If you’ve accepted a place at an Australian university, you’ll need a Student visa (subclass 500) to study in Australia. The visa costs from AUD 2,500, although concessions apply in limited circumstances. Check the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator for the current cost before applying.
Student visa rules changed on 2 October 2026. New rules affect where many applicants must apply and whether they can include family members. Most people who hold an affected temporary visa must apply from outside Australia and remain outside Australia when the visa is granted. Limited exemptions apply to current Student visa holders applying for another Student visa. Check the rules before enrolling, making travel plans or paying non-refundable fees.
Australian Student visa (subclass 500) process
- Get accepted onto a course. You need to enrol in an eligible course with an education provider registered to teach international students. The provider will give you a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
- Check where you must apply. The new rules may mean you need to apply from outside Australia and remain outside Australia until your visa is granted. See Where you must apply below.
- Apply online. Create an application through ImmiAccount and have your CoE and supporting documents ready.
- Pay the visa application charge. The cost depends on your circumstances. Check the Visa Pricing Estimator for the current amount.
- Complete any further checks. Home Affairs may ask you to attend an interview, provide biometrics or complete a health examination.
- Wait for a decision. Home Affairs will send the outcome in writing. If your visa is refused, read the decision letter carefully to understand your options.
Where you must apply
From 2 October 2026, most temporary visa holders affected by the new rules must apply for a Student visa from outside Australia. They must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. This includes people holding certain Visitor, Working Holiday, Temporary Graduate and temporary work visas. Check Home Affairs’ list of affected visas and application rules.
If you hold an affected temporary visa, you cannot routinely apply for a Student visa while remaining in Australia. Home Affairs says there are no exemptions to the offshore rule for affected holders of non-student temporary visas.
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 continue to be assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged, including applications that included family members. Applications lodged on or after that date are subject to the new rules.
Before you lodge: Check where you are allowed to apply. An application made from the wrong location may be invalid. An application lodged outside Australia does not give you a linked Bridging visa. Read Home Affairs’ guidance on what to do.
Planning another course?
A Student visa is not extended when you continue your studies. You need to apply for a new visa. From 2 October 2026, most current Student visa holders must apply for their next Student visa from outside Australia and remain outside the country when it is granted, unless they meet a limited exemption.
If you hold a Student visa as a dependant and want to become the primary student applicant, you must apply from outside Australia. There is no exemption to this rule.
Some current Student visa holders may be able to apply in Australia if they:
- Need up to 12 extra months to finish their main course with the same provider
- Are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence
- Are applying to study a PhD or at primary or secondary school
- Have completed their main course and are progressing to a course at a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level
- Have completed their school course and are progressing to a course without an AQF level, or completed a course without an AQF level and are progressing to one with an AQF level
- Cannot continue their course because their education provider has defaulted.
There are extra conditions for higher-education progression: the next course must also be a higher-education course delivered by a higher-education provider. Check the AQF level of your current and proposed courses and read Home Affairs’ full exemption guidance. Not every next course qualifies.
Changing education provider
Changing provider is different from applying for a new Student visa to study another course.
Until 30 June 2027, most international students outside the schools sector must complete at least 12 months of their principal course before transferring to another provider. Exceptions include exceptional circumstances and cases where the provider or course stops being registered. School students remain subject to a six-month restriction for their first registered school course.
From 1 July 2027, a new Student visa transfer stream is scheduled to begin. Students will generally need to receive a new visa before starting with a new provider. Transfers will be limited to courses at the same or a higher AQF level; students will not be able to transfer onshore from higher education to vocational education and training (VET). The new visa will keep the original end date.
Before enrolling with or starting at a new provider, check the transfer rules, your visa requirements and the commencement requirements that apply to you. See the Department of Education’s student transfer guidance and the government’s overview of the reforms.
Including family members
From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applicants can no longer include a partner or dependent child in their application. Limited exemptions apply, including to some PhD students, government-sponsored students, foreign-government scholarship recipients, and eligible students from Pacific countries and ASEAN member countries.
If you qualify for an exemption, eligible family members generally need to apply as part of your application and be in the same location as you when it is lodged. Limited arrangements also apply to some current students whose family members are already included on their visa.
Do not assume that your partner or children can join you later on a Student visa. Under the new rules, family members cannot apply later as subsequent entrants. Different rules may apply to a newborn child. Check Home Affairs’ family member guidance for exemptions and individual circumstances.
Before you include family members: Check that each person is eligible. An ineligible family member’s application may be invalid.
Australian Student visa requirements
The documents you need depend on your circumstances. Home Affairs may ask for:
- Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
- Answers to the Genuine Student (GS) questions
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
- Biometrics
- A police certificate
- Evidence of your finances
- Evidence of your English language ability.
Use Home Affairs’ Document Checklist Tool to check what you need. Documents that are not in English may need certified translations.
Genuine Student (GS) requirement
Student visa applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024 are assessed under the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. It replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement.
The online application asks questions about your current circumstances, why you want to study your chosen course with your chosen provider, how the course will benefit you, and any other relevant information. Your answers must be in English. Home Affairs asks applicants to support their answers with evidence.
Read Home Affairs’ guidance on the Genuine Student requirement, including its current questions and evidence expectations.
Australian health insurance requirement
You need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) from an approved Australian provider unless an exception applies. Your cover must start from the day you arrive in Australia and continue for your stay. If you arrange your cover through your university, check that the dates cover your whole stay.
OSHC provides basic medical and hospital cover. You can read more in Home Affairs’ Student visa guidance.
Australian Student visa processing time
Processing times vary. They can depend on whether your application includes all the required documents, how quickly you respond to requests for information, and the number and complexity of applications being processed.
Check Home Affairs’ visa processing time guide and apply well before your course starts. The guide is an indication based on recently decided applications; it does not guarantee how long your application will take.
Working with a subclass 500 Student visa
You can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. Different work rules apply to some students, including students studying a master’s by research or a doctoral degree.
Check your visa grant letter or VEVO for the conditions that apply to your visa.
What to do if your visa is refused
If your visa is refused, read the decision letter carefully. It will explain whether you have review rights and give you any relevant deadline.
The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) reviews some migration decisions. Review rights depend on the decision and your circumstances. Do not assume you can simply reapply. Check your options and consider seeking help from a qualified immigration professional.
Last reviewed: 12 October 2026. Visa rules, fees and processing times can change. Check the latest Home Affairs guidance before applying.