Student Visa 500 Australia: Requirements, Cost & Work Rights Explained

What the subclass 500 student visa actually requires: the AUD 29,710 living-costs benchmark, the application process via ImmiAccount, OSHC and English requirements, the Genuine Student test, work rights, and what happens if you're refused. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 What does a subclass 500 need?
  2. 0:15 Living costs benchmark:
  3. 0:27 Apply via ImmiAccount:
  4. 0:41 OSHC for your whole stay.
  5. 0:55 Since 23 March 2024:
  6. 1:08 Work rights:
  7. 1:19 Three conditions to track
  8. 1:34 Miss enough classes,
  9. 1:44 Where the money can come from
  10. 1:55 Refused? It depends where you applied.
  11. 2:10 When your course ends,
  12. 2:20 The most common mistake:
  13. 2:33 Where to read more

Transcript

Getting a subclass 500 student visa comes down to five requirements lining up together: your enrolment, your money, your health cover, your English, and a genuine reason to study.

The benchmark for living costs is AUD 29,710 for 12 months — on top of your course fees and travel — and the money has to be genuinely yours, not borrowed just for the application.

You apply online through ImmiAccount with your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment, your supporting documents, and the application charge — around AUD 2,500 as at 1 July 2026.

You also need Overseas Student Health Cover for your entire stay, and English evidence — typically IELTS 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, though some courses accept lower scores paired with an English course.

Since 23 March 2024, the Genuine Student requirement replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant test — the Department looks at your background, your course choice, and your intentions after you graduate.

Once you're studying, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during teaching periods, and unlimited hours during official course breaks — no separate work permit needed.

Three conditions sit on the visa. Condition 8202 keeps you enrolled and attending. Condition 8105 is your work-hour limit. Condition 8501 requires you to keep your health cover current.

Breach condition 8202 — falling below the required attendance or unit load — and your provider must report it, which can lead to the visa being cancelled.

The money can come from your own savings, a parent's bank statements, a loan, or a scholarship — but it has to be genuine and verifiable, not just parked there for the visa.

If you're refused and you applied onshore, you can generally seek merits review at the Administrative Review Tribunal within the deadline on your refusal letter. Offshore applicants usually have no review right at all — reapplying is the only option.

When your main course ends, there are three options: apply for a new student visa, leave Australia, or move to another visa such as a post-study work visa.

The one thing that trips people up most: a vague Genuine Student response, with no clear link between your background and the course you've chosen. Specific, honest answers matter more than polished ones.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description.

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