Subclass 500 Student Visa - must be 6 years or older
Overview
Stay
Up to 5 Years and in line with your enrolment
With this visa, you can
- participate in an eligible course of study
- bring family members to Australia with you
- apply online in or outside Australia
Things to note
- must be enrolled in a course of study in Australia
- must hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or fall in one of the exemption categories, for a stay in Australia.
- If under 18, must prove you have a welfare arrangement
About the Visa
With this visa, you can
- participate in an eligible course of study in Australia
- travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want
- work up to 40 hours every 2-week period once your course starts
- apply for a different temporary or permanent visa, if eligible
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa. The type of course and its length will determine the length of stay
Primary school children enrolled in years 1-4 can only be granted a student visa for a maximum of 2 years.
Stay longer
To continue studying in Australia, you must apply for a new Student visa.
If your student visa will expire before your graduation you might be eligible for a Visitor visa (subclass 600). You will need a letter from your education provider with the date of your graduation.
If you hold or held a student visa and completed specific qualifications in Australia in the last six months, you might be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
If you are a recent engineering graduate of a recognized institution you might be eligible for the Skilled Recognition Graduate visa (subclass 476).
If you want to stay longer for other reasons, you must apply for a new visa that suits your circumstances. Explore your visa options.
Include family
You can include family members when you lodge your visa application. For student visas, your family member is:
- your spouse or de facto partner, or
- your, or your spouse or de facto partner’s the dependent child who is unmarried and has not turned 18 years of age.
You must declare your family members in your student visa application even if they do not plan to travel with you to Australia. If you do not do this, your family members will not be eligible for a student visa to join you in Australia.
Your family members can also apply as a subsequent entrant (at a later time, separate from your application) in ImmiAccount.
Cost
The visa costs from AUD575 for the main applicant, unless they are exempt.
There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa.
To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator.
The estimator does not take into account other costs you might also have to pay: such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
Apply from
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and if granted your application.
Packaged courses
You can apply to take 2 or more courses on your Student visa where one course clearly leads to the next. This is course packaging.
You must either:
- give a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each course, or
- show that no CoE is required for a course
The last course you take as part of the course package is your main course of study. Your main course of study is used to work out what financial and English language skills evidence you must give.
Processing times
- Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector
- 75% of applications in 20 days
- 90% of applications in 33 days
- Postgraduate Research Sector
- 75% of applications in 47 days
- 90% of applications in 75 days
- Non-Award Sector
- 75% of applications in 3 days
- 90% of applications in 10 days
- Schools Sector
- 75% of applications in 29 days
- 90% of applications in 52 days
- Independent ELICOS Sector
- 75% of applications in 22 days
- 90% of applications in 51 days
- Vocational Education and Training Sector
- 75% of applications in 48 days
- 90% of applications in 65 days
- Higher Education Sector
- 75% of applications in 16 days
- 90% of applications in 33 days
Your application can take longer to process if:
- you do not fill it incorrectly
- you do not include all the documents needed or need more information from you
- it takes time to verify your information
Your obligations
You and your family must meet all visa conditions and follow Australian laws.
Travel
You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.
Visa label
Immigration Department will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
