship - spouse, de facto partner Evidence of your relationship with your spouse/de facto partner. This could include a certified copy of your marriage certificate, Family Book, Household Booklet or other evidence of family composition.
Employment history Evidence of current or most recent employment which might include payslips or a contract. You can also attach your most recent curriculum vitae or résumé.
Your curriculum vitae or résumé should include full employment and educational history, including dates and positions held for at least the last five years.
Migration Agent - Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person Provide a completed and signed Form 956 - Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance.
Make sure you tick "yes"" to having an authorised recipient and complete the required contact information in the application form if you attach this document. Only attach Form 956 if it is in the list of required documents at the end of the application form.
Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient - Form 956A Provide a completed and signed Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient.
Make sure you tick "yes" to having an authorised recipient and complete the required contact information in the application form if you attach this document. Only attach Form 956A if it is in the list of required documents at the end of the application form.
Evidence of school enrolment for dependants Evidence of enrolment of an accompanying dependent child 5 to 18 years of age at an Australian school. If any family unit members are 5 to 17 years of age (inclusive) and will live with the applicant in Australia, documentation confirming their enrolment in an Australian school.
Research Students If you are undertaking research in Australia, attach a copy of your research (thesis/project) topic and your curriculum vitae or résumé.

English Evidence

The table below shows the English language test providers and the minimum overall band scores you must achieve to meet the Student visa English language requirement. You must have taken the English language test in the 2 years before you apply for a student visa.

English language test providers Minimum score Minimum score and at least 10 weeks English Language Intensive Courses (ELICOS) Minimum score and at least 20 weeks ELICOS
IELTS 5.5 5 4.5
TOEFL 46 35 32
Cambridge English Advanced 162 154 147
PTE (Academic) 42 36 30
Occupational English Test B for each test component N/A N/A

Financial Evidence

If the document checklist indicates you must provide evidence of your financial capacity, attach the evidence to your visa application. The Department of Home Affairs might refuse your visa without asking you for more information if you don't.

If the Department of Home Affairs doesn't ask you to provide evidence that you have enough money for your stay when you apply, they might ask you to provide this evidence while they are processing your application.

The living costs they ask you to declare and provide with your visa application indicate the cost of living in Australia. Actual living costs vary throughout Australia. The Department of Home Affairs recommends you research the area you intend to live including the cost of living in that area

There are options to prove you have enough money for your stay.
 

Enough money to cover costs and expenses

You can show proof you have enough money to cover the costs and expenses of your travel and your stay in Australia. You could give them evidence of:

  • deposits of money from a financial institution

  • government loans or loans from a financial institution

  • scholarships or similar financial support

Annual income

Alternatively, you can provide evidence your parents or your partner had a personal annual income of at least AUD62,222 in the 12 months immediately before you apply. If you bring family members, you must demonstrate your parents’ or partner’s income is at least AUD72,592. 

If both your parents are working we can consider their combined income. Provide evidence of your parents’ or partner’s income in the form of official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. We won’t accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer.
 

Work out how much money you need

You must have enough money to pay for:

  • your travel

  • 12 months of your course fees (or pro rata fees, if your course is less than 12 months)

  • 12 months of living costs for you and any family members who come with you to Australia (or pro rata fees, if you are staying less than 12 months)

  • school fees for any school-age children who accompany you (or pro rata fees, if the child will be at school for less than 12 months)

Use the following information to work out how much money you need. To calculate pro rata costs, divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.

Living costs

12-month living costs are:

  • for students or guardians - AUD21,041

  • for partners coming with you - AUD7,362

  • for a child coming with you - AUD3,152

Course fees

Use the first 12 months of your course fees. If your course is 12 months or less, use the total cost. Deduct any costs you have already paid – you must provide evidence you have paid them, such as a receipt or Confirmation of Enrolment.

If you are in Australia and your course has already started, calculate the course fee for 12 months starting on the date you lodge your application.

  • Example 1: your course fee is AUD 50,000 for 3 years. The fee for 12 months is the total course cost divided by the number of years you will be studying, so AUD 50,000 divided by 3 years = AUD 16,666, less any amount you have already paid if relevant.

  • Example 2: your course fee is AUD 15,000 for 10 months and you have already paid AUD5,000. Deduct the amount you have already paid from the total amount. AUD 15,000 - AUD 5,000 = AUD 10,000.

  • Example 3: your course fee is AUD 20,000 for 18 months. The fee for 12 months is the total divided by the total number of months, then multiplied by 12. (AUD 20,000/18) x 12 = AUD 13,333. Deduct any costs you have already paid.

Schooling costs

If you are including any school-age children in your application, add schooling costs of at least AUD8,296 per year for each child. Costs vary between states, territories and schools in Australia – you are responsible for finding out how much the child’s schooling will cost.

You don’t have to provide evidence of schooling costs if you:

  • are a PhD student and have enrolled your child in an Australian government school where the fees have been waived

  • have received an Australian Commonwealth Government scholarship, including Foreign Affairs and Defence sponsored students, and have enrolled your child in an Australian government school where the fees have been waived

You must provide evidence the child is enrolled.

Travel costs

As a guide, when you calculate how much money you need, include:

  • AUD2,500 for travel costs if you are applying from East or Southern Africa

  • AUD3,000 for travel costs if you are applying from West Africa

  • AUD2,000 for travel costs if you are applying from anywhere else outside Australia 

  • AUD1,000 for travel costs if you are applying in Australia. If you will be returning to Africa include AUD1,500

For combined applications

Include the costs and expenses of the primary applicant. For family members also applying for the visa, include:

  • 12 months living costs (or pro rata)

  • any school fees

  • travel expenses

Other options

Secondary exchange students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a completed Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students (AASES) form.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a letter of support from DFAT. They must also provide proof of the financial capacity of any family members travelling with them.

Department of Defence students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a letter of support from the Department of Defence. They must also provide proof of the financial capacity of any family members travelling with them.
 

Family members who apply after we have granted you a visa (subsequent entrants)

Family members who apply to join you later must also show us they have enough money to cover:

  • the costs and expenses of the student visa holder, including any remaining portion of the 12 months school fees minus any amount already paid

  • 12 months living costs of all secondary applicants, including school fees

  • travel costs for all secondary applicants

Evidence you have genuine access to the money

If we ask you to provide evidence of financial capacity you must also prove you have access to it. 

If someone else is providing you funds, give us:

  • evidence of your relationship with them

  • their identity documents

  • evidence of any financial support they have given you or another student visa holder in the past

If the financial support provided involves a business, show us proof the business is operating.

If you are providing evidence of deposits of money, explain their source. 

Any education loan to cover your tuition or living costs should be paid out according to the agreement between you, the bank and the education provider. If you receive any payments before we make a decision on your application, give us evidence including the terms of the loan and the full amount you will be paid.

If you are relying on another kind of loan, provide:

  • evidence of the security you used

  • the terms of the loan

  • evidence you can cover ongoing costs

The best evidence you can provide of genuine access to funds if you are relying on a loan is evidence of disbursement.

Let your provider know any conditions on your education loan. Some loans offer deferred repayment against your future earnings. These loans can be conditional on you studying only a specified course with a certain provider.

SW Marketing