Australia Student Visa (Subclass 500) : Study Visa Requirements, Fees

International students willing to study in Australia would require a student visa. A student visa in Australia varies based on its subclass and number. There are different Australian student visas which vary based on the level of course opted. For UG students there is subclass 500 Australia study visa and subclass 485 is for PG students. The eligibility and student visa Australia cost also vary for both visas. Check out in detail in the following article.

Student Visa Australia: The guidelines for an Australian student visa have changed multiple times over the years for those going to study in Australia. As per the new visa guidelines implemented by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Australian Government, all students planning to study in Australia need to apply for a Visa under Subclass 500. There are two types of student visas in Australia, both have been discussed in the article below. 

Also Read: Tough Realities of Securing Student Visas to Study Abroad

What is Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) for Australian Student Visa?

Earlier the visas were categorized under Immigration Risk wherein students applying from certain countries were categorized under Assessment Level Framework. The new guidelines have a new combined country and immigration risk framework instead of the old Assessment Level Framework and paper applications have been permanently discontinued. The New SSVF categorizes the students' based on both:

1. Nationality

Note, that a student’s nationality is determined by the passport. Irrespective of where the students are applying for the visa, the nationality on the passport would be considered. For instance, an Indian Student staying in the USA and applying for a visa from the USA would be considered under the risk levels as specified for India by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).

2. Education Provider’s risk of default

Some of the Universities in Australia have been marked as riskier than others.

The table below indicates the classification of students under the new SSVF rule

DIBP has a tool basis in which a student would be identified under the Streamlined/ Regular process. The tool would accordingly populate the list of documents students would be required to furnish. Students are advised to have all the documents ready as DIBP reserves the right to ask for either or all of the documents at the time of the application.

Australia Student Visa Fees 2025

The cost of an Australian Student Visa (subclass 500) and a graduate student visa fee are different. The Australian Government does not require you to have a visa label on your passport to travel, enter, or remain in Australia. The following table throws light on the student visa Australia cost for reference for prospective applicants:

Note: All online applications and services are charged in Australian dollars. The student visa Australia cost is dynamic and may change without prior intimation. Thus, check the official website before applying. 

Acceptable credit cards are MasterCard, VISA, and American Express for Australian student visa fees for Indian students. When paying by credit card in Australian dollars applicants may incur banking and currency conversion fees and might need to take the risk associated with currency fluctuations.

Programs Eligible for Student Visa under SubClass 500

Following is a list of the various sectors/ categories which have been combined to fall under the Subclass 500. Students applying for and admitted to either of the following are eligible to apply for a student visa to Australia.

Independent ELICOS Sector

Students can travel to Australia for a short-term English language course. Referred to as ELICOS or the English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students, the courses lead to a certificate I, II, III, or IV. The courses usually vary in length.

Vocational Education and Training Sector

Vocational Education and Training Sector Students enrolled in a registered Vocational Education and Training Course (VET) by a TAFE institute or a private institute can apply for this subclass of visa. That essentially covers students enrolled in either of the following courses:

• Certificates I, II, III and IV (except ELICOS)
• VET Diploma
• VET Advanced Diploma
• Vocational Graduate Certificate
• Vocational Graduate Diploma

Higher Education Sector

The higher Education Sector refers to Students who are enrolled in a registered full-time higher education course at a University/ college or institute. The following courses are covered under this category of visa:

• Courses at the undergraduate level at a University (Bachelor/Associate Degree)
• Courses for a postgraduate level at a university (master’s degree by coursework like MBA, MS, etc.)
• Postgraduate courses that offer a higher education diploma or advanced diploma like PGDBM, etc.

Essentially, these are courses that extend beyond a year. However, they can also be of a shorter duration.

Post Graduate Research Sector

This sector refers to students enrolled for postgraduate courses in Australia like:

• Master’s degree in research
• Doctoral Degree

Student sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs or Trade or the Department of Defense also falls under one unified category. 

Essentially, these are courses that extend beyond a year. However, they can also be of a shorter duration.

Student sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs or Trade or the Department of Defense also falls under one unified category. 

Australian Student Visa Validity

Usually, the visa validity in Australia for international students i s5 years but as per the new guidelines in effect from July 1, 2016, the validity of the visa would be by the duration of the course the student is enrolled in.

Also Read:

• What should be your next step if your visa gets rejected
• Reasons for the Rejection of Australia Student Visa

Australia Study Visa Requirements 2025

Like in any visa, Australia study visa requirements are listed below for students applying for a visa and key pointers that they must keep at the back of their mind while applying:

Full-Time Study

Students enrolled in a full-time study course are only eligible to apply for a Student Visa under Subclass 500. Part-time and distance learning courses do not qualify.

Genuine Student Requirement (GS)

Getting an Australian Student Visa requires the student to be able to prove that he/she is a Genuine Student Requirement. Essentially, that means that you should be able to convince them that you only intend to travel to Australia for studies and would return to your home country at the end of the course or after a few years of experience. Your Visa Applications are accordingly assessed on various factors, namely;

• Your circumstances in your home country include your economic circumstances.
• Potential circumstances/opportunities for you in Australia
• Value of your chosen course to your future
• Your immigration history
• Any other relevant matters

Note: For student visa applications filed by 22 March 2024, the GTE requirement is valid. However, for applications filed on or after 23 March 2024, the new GS (Genuine Student) will be valid.

Health Checkup and Insurance

To receive a student visa for Australia, you need to provide proof that you are in good health. You can do so by providing a certificate of good health. The health checkup and certificate can only be provided by the empanelled doctors. You can make an appointment with the one closest to you for the same. eMedical Facilities are available in India and often the records are updated immediately. You would be provided with a HAP id which you would need to provide at the time of filling the form. Also, Indian students need to provide a Chest X-ray that proves that they do not suffer from Tuberculosis since India is considered a high-risk country.

You can apply for a health checkup before or after starting the visa application. However, getting it beforehand would ensure quicker processing. Apart from a health checkup, you also need Health Insurance or an OSHC (Overseas Students Health Cover).

• At the time of the visa application, you should have an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of your visa.
• Depending on the duration of your health coverage, your visa tenure would be settled so make sure that it covers the duration of your course.
• The average cost of OSHC is AUS$ 591 for 12 months for a single student.
• How much time immigration takes for a student visa after a medical test in Australia depends upon the availability of the medical reports.
• It may take from one week to three weeks for the report to be sent to the Home Affairs Department of Australia.

Good Character

Students are required to provide proof of good character which necessarily suggests that you do not have any criminal case against them and/ or they have never been deported from Australia before. Often, a simple declaration of the same is accepted on the form.

Documents Required for Student Visa for Australia

As per the tool available on DIBP’s website, students can ascertain the documents which would be required. We are providing you with all the possible documents which might be required under Streamlines and Regular Evidentiary documents. Remember, since the application is only online, students must ensure that they have scanned copies of all the documents listed ready before they start their online application. Also, please remember that the list of Regular Evidentiary Documents is in addition to the documents required for the SSVF processing.

• Valid Passport - Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in Australia.
• Non-immigrant Visa Application
• Application fee payment receipt
• Confirmation of Enrolment Form (COE) - To obtain a visa to study in Australia you must be fully enrolled in an Australian institution and receive a “Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)”. These forms are issued by the Australian institution you will be attending. The forms are usually issued after the tuition fees have been received.
• An acceptance letter from your host university will include the proposed study plan
• Overseas health insurance receipt (OSHC)
• Recent Digital photographs
• Transcripts, diplomas, degrees, or certificates from schools you attended
• English Language Test Scores
• Statement of Purpose (SOP)
• Evidence of Financial Capacity (show savings worth AUD 24,505 while applying for visa)

How and When to Apply for an Australian Student Visa?

The Australian Student Visa process takes a maximum of 124 days before the commencement of your course. Also, you can travel to Australia a maximum of 90 days prior to the start of your course. Under the new SSVF Guidelines. the Australian Student Visa process from India is completely online. Here are the steps you need to follow

1. To start an online application, you will need to create and log into your ImmiAccount.
2. Applicants should fill out the visa application form corresponding to the visa subclass under which they are eligible to apply. (Education agents and Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) based in India who are registered to access the student online lodgement facility can lodge student eVisa applications on the behalf of the student.)
3. To track your application, you will again need to log in to your ImmiAccount.  You can use your account to attach documents, update passport details, change email, and address details, and check the progress of your application.
4. A Transaction Reference Number (TRN) is a unique number assigned to each online application. You will need this to track and manage your application, identify when you need to communicate with the visa centre and check your visa entitlements.

Dependents on Australian Student Visa

The dependents also apply under SubClass 500 and pay the additional fee required. You must declare all family members on your visa application at the time of submission, even if they do not plan to travel with you to Australia. If you do not do this, later on, your family members will not be eligible for the grant of dependent visas to join you in Australia. The partner of the student gets a Dependent Visa and a valid work permit for the same duration as the primary applicant. This is applicable only for the Master's degree application.

What is the minimum IELTS band required for an Australian Student Visa?

There are a lot of queries that come in from students asking about the minimum IELTS band requirement for an Australian Student Visa. However, let us clear this confusion once and for all. Study abroad aspirants are informed that their IELTS Score does not impact their Australia Student Visa as your IELTS Score is a university requirement. Australia visa's top band in IELTS for undergraduate admissions should be 6.0 and no band less than 5.5, whereas for postgraduate courses the top band required is 6.5 to 7.0 for getting a student visa.  

So for admission to an Australian University, candidates usually require an overall band score of 6.5 with no component band score below 6 for postgraduate programs and an overall band score of 6.5 with no component band score below 6, for undergraduate programs and some programs like law, laboratory, nursing, etc. have higher IELTS band requirement. Candidates should note that the IELTS Band score is only indicative, the real value could change depending on your university of choice. But your IELTS score in no way affects your Australian Student Visa. 

Part-Time Work Options under Student Visa Subclass 500

The part-time work options for students going to Australia have remained unchanged. Under Visa Subclass 500, students are eligible to work for up to 40 hours in a fortnight while the course is in Session and for unlimited hours when the course is not in session (during breaks). The only proviso is that the student cannot start working until the course commences.

A few things to remember:

• Students cannot work until the session begins. For instance, say your course starts in January 2023 and you reach Australia by December 2022, then you cannot take up employment till your session begins.
• In casework is a normal part of the curriculum of the course you are enrolled on then this limit does not apply. This is usually applicable in the case of compulsory internships or integrated courses.
• Also, students that fall under the Post Graduate Research Sector can work for unlimited hours when the research work or doctoral thesis begins. Also, in case there are any preliminary courses that the student has enrolled in, the student is eligible to work as per the 40 hours per fortnight rule mentioned above.
• Students completing the Australian study requirement can apply for a Post-study Work Permit under the Graduate Stream. However, students enrolled in an ELICOS cannot apply for Post Study Work Permit for Australia.

Australian Study Visa Processing Time 2024

The visa processing time has increased slightly in comparison to the previous years. The new timeline varies for each of the student visa applications, hence the processing time may take from 7 working days to 85 days at the most. Since a lot of students are returning, this is the proposed visa processing timeline guide given in the table below for each of the subclass visas:

Australian student visa success rate in 2024 stands between 85.1% and 86.7% overall. This percentage has increased from 56% in 2022, which is definitely a positive sign for international applicants despite caps, increases in living costs and stringent visa policies over these two years in Australia.

Scholarships for Studying In Australia

If you wish to study in Australia then various scholarships are available to fund your education. However, there are different conditions for securing a scholarship, which one can check in detail and then apply for the one that you are eligible for. The fellowships are provided to support international students’ education. Check out the list of popular scholarships for studying in Australia:

• Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship
• CCSE Graduate Scholarship
• Global Study Awards
• Golden Key Graduate Scholar Award

Also, read about student visas for study abroad and student visas for prominent international study destinations.