Subclass 500 Student Visa Australia: Complete 2026 Guide

Core Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Subclass 500 Student visa, you must: be enrolled or accepted for enrolment at a CRICOS-registered course with a registered provider (university, TAFE, private college, school, or English language school); satisfy the Genuine Student requirement — see the section below; demonstrate sufficient financial capacity to cover tuition fees, living costs, and travel; meet English language requirements for the course and visa; meet health and character requirements. You must be enrolled in a CRICOS course — not all Australian educational institutions or courses are CRICOS registered. Verify that your intended institution is CRICOS-registered before applying. You can search the CRICOS register at cricos.education.gov.au, run by the Department of Education. If your institution is not CRICOS registered, your student visa application will be refused.

The Genuine Student Requirement

The Genuine Student requirement, which replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) test on 23 March 2024, is the most subjective and often most challenging part of the student visa application for applicants from higher-risk countries. It's answered through a set of online questions in the application (each with roughly a 150-word limit), not a single written GTE-style statement, and asks whether the applicant genuinely intends to come to Australia primarily to study. The Department of Home Affairs considers: your circumstances in your home country (employment, property, family ties, financial assets); your immigration history in Australia and other countries (overstays, refusals, bridging visa periods create risk factors); the value of the course to your future (is this a logical qualification to have?); your financial circumstances (does your financial profile suggest you intend to work in Australia, not just study?); and your plans after completing the course. Applicants from countries with high non-genuine-student rates are assessed more rigorously. A migration agent can help you frame answers that clearly address the factors most likely to be scrutinised for your specific nationality and circumstances.

English Language Requirements

Some student visa applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency, and the Department can ask for evidence at any time while processing your application even if the online Document Checklist tool says you don't need to provide it at submission. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the visa's own minimum is IELTS Academic or General Training 6.0 overall (or the equivalent on another approved test — TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, OET, Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic or MET). That minimum drops to 5.5 if your principal course is packaged with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, a Foundation program or an eligible Pathway program, or to 5.0 if it's packaged with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS. This is a single visa-level floor, not a different number for each education sector — your institution's own admission requirement is separate and is often higher than the visa minimum, so you need to satisfy both. You don't need to give English test evidence at all if you hold a passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland, or fall into one of several other exemption categories Home Affairs lists — including standalone ELICOS enrolment, a registered school course, a course taught in a language other than English, a registered postgraduate research course, being sponsored by Foreign Affairs or Defence, a Secondary Exchange (AASES) place, or at least 5 years' prior study in English in Australia or a small list of other countries.

Financial Requirements: How Much Do You Need to Show?

The Department requires evidence that you can cover: 12 months of tuition fees (as stated on your Confirmation of Enrolment — CoE, or the full course cost if it runs 12 months or less); 12 months of living costs — currently AUD29,710 for the applicant, plus AUD10,394 for a partner and AUD4,449 for each child who comes with you (figures are indexed and change over time — check the current amount); school fees of at least AUD13,502 a year for each school-age child; and travel costs, which Home Affairs sets by region (for example AUD2,000 if you're applying from outside Australia other than Africa). As an alternative to bank funds, you can instead show that your parents or partner had a personal annual income of at least AUD87,856 in the 12 months before you apply (AUD102,500 if family members are also applying), evidenced by official documents such as tax assessments — bank statements or an employer letter aren't accepted for this route. Acceptable evidence of savings includes bank deposits, a government or financial-institution loan, or a scholarship or similar financial support. Home Affairs doesn't publish a fixed number of months your funds must be held for, but it does require evidence of how the money was genuinely accumulated — recent transaction statements showing a history of funds, regular payments or salary growth over time, rather than a single-day balance certificate. A common error is depositing a large, unexplained sum immediately before applying; the Department asks you to explain the source of any deposit. The visa application charge itself is separate again — currently AUD2,500 for the higher-education stream from 1 July 2026 (lower for ELICOS/non-award, and nil for Foreign Affairs, Defence and school-exchange streams), plus AUD1,530 for each adult and AUD500 for each child included in the application.

Work Rights on the Student Visa

Student visa holders can work in Australia during their studies under specific conditions. During the academic term: you and your partner can work up to 48 hours per fortnight combined (this is hours per two weeks, not per week). During school holidays: you and your partner can work unlimited hours. This makes the holiday periods a common time for student visa holders to work full-time. Work rights are attached to the student visa conditions — you must ensure your working hours comply. Working more than the permitted hours is a visa condition breach and can result in visa cancellation. Some students work illegally above their permitted hours — this risks not just the current student visa but all future Australian visa applications, as the record is permanent. A genuine, documented record of study combined with lawful work is the best foundation for any future visa application, especially the 485 post-study visa.

Pathways After the Student Visa: From Study to PR

The Subclass 500 is not just an end in itself — for many international students, it is the first step in a pathway to Australian permanent residence. The most direct post-study pathway is the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa, which allows graduates of Australian institutions to work in Australia for 2–5 years after graduation. During the 485, graduates can build Australian work experience, improve their points score for the points-tested pathways, find an employer willing to sponsor them for a 482 visa, or consolidate a relationship that qualifies for the partner visa. Points-tested pathways (189, 190, 491) are the most common long-term PR pathway for former student visa holders. The combination of an Australian qualification, Australian work experience on the 485, and possibly a regional area bonus creates a strong points profile for many skilled occupations. A migration agent can model the full pathway — from student visa through to PR — and identify the optimal course and occupation selection to maximise post-study visa options from the outset.

Can I apply for a student visa without a confirmed enrolment?

No. You must have a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from a CRICOS-registered provider before you can lodge a student visa application. The CoE number is required in the application.

Can I bring my family to Australia on a student visa?

Yes. Your partner and dependent children can apply as secondary applicants on your student visa. They receive the same visa duration and secondary applicants generally get work rights (subject to the 48-hour fortnightly limit during term).

What happens if I fail my course or change provider?

Failing to make satisfactory academic progress can result in a warning from your provider and potentially a notification to the Department under the ESOS framework. Under National Code Standard 7, a registered provider generally can't knowingly enrol you as a transfer student before you've completed 6 calendar months of your principal course, unless your current provider or the course has stopped being registered, has had a sanction imposed, the releasing provider has agreed to your release, or a government sponsor supports the change. Changing providers without following the correct process can breach your visa conditions.

Is a TAFE diploma sufficient for the 485 Temporary Graduate visa?

The 485's Post-Higher Education Work stream (formerly called the Post-Study Work stream) requires completion of a Bachelor's degree, Honours degree, Master's degree, or Doctoral degree — a TAFE diploma does not qualify for it. A TAFE diploma may instead qualify for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream (formerly the Graduate Work stream) if the qualification is relevant to an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and you obtain a positive skills assessment in that occupation.