Student Visa (Subclass 500)

Student Visa (subclass 500) Application Process

Step 0: Confirm Where You Can Apply

Before anything else, confirm whether you are eligible to lodge your Student visa application from within Australia or whether you need to depart and apply from offshore. This is the first and most important step under the October 2026 rules. An application lodged from the wrong location is invalid and generates no bridging visa. Do this before accepting any letter of offer or paying any deposit.

Book a consultation with Provisa to confirm your application eligibility before proceeding.

Step 1: Accept Your Letter of Offer

Once you have chosen your course and confirmed your eligibility, you will receive a Letter of Offer from your chosen institution. Review the course details, fees, refund policy, and enrolment conditions thoroughly before accepting. If anything is unclear or does not match your expectations, discuss it with your education provider or with our team at Professional Visa and Education Services before proceeding.

Step 2: Obtain Your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)

Once you accept the Letter of Offer and pay any required deposit, your institution will issue a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). This official document is mandatory for your Student visa (Subclass 500) application and must be held before the application is lodged.

Step 3: Provide English Language Evidence

Submit results from an approved English language test. Most Australian institutions accept IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, or OET. Some institutions also accept IELTS One Skill Retake, which allows you to retake only the specific component you did not pass.

Step 4: Meet the Genuine Student (GS) Requirement

Complete the structured GS questions within your ImmiAccount application. Your responses must clearly demonstrate why you are choosing this course, how it connects to your background and goals, and why studying in Australia is appropriate for your circumstances. Support your responses with academic transcripts, employment records, and evidence of ties to your home country.

Step 5: Prepare Financial Evidence

Gather documentation showing you can meet the current minimum financial requirements: AUD $29,710 per year for living costs plus tuition fees for at least the first 12 months. Accepted evidence includes bank statements, loan approval letters, scholarship documents, or proof of financial support from a parent or sponsor.

Step 6: Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

OSHC is compulsory for all international students and must cover the full duration of your stay in Australia. Arrange this before lodging your application.

Step 7: Complete Health and Character Requirements

You may be required to undergo a health examination through an approved panel physician and provide a police clearance certificate from countries where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years.

Step 8: Lodge Your Application Through ImmiAccount

With all documentation prepared and your eligibility to apply confirmed, lodge your Student visa application online through ImmiAccount on the Department of Home Affairs website. Ensure your application is complete and accurate. Minor errors, missing documents, or insufficient explanations in your GS responses are among the most common causes of delay and refusal.

FAMILY MEMBER ELIGIBILITY — MAJOR CHANGES FROM 2 OCTOBER 2026

This section contains information that has changed significantly and affects every family applying for a Student visa.

Who can be included in a Student visa application:

From 2 October 2026, Student visa applicants generally cannot include their partner or dependent children in the same Student visa application. This rule also applies when lodging a further Student visa application.

Limited exemptions allow family members to be included where the primary student is studying a PhD, sponsored by DFAT or Defence, receiving a foreign government scholarship, or is an eligible student from a Pacific country or an ASEAN member country.

Subsequent entrants — the pathway is now closed:

Current Student visa holders can no longer add a partner or dependent child to their visa after it has been granted. The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed there are no exceptions to this rule.

This is one of the most significant changes from October 2026. If you are planning to bring your partner or children to Australia, they must be included in the original Student visa application before it is decided — if you are eligible to include them at all. You cannot arrange for them to join you later under the Student visa framework.

Transitional arrangements for existing family members:

If family members are already included on your current Student visa and you are eligible to apply for another Student visa from within Australia, you may be able to include those same family members in the new application. However, the primary applicant and all included family members must be in the same location when the new application is lodged.

Because these provisions depend heavily on individual circumstances, speak with a registered migration agent before lodging any further Student visa application that involves family members.

If your partner is included — work rights:

Where a partner has been approved as part of a Student visa application under the applicable exemptions, work rights for that partner depend on the primary student's course level. Partners of PhD students generally retain full work rights. Partners included under other exemption categories should verify their specific work entitlements through VEVO or with a migration agent.

COURSE PROGRESSION AND AQF LEVELS

From 2 October 2026, the type and level of your next course has direct implications for whether you can apply for a further Student visa from within Australia.

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) classifies qualifications from Certificate I through to Doctoral Degree. Progression to a higher AQF level — for example, from a bachelor degree (AQF Level 7) to a master degree (AQF Level 9) — may allow you to apply for a further Student visa from within Australia.

However, there is an important condition for higher education students: if you completed a higher education course, the next course must also be a higher education course delivered by a higher education provider to rely on this progression exemption. Moving from a university degree to a private college diploma, even at a notionally similar level, does not satisfy this condition.

This means choosing your next course is no longer purely an academic or career decision. It is also a visa strategy decision. Before paying any tuition fees, accepting any letter of offer, or changing providers, verify how your proposed course fits within the AQF progression rules and what it means for your next Student visa application.

Student visa 500 document checklist

To support your application for a Student Visa (subclass 500), you will need to prepare the following documentation:

1. Identity

• Current passport (mandatory — must be valid for the duration of your intended study)
• Certified copy of birth certificate, national identity card, or driver's licence where applicable

2. Enrolment

• Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for every course you intend to study

3. English Language

• Official score report from IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, or OET

4. Health Cover

• Evidence of Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) covering the full period of your stay

5. Genuine Student (GS) Requirement Documentation

• Academic transcripts and graduation certificates from previous study
• Employment records including payslips, contracts, or reference letters
• Statement of purpose or course research notes explaining your course and provider choice
• Career plan or current CV showing intended future employment direction
• Evidence of family, financial, or community ties to your home country

6. Financial Evidence

• Bank statements showing available funds covering tuition fees (minimum 12 months) and living costs at AUD $29,710 per year minimum
• Loan approval letter from a recognised financial institution (if applicable)
• Scholarship documentation (if applicable)
• Proof of income or financial support from parents or a sponsor

7. Family Documents (where exemption applies)

• Marriage certificate or de facto evidence
• Birth certificates for dependent children
• Proof of school enrolment for children accompanying you
• Evidence of applicable exemption category (PhD enrolment, DFAT/Defence sponsorship, foreign government scholarship, Pacific or ASEAN eligibility)

8. Welfare Arrangements (if under 18)

• Written welfare arrangement documentation from a parent, legal guardian, or approved welfare provider