Enrolment is the easy part.The visa is decided onwhether you are agenuine student.
The subclass 500 lets you study a full-time CRICOS-registered course in Australia and work 48 hours a fortnight during term. Since March 2024 it turns on the Genuine Student requirement, higher English scores and evidence of funds. The charge is $2,500, and the Department now scrutinises the applicant as closely as the course.
Government charges, subclass 500
- Visa application charge, main applicant$2,500
- Each adult dependant$1,530
- Each child under 18$500
- Subsequent temporary application chargeif you apply from inside Australia$700
As at 1 July 2026. Tuition, Overseas Student Health Cover and the funds you must show are set by the provider and the Department. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing.
A temporary visa to study full time, with limited work rights.
The subclass 500 Student visa lets an international student study a full-time course registered on CRICOS for the length of the course plus a short period after it, with work limited to 48 hours per fortnight while the course is in session. The charge is $2,500, and the applicant must hold a Confirmation of Enrolment, meet the Genuine Student requirement that replaced the genuine temporary entrant test in March 2024, show funds, meet English and hold Overseas Student Health Cover.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs subclass 500 page, Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994 and Ministerial Direction 111.
Do I qualify? A 30-second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
What a Student visa is decided on in 2026-27.
Each of these is a separate criterion. Providers check the first one; the Department checks all five, and the Genuine Student requirement is where most refusals now sit.
- 01
Confirmation of Enrolment
A CoE from a provider on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. Since 1 January 2025 onshore applicants need a CoE, not just a letter of offer. Packaged courses need a CoE for each course.
- 02
Genuine Student requirement
Introduced on 23 March 2024 in place of the genuine temporary entrant test. You answer set questions on your circumstances, why this course and this provider, how it helps your future, and your immigration history. Wanting to stay afterwards through a lawful pathway is acceptable, but the answers must match your history.
- 03
Financial capacity
Evidence of funds for 12 months of living costs at the Department's published figure, plus first-year tuition and travel, or evidence of parental income above the Department's threshold. The living cost figure rose in May 2024 and is updated, so we confirm it before lodgement.
- 04
English
Most courses need an overall IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, raised in March 2024. Students packaged with an English course can enter with a lower score. Exemptions apply for some passports and for recent study in English.
- 05
Health cover, health and character
Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole stay, a health examination where required, and police certificates where requested. Cover must be held before the visa is granted and kept for the whole period.
What the visa requires for the whole course.
Student visa conditions are enforced through the provider, which must report non-attendance and poor progress. Breaches lead to cancellation.
48 hours a fortnight during term, condition 8105
Work is capped at 48 hours per fortnight while the course is in session, with no cap during scheduled breaks. No work until the course starts. Masters by research and doctoral students have no cap once the course begins.
Enrolment, attendance and progress, condition 8202
Stay enrolled in a registered course at the same or a higher level, attend, and make satisfactory progress. Moving to a lower-level course usually needs a new visa. Providers report breaches to the Department.
Health cover and address, conditions 8501 and 8533
Keep Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole stay. Tell your provider your address within seven days of arriving and within seven days of any change.
Dependants
A partner and children can be included at $1,530 and $500. Partners of most students can work 48 hours a fortnight, and partners of research students without cap. School-age children must be enrolled, and school fees usually apply.
Where a Student visa can lead.
The 500 is temporary, but it is the start of most skilled pathways. This is how graduates move on.
| After the course | Usual visa | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor, master or doctorate from an Australian institution | 485 Temporary Graduate, Post-Higher Education Work stream | $5,750 |
| Diploma or trade qualification linked to an occupation in demand | 485 Temporary Graduate, Post-Vocational Education Work stream | $5,750 |
| Skilled job offer from an approved sponsor | 482 Skills in Demand | $4,015 |
| Points-tested skilled migration | 189, 190 or 491 | $6,135 |
| Partner of an Australian citizen or permanent resident | 820/801 partner visa | $11,710 |
| Further study at the same or a higher level | New 500 lodged in Australia | $2,500 plus $700 |
Charges as at 1 July 2026. Since 1 July 2024 the 485 has an age limit of 35 for most applicants and must be lodged within six months of completing a course of at least two academic years.
What a Student visa costs in government charges.
Government charges only. Tuition deposits, Overseas Student Health Cover, English tests and our fixed professional fee are additional.
As at 1 July 2026. The subsequent temporary application charge applies to most people who lodge while in Australia.
Four reasons the Department refuses Student visas.
A refusal costs the charge, the deposit and often the place. These are the patterns we see, and each is avoidable before lodgement.
What to do after a refusal- 01
A generic Genuine Student statement
Copied text, no link to your own history, or answers that contradict earlier visa applications. The statement is assessed against everything the Department already holds on you.
- 02
Funds that appeared last week
Large deposits shortly before lodgement without a source, or a loan the family could not service. The Department looks for a history of the funds and genuine access to them.
- 03
Course hopping
Moving from a degree to a cheaper, lower-level course, or a string of short courses. Condition 8202 requires the same or a higher level, and the pattern weighs against the Genuine Student assessment.
- 04
Applying onshore from the wrong visa
Since 1 July 2024, holders of visitor visas, the ETA, the eVisitor and the 485 cannot apply for a Student visa in Australia. The application is invalid. Applying from outside Australia, or from a visa that allows it, is the way through.
Subclass 500, answered plainly.
How many hours can I work on a Student visa?
48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and without cap during scheduled breaks. The limit is per fortnight, not averaged across a term. Masters by research and doctoral students have no cap once the course has started.
What is the Genuine Student requirement?
A test introduced on 23 March 2024 that replaced the genuine temporary entrant requirement. You answer set questions about your circumstances, your choice of course and provider, the value of the course to your future and your immigration history. The Department weighs the answers against your history and the provider's record.
How much money do I need to show?
Enough for 12 months of living costs at the Department's published figure, plus first-year tuition and travel, for you and any dependants. Alternatively, evidence that a parent or partner earns above the Department's income threshold. Both figures change, so we confirm them before lodgement.
Can I apply for a Student visa while in Australia?
From most substantive visas, yes, with the $700 subsequent temporary application charge. Not from a visitor visa, the ETA, the eVisitor or the 485 since 1 July 2024, and not from a visa with condition 8503 unless it is waived.
Can I bring my family?
Yes. A partner and dependent children can be included at $1,530 and $500. They need health cover, and school-age children must be enrolled, with school fees usually payable. Partners can work 48 hours a fortnight in most cases.
What happens after I graduate?
Most graduates of a course of at least two academic years can apply for the 485 Temporary Graduate visa at $5,750, within six months of completing. Since July 2024 the age limit is 35 for most applicants. From there, the 482, the points-tested visas or a partner visa are the usual next steps.
How long is the 500 granted for?
For the length of the course plus a short period afterwards. Courses of ten months or more that end in November or December are usually granted to 15 March, other courses get around two months, and courses under ten months about one month.
Where this visa connects.
- 485Open
Temporary Graduate visa
Work in Australia after your course, $5,750.
- 482Open
Skills in Demand visa
Sponsored work when an employer wants to keep you.
- 600Open
Visitor visa
Short courses of up to three months without a Student visa.
- BridgingOpen
Bridging visas
Staying lawful between your course and the next visa.
Applying for a Student visa or refused one?
One consultation reviews the enrolment, the funds and the Genuine Student answers, and gives you a fixed fee for the application.