🇦🇺 Australia Student Visa 2026: Complete Guide

What the Subclass 500 actually costs in 2026

Item	2026 amount
Visa application charge (primary applicant)	AUD $2,500 (from 1 July 2026, up from $2,000)
Financial requirement, primary applicant	AUD $29,710/year for living costs (up from $24,505)
Additional funds for a partner	AUD $10,394
Additional funds per dependent child	AUD $4,449 (AUD $13,502 if school-age)
OSHC health cover (single student, per year)	Approximately AUD $500 to $700
Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa fee	AUD $5,750 (from 1 July 2026; rose from $2,300 in March 2026, then $4,600, then $5,750)

The 485 jump is worth flagging on its own: it doubled without a long lead-in notice, so budgeting for it only once you're near graduation is a common and costly mistake. Add tuition, airfare, and medical/police clearance costs on top of everything above.

Key Requirements

Requirement	Details
Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)	From a CRICOS-registered institution; mandatory before applying, issued after accepting your offer and paying the initial deposit
English Language	IELTS 6.0 overall (raised from 5.5), or equivalent, though it varies by course
Genuine Student (GS) Statement	Written responses (roughly 150 words each) on your circumstances, course choice, career fit, and understanding of visa conditions
Health Insurance (OSHC)	Mandatory for the full visa duration; your visa length matches your OSHC coverage period
Health Examination	HAP ID medical exam required for most applicants
Processing Time	As little as 7 days for "Green Zone" institutions under strong enrolment-cap compliance; 3+ months for high-volume applicant countries or lower-compliance institutions

Since 14 November 2025, processing speed depends partly on your chosen institution's enrolment-cap usage under Ministerial Direction 115: Green Zone institutions (using under 80% of their allocation) get the fastest processing, Amber Zone (80 to 115%) is standard, and Red Zone (over 115%) is slower. Choosing a well-compliant institution isn't just about course quality, it can genuinely change how fast your visa is processed.

💼 Work Rights: Australia Student Visa

Period	Hours Allowed
During term	48 hours per fortnight (about 24 hrs/week), across all employers combined
During official holidays	Unlimited hours
Masters by Research / PhD (once research has commenced)	Unlimited hours at all times
Compulsory work placement built into your course	No hourly limit on those specific hours

You cannot start working until your course has officially commenced, even if you arrive in Australia earlier. Australia's minimum wage is AUD $24.10/hour, making the 48-hour fortnightly allowance a meaningful source of income support for most students.

Financial Proof: What Documents Actually Count

You can demonstrate the AUD $29,710 (plus tuition, travel, and dependant costs) through personal bank statements showing the funds held for at least the previous three months, a loan approval letter from a financial institution, evidence of a scholarship covering a specified amount, or a government-sponsored student declaration. A large lump-sum deposit made in the weeks immediately before applying is one of the most common red flags that can trigger delays or refusal, since the Department wants to see a genuine, consistent financial history, not funds assembled just for the application.

Bringing a Spouse or Children

Your partner and dependent children can be included on your student visa application and receive the same visa duration as you. Your partner gets unlimited work rights (not the 48-hour cap that applies to you), and school-age dependent children have schooling rights, though the higher AUD $13,502 financial requirement applies specifically for a school-age child rather than the lower AUD $4,449 rate for younger dependants.

🛤️ Study → PR Pathway

Step 1: Complete your degree at a CRICOS-registered institution.

Step 2: Apply for the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa (2 to 6 years depending on qualification level, at a current fee of AUD $5,750 as of 1 July 2026).

Step 3: Gain relevant skilled work experience in your field while on the 485.

Step 4: Submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect; realistically aim for 80+ points given current invitation trends.

Step 5: Receive an invitation for Subclass 189 (no state nomination needed) or Subclass 190 (with state nomination).

Total realistic timeline: 5 to 8 years from starting your student visa to holding PR, though this varies significantly by occupation and points score.

Common Reasons Student Visa Applications Get Refused

• Weak or generic Genuine Student statements. Answers that don't clearly connect your background, chosen course, and career goals are the single most common issue under the current GS test.
• Insufficient or suspicious financial evidence. A sudden large deposit shortly before applying, rather than a consistent financial history, is treated as a red flag, particularly for applicants from countries recently moved to Evidence Level 3 (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, effective 8 January 2026).
• Inadequate English test scores. The bar rose from IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 overall; some applicants plan around the older, lower figure.
• Choosing a lower-compliance institution without realizing the processing impact. A Red Zone institution under Ministerial Direction 115 can mean months of extra delay compared to a Green Zone one, even for an otherwise strong application.