Australia Student Visa 2026: Subclass 500 Requirements, Fee and New Rules

To study in Australia for more than three months, you need a Student visa (subclass 500). The main applicant's fee has been AUD 2,500 since 1 July 2026. You need a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) in a registered full-time course, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), proof of at least AUD 29,710 a year for living costs, an approved English test score where required, and answers to the Genuine Student questions. Since 2 October 2026, most applicants must apply from outside Australia, and most can no longer bring a partner or children.

Every figure below comes from official Australian Government pages fetched in October 2026: the Department of Home Affairs subclass 500 page (last updated 12 October 2026), its Genuine Student and processing-priority pages, and the Study Australia notice on the visa fee. Rules change often, so each figure names the date it applies from.

What are the new rules for the Australia student visa in 2026?

Three changes took effect on 2 October 2026, according to the Home Affairs subclass 500 page:

• Apply from outside Australia. Most applicants must now lodge their application outside Australia and be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Holders of some visas, including Visitor (600), Working Holiday (417) and Temporary Graduate (485), cannot apply onshore at all.
• Fewer onshore extensions. A current student can only apply for another Student visa inside Australia under one of six exemptions. Examples are needing up to 12 more months to finish the same course, moving up to a higher qualification level, or starting a PhD.
• Family members only by exemption. Most applicants can no longer include a partner or children. The exemptions cover PhD students, students sponsored by Australia's foreign affairs or defence departments, students on fully funded foreign government scholarships, and nationals of Pacific Island and ASEAN countries. Family members can no longer join later as "subsequent entrants" in any case.

Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are still assessed under the old rules.

Two earlier changes still matter. The fee rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500 on 1 July 2026, according to Study Australia, the government's official student site. The old Genuine Temporary Entrant statement was replaced by the Genuine Student requirement for applications lodged from 23 March 2024.

How much does an Australian student visa cost?

The application charge for the main applicant is AUD 2,500 (from 1 July 2026). Study Australia lists three groups that keep the previous charge plus annual CPI indexation: passport holders from eligible ASEAN countries, students in independent English-language (ELICOS) and non-award courses, and passport holders from eligible Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste. A separate charge applies to each family member who is allowed to apply with you.

Home Affairs also lists health checks, police certificates and biometrics as possible extra costs. You pay for OSHC too, which must cover your whole stay.

Australia student visa requirements: the checklist

Home Affairs says you must meet all of these:

1. Enrolment. A CoE for every course in a full-time course registered on CRICOS. If you lodge without a CoE, the application is invalid.
2. Genuine Student. Short answers in the online form showing that studying is your main reason for coming (see below).
3. English. A score from an approved test, unless you are exempt.
4. Money. Evidence that you can pay for travel, 12 months of course fees and 12 months of living costs, if your document checklist asks for it.
5. OSHC from an approved Australian insurer, starting on the day you arrive, not the day classes begin.
6. Health and character requirements, and a signed Australian Values Statement if you are 18 or older.
7. Welfare arrangements if you are under 18, such as a nominated parent or relative as guardian or a school-arranged CAAW.

The official Document Checklist Tool shows which evidence your passport country and provider need. Home Affairs updates it on 31 March and 30 September each year, so check it again just before you submit.

How much money do you need to show?

Add up four items:

• Living costs: AUD 29,710 for 12 months for the student. If you qualify to bring family, add AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 per child.
• Course fees: the first 12 months of tuition, minus anything you have already paid (with a receipt or the CoE as proof).
• Travel: AUD 2,000 from most countries, AUD 2,500 from East or Southern Africa, and AUD 3,000 from West Africa.
• School fees: at least AUD 13,502 a year for each school-age child.

Home Affairs gives its own example: a course costing AUD 50,000 over three years counts as AUD 16,666 for 12 months. A student from India with that course would show 16,666 + 29,710 + 2,000 = AUD 48,376, minus any tuition already paid.

Instead of savings, you can show that your parents or partner earned at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months before you apply (AUD 102,500 if family members come with you). This must be shown with official government documents such as tax assessments. Bank statements and letters from employers are not accepted for this route.

If you show deposits, Home Affairs asks how the money built up over time. A bank balance certificate for a single day does not show that, so attach transaction history. For an education loan, the strongest evidence is proof that the money has been paid out.

What IELTS or PTE score do you need for a student visa?

These are the visa minimums for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. They apply when your principal course is not packaged with an English course:

• IELTS Academic or General Training: 6.0
• PTE Academic: 47
• TOEFL iBT: 67. From 21 January 2026, choose "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register.
• CELPIP General: 7
• LANGUAGECERT Academic: 61
• MET: 53
• OET: 1210
• C1 Advanced: 161

The minimum drops (IELTS 5.5, PTE 39, TOEFL 51) if your degree is packaged with at least 10 weeks of English (ELICOS), a Foundation programme or an eligible pathway programme. It drops further (IELTS 5.0, PTE 31, TOEFL 37) with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS. At-home versions such as IELTS Online and TOEFL iBT Home Edition are not accepted.

Universities usually set their own English requirements, often higher than the visa minimum, so check your course page.

Citizens of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland don't need to provide a test score. Nor do students who completed at least five years of study in English in one of those countries, Australia or South Africa.

How do you answer the Genuine Student questions?

The online form asks you to describe your current circumstances (family, community, work and money), why you chose this course and provider in Australia, how the course will benefit you, and anything else relevant. Each answer has a 150-word limit and must be in English. Home Affairs prefers answers in the form to a separate statement.

Home Affairs says it gives more weight to statements backed by documents. Useful evidence includes transcripts, an employer letter with contact details, and tax returns or bank statements. If a similar course exists in your home country, you need to explain why you chose Australia instead. Wanting to apply for permanent residence later does not count against you under this requirement.

How long does an Australia student visa take?

There is no fixed processing time. Since 14 November 2025, offshore applications follow Ministerial Direction 115, which sorts them into three priority levels based on your education provider:

• Priority 1: processing usually starts within 1–4 weeks. This covers providers below 80% of their New Overseas Student Commencement (NOSC) allocation, plus schools, standalone ELICOS, TAFE, PhD and scholarship students.
• Priority 2: 5–8 weeks, for providers that have reached 80% of their allocation.
• Priority 3: 9–12 weeks, for providers more than 15% over their allocation.

These start times are based on 2025 lodgements and can change. Your priority is fixed on the day you lodge, so check the provider's status on the Home Affairs Visa Prioritisation Status list before you submit. Applications lodged between 15 November and 31 December are prioritised against the provider's allocation for the following year, which matters for February intakes.

Can you work, and how long can you stay?

You can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. Master's by research and doctoral students have no limit. The visa lasts for the length of your enrolment, up to six years, and you can travel in and out of Australia while it is valid. There is no visa label: the visa is linked to your passport digitally. Home Affairs warns not to rely on work income to support yourself.

Is there an age limit, and what if your visa is refused?

The only age rules apply to school students. They must be at least 6 when applying, and younger than set ages when entering each school year (for example, under 20 when starting Year 12). There is no upper age limit for university or vocational students. Applicants under 18 need welfare arrangements and signed consent from both parents (Form 1229).

If you are refused, the refusal becomes part of your immigration history. Home Affairs looks at that history in the Genuine Student assessment of any later application. Fix the gap that caused the refusal before you reapply, and answer the "previous visa" question openly.

Choosing a course before you apply

Your CoE comes first, so the order is: choose a CRICOS-registered course, accept the offer, pay the deposit, get the CoE, arrange OSHC, then lodge the visa. Compare universities on the Australia country page, for example the University of Sydney. Check your entry requirements with Check Eligibility and the application steps in How to Apply. For health cover options, see Insurance.

As a next step, read stuudy's visa applications guide before you open ImmiAccount.