Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Studying on a visitor visa vs A Student visa
A visitor visa, an ETA or an eVisitor allows study of up to three months, which covers a short English course, a professional development program or a taster, with no enrolment requirement for the visa and no work; a course longer than three months, or one that leads to a qualification the person needs, requires a Student visa with its confirmation of enrolment, the Genuine Student requirement, funds, health cover and the 48-hour work limit, and since October 2026 it is applied for from outside Australia by most. A person who wants to try a course or polish their English comes as a visitor; a person who wants the qualification comes as a student, and the visitor who wants to stay on and study cannot convert onshore any more.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Study allowed
- Up to 3 months in total · The course on the confirmation of enrolment
- Enrolment required for the visa
- No · Yes, a confirmation of enrolment from a registered provider
- Work
- None · 48 hours a fortnight in session
- Charge
- $250 or $630 for the 600; the ETA $20; the eVisitor free · $2,500, plus tuition and health cover
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Studying on a visitor visa | A Student visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Study allowed | Up to 3 months in total | The course on the confirmation of enrolment |
| Enrolment required for the visa | No | Yes, a confirmation of enrolment from a registered provider |
| Work | None | 48 hours a fortnight in session |
| Charge | $250 or $630 for the 600; the ETA $20; the eVisitor free | $2,500, plus tuition and health cover |
| Switching | A visitor cannot apply for a Student visa onshore since 2 October 2026 in most cases | Not applicable |
| Watch out | A course that runs past 3 months is a breach | The Genuine Student requirement reads the choice of course against the history |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
A visitor visa, an ETA or an eVisitor allows study of up to three months, which covers a short English course, a professional development program or a taster, with no enrolment requirement for the visa and no work; a course longer than three months, or one that leads to a qualification the person needs, requires a Student visa with its confirmation of enrolment, the Genuine Student requirement, funds, health cover and the 48-hour work limit, and since October 2026 it is applied for from outside Australia by most. A person who wants to try a course or polish their English comes as a visitor; a person who wants the qualification comes as a student, and the visitor who wants to stay on and study cannot convert onshore any more.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Studying on a visitor visa or A Student visa — which is better?
A visitor visa, an ETA or an eVisitor allows study of up to three months, which covers a short English course, a professional development program or a taster, with no enrolment requirement for the visa and no work; a course longer than three months, or one that leads to a qualification the person needs, requires a Student visa with its confirmation of enrolment, the Genuine Student requirement, funds, health cover and the 48-hour work limit, and since October 2026 it is applied for from outside Australia by most. A person who wants to try a course or polish their English comes as a visitor; a person who wants the qualification comes as a student, and the visitor who wants to stay on and study cannot convert onshore any more.
What is the main difference between the Studying on a visitor visa and the A Student visa?
Study allowed: Studying on a visitor visa — Up to 3 months in total; A Student visa — The course on the confirmation of enrolment. Enrolment required for the visa: Studying on a visitor visa — No; A Student visa — Yes, a confirmation of enrolment from a registered provider. Work: Studying on a visitor visa — None; A Student visa — 48 hours a fortnight in session.
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