Student Visa 500 Australia: Confident, Complete 2026 Guide
Student Visa 500 Australia refers to the Student visa (subclass 500). It lets international students study an eligible course in Australia.
In 2026, the standard base charge is AUD $2,500, with limited concessions. The visa has strict enrolment, insurance and integrity rules.
Standard base charge correct as at 27 September 2026; concessions and extra charges may apply. Check the Department of Home Affairs for the current amount.
You normally need a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), Genuine Student (GS) evidence and financial capacity.
English evidence may also be required, and the current test table changed from 7 August 2025.
Most students can work, but the usual in-session limit is 48 hours a fortnight.
This Millennium Migration guide explains the requirements in the order you should check them.
Student Visa 500 Australia 2026 requirements guide
Sam Lotfollahi · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 0901704
Principal at Millennium Migration · Melbourne and Adelaide · Seventeen years of migration practice.
Updated 27 September 2026 · Sources checked 27 September 2026 · 13 min read
The short version
- Standard base visa charge: AUD $2,500, with lower charges for specified applicants.
- Valid CoE normally required for each intended course.
- GS uses targeted questions with a 150-word limit per response.
- Student living-cost figure: AUD $29,710, plus course fees and travel.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is generally required for the proposed visa period.
- Usual work limit: 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session.
- Offshore applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are prioritised under Ministerial Direction 115 (MD115).
Check your subclass 500 eligibility
Millennium Migration can review your course, CoE, GS evidence, finances and visa history before lodgement.
Student Visa 500 Australia at a glance
The subclass 500 is a temporary visa for eligible study in Australia.
Your stay is linked to enrolment and can be granted for up to six years. This is not an automatic six-year grant.
Course type, health-cover expiry and any welfare arrangements also affect the end date. Check the Student visa length-of-stay rules.
| Requirement | 2026 position | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Visa charge | Standard base AUD $2,500; concessions may apply | Use the Department of Home Affairs pricing estimator for your exact case |
| Enrolment | Valid CoE normally required | Each intended course must be correctly listed |
| Genuine Student | Mandatory | Course logic, provider choice, circumstances and benefit |
| Financial capacity | Evidence may be required | Living costs, fees, travel and family costs |
| English | Evidence may be required | Current test table and exemptions |
| OSHC | Usually mandatory | Student and included dependants |
| Work | Usually 48 hours per fortnight in session | Check condition 8105 |
Practitioner note: provider admission rules and visa rules are not identical.
Millennium Migration checks both before treating an offer as a visa-ready case.
Student Visa 500 Australia: family charges and other costs
For the standard non-concessional category, each additional applicant aged 18 or over costs AUD $1,530; under 18 costs AUD $500. These combined-application amounts were checked on 27 September 2026 against the 2026 fee amendments. Check Home Affairs for the current amount.
A subsequent temporary application charge may apply based on each person’s visa history. Budget separately for OSHC, English testing, health checks, police certificates and biometrics where required. Concession categories need an individual price check.
Student Visa 500 Australia: CoE and course requirements
You must normally be enrolled in a full-time course on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). A Confirmation of Enrolment is normally required.
The Department of Home Affairs requires a CoE for each intended course at lodgement, unless an accepted exception applies.
If a required CoE is missing at lodgement, the application is invalid.
Your CoE must also remain valid when the visa is decided.
Use the official document checklist to check CoE exceptions. Confirm that the course is still registered before relying on an offer.
Packaged courses
You can include two or more courses where one clearly leads to the next.
Course gaps must be less than two calendar months. An exception applies where one course ends at the academic year’s end and the next starts at the next academic year’s beginning.
The final course is generally the main course for English and financial evidence.
Student Visa 500 Australia: Genuine Student requirement
GS applies to Student visa applications lodged from 23 March 2024.
It asks whether studying in Australia is genuinely the primary reason for applying.
A future interest in permanent residence does not, by itself, count against a genuine student.
| GS area | What Home Affairs wants to understand |
|---|---|
| Your circumstances | Family, community, employment and finances |
| Why this course and provider | Your understanding of the course and why it makes sense |
| Benefit of the course | How the study fits your education, work and future plans |
| Other relevant information | Anything material that explains your situation |
Each online GS response has a 150-word limit and must be in English.
Applicants who have previously held a Student visa, or apply in Australia from another visa type, face an additional GS question. Read the official Genuine Student guidance.
Home Affairs gives more weight to statements supported by evidence.
Do not write GS as advertising copy. It should explain your real study logic.
Millennium Migration checks whether the course, finances and history tell one consistent story.
Student Visa 500 Australia: financial capacity
For Student Visa 500 Australia, financial capacity covers living costs, course fees, travel and costs for accompanying family.
The current student living-cost figure is AUD $29,710 for 12 months.
| Financial item | Current amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Primary student living costs | AUD $29,710 for 12 months |
| Spouse or de facto partner | AUD $10,394 for 12 months |
| Each dependent child | AUD $4,449 for 12 months |
| School-age child costs | AUD $13,502 per year per child, unless a qualifying school-fee waiver applies |
| Course fees | Up to 12 months, less amounts already paid |
| Travel | Enough to cover relevant travel costs |
These are visa-evidence figures. Actual living costs can be significantly higher.
These amounts are minimum evidence components, not a complete household budget. Shorter stays may use pro rata amounts; specific school-fee waivers can apply. Source: financial capacity instrument, section 6.
Alternative annual-income method
Without accompanying family, the relevant parent’s or partner’s personal annual income must be at least AUD $87,856 in the 12 months before applying.
With a family member included, the threshold is at least AUD $102,500 over that same period.
Income evidence must be official government documentation, such as a tax assessment issued in the 12 months before applying.
Both parents’ income can be considered where both work. Funds must be genuinely available; evidence requirements can still be requested after lodgement. Check Home Affairs financial evidence guidance.
Student Visa 500 Australia: English requirements in 2026
For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the current scores below apply where evidence is required.
ELICOS means English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students. Lower-score columns require the principal course to be packaged with the specified study, not simply any short course.
| Test | Standard overall score | At least 10 weeks ELICOS, or eligible Foundation/Pathway program | At least 20 weeks ELICOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| IELTS 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 | Excluded | Excluded |
Scores checked 27 September 2026 against the Home Affairs Student visa English table. Eligible Foundation and Pathway programs must satisfy the English-language instrument.
TOEFL change: from 21 January 2026, select “Taking TOEFL for Australia”.
At-home or fully online English tests are not accepted for visa purposes.
English exemptions
Some passport holders, course types and prior-study histories fall within exemption categories.
Examples include citizens who hold passports from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand or Republic of Ireland. British National (Overseas) passport holders may still need test evidence.
Standalone ELICOS, school courses and postgraduate research can also qualify for exemptions.
Student Visa 500 Australia: OSHC requirements
OSHC is generally required for you and each family member included in the application.
The cover should extend across the proposed visa period.
The OSHC expiry date can also affect the visa end date.
Do not leave a gap in cover. Missing required OSHC evidence can lead to refusal.
Check OSHC dates against your arrival and intended stay, not just teaching dates. Check the official health-insurance evidence list.
Student Visa 500 Australia: work rights in 2026
The standard rule allows up to 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session.
You generally cannot start work before your course starts, unless the prior-visa work exception applies. Read condition 8105 and check your grant conditions.
A fortnight is a 14-day period starting on a Monday.
Hours can generally be unlimited during scheduled course breaks. A course that counts towards your main course during a break can still count as being in session.
Research students
Masters by research and doctoral students can work over 48 hours after the research course starts.
Mandatory work can fall outside the limit only where it was recorded as a required part of the CRICOS-registered course. This does not make unrelated paid work unlimited.
Can you apply for subclass 500 while onshore?
You can apply in Australia only if you hold an eligible substantive visa or fit a limited exception.
Several visa holders are specifically prevented from lodging Student 500 while in Australia.
| Visa held in Australia | Student 500 onshore? |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa (subclass 600) | No |
| Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa (subclass 601) | No |
| eVisitor (subclass 651) | No |
| Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) | No |
| Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602) | No |
| Transit visa (subclass 771) | No |
| Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988) | No |
Other excluded visas also exist, so check the full Home Affairs list before relying on onshore lodgement.
This table is not exhaustive. The current onshore exclusion instrument also covers other categories; the seven listed subclasses are included. Get advice before relying on an exception or a change of visa status.
Student Visa 500 Australia: 2026 processing priorities
For onshore applications, Home Affairs aims to assess cases in lodgement-date order. Processing can still vary.
Offshore applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are prioritised under Ministerial Direction 115.
MD115 creates Priority 1, Priority 2 and Priority 3 groups.
It changes processing order, not the legal criteria for grant.
| Priority | Target to commence processing |
|---|---|
| Priority 1 | About 1–4 weeks |
| Priority 2 | About 5–8 weeks |
| Priority 3 | About 9–12 weeks |
Those are targets to start processing after lodgement, not guaranteed decision times. Home Affairs says they are based on 2025 lodgements and resources and may change.
Home Affairs listed a 21-day median for the Student category in July 2026. This historical category median is not a forecast for your application.
Sources checked 27 September 2026: Student processing priorities and July 2026 category medians.
Student Visa 500 Australia: document checklist
The exact checklist depends on passport country, provider, course and personal history.
Home Affairs updates the Document Checklist Tool regularly, including around 31 March and 30 September.
Re-run the Document Checklist Tool immediately before lodging your Student Visa 500 Australia application. Required evidence must be included; the checklist is not a guarantee of grant.
| Area | Typical evidence |
|---|---|
| Identity | Passport, ID where relevant and name-change documents |
| Enrolment | Valid CoE for each intended course |
| Genuine Student | Online GS responses plus supporting evidence |
| English | Approved test result or exemption evidence |
| Finances | Funds, loans, scholarship or qualifying income documents |
| Health cover | OSHC details |
| Health and character | Examinations or certificates if requested |
| Under 18 | Required welfare arrangements |
Common Student Visa 500 Australia mistakes
Using an old visa fee
The standard Student Visa 500 Australia base charge is AUD $2,500; concessions may apply.
Writing a generic GS answer
GS responses should explain your actual circumstances and be supported by evidence.
Using an old English score table
Tests taken from 7 August 2025 use the newer score table.
Booking TOEFL incorrectly
From 21 January 2026, TOEFL applicants must select the Australia-specific option.
Treating AUD $29,710 as the whole budget
It is the student's living-cost component, not the total amount needed for every case.
Assuming you can switch from a Visitor visa onshore
Visitor 600, ETA 601 and eVisitor 651 holders cannot lodge Student 500 onshore.
Treating MD115 as a grant advantage
Priority can affect queue order, but it does not change the visa criteria.
For the broader 2026 changes affecting Student Visa 500 Australia, see Australian migration changes 2026. The skilled visa points test guide is separate future-planning reading: it does not establish a Student visa requirement or promise permanent residence.
Preparing a Student visa application?
Send Millennium Migration your course, CoE status and current visa so we can identify the live requirements.
Frequently asked questions about Student Visa 500 Australia
Student Visa 500 Australia: fees, funds and GS
How much does a Student Visa 500 Australia application cost in 2026?
The standard Student Visa 500 Australia base charge is AUD $2,500, checked on 27 September 2026, with concessions for specified applicants. Additional applicants and other costs can increase the total, so check the Department of Home Affairs before paying.
How much money must I show for a Student visa in 2026?
The Student Visa 500 Australia living-cost amount is AUD $29,710 for 12 months, plus relevant tuition, travel and family costs. A qualifying parent or partner annual-income method is an alternative; the required evidence depends on your circumstances.
What is the Genuine Student requirement?
GS asks whether study is your primary reason for applying for Student Visa 500 Australia. Each online answer must be in English and within 150 words, supported by evidence of your actual circumstances and study plans.
Student Visa 500 Australia: English, work and OSHC
What IELTS score is required for Student Visa 500 Australia?
Where test evidence is required, the standard IELTS overall score is 6.0 for Student Visa 500 Australia. Scores of 5.5 or 5.0 apply only with the specified packaged study arrangements, and exemption rules must be checked separately.
Can I work on a Student Visa 500 Australia?
Student Visa 500 Australia normally allows up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. Check course-start restrictions, course-break rules and any research or mandatory-placement exception against your actual visa conditions.
Do I need OSHC for a Student visa?
OSHC is generally required for Student Visa 500 Australia applicants and included family members throughout the proposed visa period. Limited exemptions exist, and a gap in required cover can put the application at risk.
Student Visa 500 Australia: onshore and processing
Can I apply for a Student visa while in Australia on a Visitor visa?
No: Visitor visa subclass 600, Electronic Travel Authority subclass 601 and eVisitor subclass 651 holders cannot lodge a Student visa application while in Australia. Check the full exclusion rules before relying on an onshore application.
How long does Student Visa 500 Australia processing take in 2026?
The published Student category median was 21 days in July 2026, but that is not a prediction for your Student Visa 500 Australia application. MD115 targets starting offshore processing within about 1–4, 5–8 or 9–12 weeks by priority; those are not decision deadlines.
Does MD115 affect whether my Student visa will be approved?
MD115 determines processing priority for relevant offshore Student Visa 500 Australia applications. It does not change the legal requirements for approval or guarantee a grant.
Check your Student Visa 500 Australia application before lodgement
A good application aligns the course, GS answers, finances, English evidence and visa history.
Millennium Migration can review those pieces together before you rely on the application.
Contact Millennium Migration for a Student visa application review.
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About Sam Lotfollahi
Sam Lotfollahi is a Registered Migration Agent and Principal of Millennium Migration.
MARN 0901704 · Seventeen years of migration practice · Offices in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Millennium Migration assists with Student, skilled, employer-sponsored, family and other migration matters.
Sources
Home Affairs — Student visa subclass 500. Checked 27 September 2026.
Home Affairs — Genuine Student requirement. Checked 27 September 2026.
Home Affairs — Student visa processing priorities. Checked 27 September 2026.
Home Affairs — Ministerial Direction 115. Checked 27 September 2026.
Home Affairs — Document Checklist Tool. Checked 27 September 2026.
Home Affairs — Student visa work condition 8105. Checked 27 September 2026.
Study Australia — visa process and financial capacity. Checked 27 September 2026.
Federal Register — financial capacity instrument. Checked 27 September 2026.
Home Affairs — Student visa length of stay. Checked 27 September 2026.
Home Affairs — processing times overview. Checked 27 September 2026.
Federal Register — 2026 visa charge amendments, checked 27 September 2026. Check the Department of Home Affairs for the current amount. Standard base AUD $2,500; standard additional applicants AUD $1,530 (18+) or AUD $500 (under 18).
General information only, not migration advice. Student visa rules and charges can change. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances.
Fees and requirements checked on 27 September 2026. Check the Department of Home Affairs for the current amount and rules before applying.
For advice, consult a Registered Migration Agent or Australian legal practitioner.
Sam Lotfollahi, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 0901704, leads Millennium Migration.