Student Visa (Subclass 500)

The Subclass 500 Student Visa allows genuine international students to live, study, and work in Australia for the duration of their enrolled course. It’s the most common visa for international students and provides opportunities to gain a world-class education while experiencing life in Australia.

What You Can Do on a Student Visa

• Study: Enrol in an eligible full-time course at a school, college, TAFE, or university.
• Work: Work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods, and unlimited hours during course breaks. (Master’s by Research & PhD students can work unlimited hours.)
• Bring Family: Include your partner and dependent children in your application, and they can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight. If the main applicant is studying a Master’s degree or a PhD, family members can work unlimited hours.
• Travel: Multiple entries allow you to leave and re-enter Australia while your visa is valid.
• Pathways: After graduation, you may be eligible for a Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) or other skilled visas.

Key Eligibility Requirements

To apply for a Subclass 500 Student Visa, you must:

• Hold a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from an Australian education provider
• Meet the Genuine Student (GS) requirement
• Demonstrate financial capacity by providing evidence of sufficient funds to cover tuition fees, living expenses, and travel
• Maintain Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the visa duration.
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Provide proof of English proficiency unless exempt.
• For applicants under 18, have approved welfare arrangements in place.

Application Process

1. Choose your course & education institutions: Enrol in a CRICOS registered course.
2. Receive CoE: Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment from your education institutions.
3. Prepare documents: Identity, Genuine Student, Financial capacity, OSHC, English test, health, and character documents.
4. Lodge visa application: Submit a visa by online to the Department of Home Affairs.
5. Visa outcome – If granted, you can study, work, and live in Australia for the course duration.

Length of Stay

Your student visa length depends on the duration of your course and your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). You must have OSHC that matches the visa period granted.

• Course 10 months or longer finishing Nov–Dec: Visa usually granted until 15 March of the following year.
• Course 10 months or longer finishing Jan–Oct: Visa usually granted up to 2 months longer than the course.
• Course less than 10 months: Visa usually granted up to 1 month longer than the course.
• Maximum stay: Generally, no more than 6 years.

Always purchase OSHC to cover the full course period plus the extra time, as your visa end date cannot be changed once granted.

In summary

The Subclass 500 Student Visa is the key to studying in Australia. With the right preparation, it not only allows you to complete your education but also opens doors to work opportunities and future migration pathways.