🇦🇺 Study in Australia: The 2026 Journey, Step by Step
The full 2026 student journey to Australia: a CoE, the Genuine Student questions, A$29,710 in funds and 48 hours of work a fortnight. What visa officers check, what to pack to cut first-month costs, and how much part-time work really covers.
At a glance: the 2026 numbers
| What | Australia |
|---|---|
| Document you need from the school | Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) |
| Living costs to show | A$29,710 (Home Affairs living-costs figure for one student) |
| Work in term | 48 h/fortnight |
| Minimum wage | A$26.44 an hour |
| Plugs and voltage | Type I plugs, 230 V |
| Cash to declare | A$10,000 or more |
Step 1–10: the journey in order
Timings count back from your course start date. Start earlier if you need a scholarship or an education loan: both add months.
What the visa officer is looking for
✅ Answers to the Genuine Student questions
Your circumstances and ties at home, why this course and provider, how it benefits you, and your visa history, each in up to 150 words.
✅ Evidence behind every claim
Home Affairs gives more weight to statements backed by documents: employer letters, payslips, tax returns, transcripts.
✅ A course that makes sense for you
The value of the course to your career, and why you are not studying something similar at home.
✅ Real financial capacity
A$29,710 for living, plus tuition and travel, with genuine access to the money.
✅ Compliance history
Previous refusals, cancellations or breaches of visa conditions in any country.
Before you leave: pack to cut your first-month costs
The first month abroad is the most expensive: deposits, bedding, a phone plan, transport cards and kitchen basics all land at once. Packing the right things from home, and leaving the wrong ones behind, saves real money and trouble at the border. Australia runs on 230 V, so Indian appliances work with a Type I adapter.
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| ✅ Bring: Ground, commercially packaged spices | declare them; whole spices and seeds are restricted |
| ✅ Bring: Pressure cooker and one heavy pan | cooking at home is the biggest saving |
| ✅ Bring: Prescription medicines in original packs | with the prescription |
| ✅ Bring: Light layers and one warm jacket | southern cities get cold in winter |
| ✅ Bring: Type I plug adapters | Indian 230 V appliances then work |
| ✅ Bring: Passport photos and document copies | for bank and university forms |
| ✅ Bring: Spare glasses | optometry is costly without cover |
| 🛒 Buy there: Rice, lentils and dairy | they cannot come in, and Indian grocers are everywhere |
| 🛒 Buy there: Bedding | cheap from discount stores |
| 🛒 Buy there: Second-hand furniture | student Facebook groups and Gumtree |
| ⛔ Never pack: Rice, pulses, seeds, nuts and dairy | usually refused unless they meet import conditions; declare them |
| ⛔ Never pack: Fresh fruit, meat or home-cooked food | including food from the plane |
| ⛔ Never pack: Undeclared items of any kind | infringement notices of up to about A$7,280 and possible visa cancellation |
💵 Declare cash of A$10,000 or more (or the foreign equivalent) when you arrive. Use a forex card or a low-fee multi-currency account for most of your money, and carry only enough cash for the first few days. Full Australia customs rules →
Paying your fees by working, within the rules
| Rule | Australia in 2026 |
|---|---|
| During term | Up to 24 hours a week (48 a fortnight) |
| Breaks | Unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks |
| Minimum wage | A$26.44 an hour (national minimum wage from 1 July 2026) |
| Legal maximum in term | A$19,037 a year (24 h × 30 weeks) |
Worked example. A realistic plan is fewer hours than the legal maximum, because shifts are not always available and grades matter. Here is what 15 hours a week in term and 35 in breaks earns:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Term: 15 h/week × 30 weeks × A$26.44 | A$11,898 |
| Breaks: 35 h/week × 12 weeks × A$26.44 | A$11,105 |
| Gross earnings a year | A$23,003 |
| Tuition (example: a University of Melbourne course at the low end) | A$45,120 |
| Living costs (Home Affairs living-costs figure for one student) | A$29,710 |
| Share of living costs covered | 77% |
| Share of tuition + living covered | 31% |
The pattern is the same everywhere: part-time work can cover much of your living costs, but rarely tuition. Plan to pay tuition from savings, a loan or a scholarship, and use wages for rent, food and the second year's buffer. Never go over your hour limit: breaching visa conditions can lead to cancellation and refusals later.
Other ways to bring the bill down
- Merit scholarships that take a percentage off tuition, often assessed with your application
- Unlimited hours in scheduled breaks, especially the long summer break
- Course work placements do not count toward the 48-hour limit
- Penalty rates: weekend and evening shifts usually pay more under awards
Try your own numbers below. The legal-maximum button fills the most you are allowed to work.
Your first two weeks after landing
| Task | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Tax File Number | apply online once you arrive; needed to avoid the top tax rate |
| Bank account | many can be opened online before you fly |
| OSHC card | activate it and find a nearby clinic |
| Transport card | check student concession rules by state |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the steps to study in Australia?
1) Pick a CRICOS-registered course. 2) Take an English test. 3) Apply and get an offer. 4) Accept, pay and get your CoE. 5) Line up the money. 6) Apply in ImmiAccount and answer the GS questions. 7) Read your visa conditions. 8) Declare everything on the arrival card. 9) TFN, bank, USI. 10) Work up to 48 hours a fortnight.
What do visa officers look for in a Australia student visa application?
Answers to the Genuine Student questions: Your circumstances and ties at home, why this course and provider, how it benefits you, and your visa history, each in up to 150 words. Evidence behind every claim: Home Affairs gives more weight to statements backed by documents: employer letters, payslips, tax returns, transcripts. A course that makes sense for you: The value of the course to your career, and why you are not studying something similar at home.
Can I pay my tuition by working part-time in Australia?
Only partly. Working 15 hours a week in term and 35 in breaks at A$26.44 an hour earns about A$23,003 a year before tax, roughly 77% of the A$29,710 living-cost figure. You must show the first year's funds before the visa is granted, so wages are for later years and living costs, not for getting the visa.
How many hours can international students work in Australia?
Up to 24 hours a week during term (48 hours a fortnight). Unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks.
What should I pack to save money when moving to Australia?
Bring: ground, commercially packaged spices; pressure cooker and one heavy pan; prescription medicines in original packs; light layers and one warm jacket; type I plug adapters. Buy there: rice, lentils and dairy; bedding; second-hand furniture.
Can I bring Indian spices into Australia?
Commercially packaged ground spices are usually allowed if you declare them. Seeds, including whole spices, are restricted, and rice, pulses and dairy are refused. If unsure, declare it: declaring is never penalised.
Sources
Figures on this page were checked against these sources on 31 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official site before you apply.