Student Visa Australia (Subclass 500)

Visa Conditions

As the visa applicant, 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 six years or older
• prove you have a welfare arrangement if you are under 18

Visa Eligibility

Visa Benefits

• participate in an eligible course of study in Australia
• travel in and out of Australia
• work up to 40 hours every two weeks once your course starts

Financial Obligation

You must provide evidence of your financial capacity to cover the cost of your stay in Australia throughout your study. You must have genuine access to the money required to cover the cost of your stay in Australia.

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)

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 us 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 that 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, their combined income can be considered for the application. 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. DOHA won’t accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer.

Living costs

For the purpose of this visa, 12-month living costs are set at:

• 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 expenses you have already paid – you must provide evidence you have paid them, such as a receipt or Confirmation of Enrolment.

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. You must provide evidence the child is enrolled.

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

Travel costs

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

• AUD2,000 for travel costs if you are applying from anywhere else outside Australia except East or Southern Africa (AUD 2,500) OR West Africa (AUD 3,000)
• AUD1,000 for travel costs if you are applying in Australia. If you are returning to Africa, include AUD1,500

Family members (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

Genuine Temporary Entrant Requirement

General Notes

• Primary school children enrolled in years 1-4 will generally only be granted a student visa for a maximum period of 3 years.
• You can include family members when you lodge your visa application. For student visas, your family member is your partner OR your or your partners dependent child who is unmarried and has not turned 18 years of age. Your family members can also apply as a subsequent entrant at a later time.
• For packaged courses: You will need to provide DOHA Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each course. The last course you take as part of the course package is your main course of study. DOHA will use your main course of study to determine what financial and English language skills evidence you must submit with your student visa application.
• Suppose your visa application includes a package of courses. In that case, 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. For example, the academic year generally ends in November and starts again in February the following year, three to four months is an acceptable gap between courses.
• 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 five 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 two years before applying for the student visa, you completed, in Australia and 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.
• 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
• The following student visa applicants are not required to pay a visa application charge (VAC):
  • Students awarded a scholarship funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia
  • Students and family members supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • Student and family members supported by the Department of Defence
  • Secondary exchange students
  • Students affected by education provider default and lodge a new student visa application within 12 months of the provider default day
  • Family members of students enrolled in a postgraduate research course.
• If you hold or held a student visa and completed specific qualifications in Australia in the last six months, you might be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
• If you are a recent engineering graduate of a recognised institution, you might be eligible for the Skilled-Recognition Graduate visa (subclass 476).
• If your student visa has expired, you might be able to apply for a new student visa if it has been less than 28 days since your student visa expired and provided this has not happened before.