Study in Australia
Student Visas Australia
The Subclass 500 is the one visa that lets you study in Australia — and the one the Department has tightened hardest: a $2,500 application charge, a $29,710-a-year living-cost requirement, and the Genuine Student test that decides most refusals. This hub maps every guide we publish on getting the 500, keeping it, and what comes after it.
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Applying from your country
After your studies
Refusals & problem areas
Most student refusals are paperwork refusals. Genuine applicants get refused on a weak Genuine Student statement or thin financial evidence far more often than on substance. Outcomes cannot be guaranteed by any registered migration agent (s 15, Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021). WIDEN's role is migration advice — Genuine Student strategy, financial evidence, refusal risk review, and the pathway plan beyond the 500.
Where to start
- New applicant — start with the Subclass 500 guide, then price the whole thing honestly with the cost guide.
- Worried about the Genuine Student test — read the GS requirement guide and run the free self-assessment.
- Already studying, planning what's next — the 485 guide and the Study Pathway Tool.
- Refused — the refusal guide first; review deadlines are short.
Not sure your student visa plan holds up?
Tell us your course plans, your background, and any refusal history — a registered migration agent will give you an honest read on your Genuine Student position and the pathway beyond the 500. Free, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for an Australian student visa?
The core requirements for the Subclass 500: enrolment in a registered (CRICOS) course with a Confirmation of Enrolment, the Genuine Student requirement, evidence of financial capacity (living costs around AUD $29,710 per year at last review, plus tuition and travel), English language evidence where required, Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole stay, and health and character. The Genuine Student requirement and the financial evidence are where most refusals happen.
How much does a student visa cost in 2026?
The visa application charge is AUD $2,500 from 1 July 2026 — among the highest student visa fees in the world. But the visa fee is the small part: with first-year tuition, Overseas Student Health Cover and the financial capacity you must evidence, a realistic first-year commitment runs tens of thousands of dollars. See the full cost breakdown for worked examples by sector.
What is the Genuine Student requirement?
The Genuine Student (GS) requirement replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant test. It asks whether you are genuinely coming to Australia to study — assessed through targeted questions about your circumstances, your course choice and its value to your future, your ties to your home country, and your immigration history. It is the single most common refusal ground for student visas, and it is answered in writing before an officer ever sees your file.
Can I stay in Australia after my studies?
The standard next step is the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa — post-study work rights for eligible graduates. From there, pathways diverge: skilled migration (189/190/491), employer sponsorship (482 and the 186 that can follow), or regional routes. The realistic pathway depends on your occupation, age and points position — planned best while choosing the course, not after graduating.
My student visa was refused — what now?
Most onshore student visa refusals carry review rights at the ART with strict deadlines. The right response depends on the refusal ground: Genuine Student refusals often turn on how the written statement addressed the criteria, while financial refusals turn on the evidence provided. Read the decision record before deciding between review, a fresh application, or a different pathway entirely.
Do I need an agent for a student visa?
Many students apply successfully without one. Where professional help earns its fee: refusal histories, complicated financial or family circumstances, doubtful Genuine Student profiles (career changers, long study gaps, older applicants), and course changes onshore. Outcomes cannot be guaranteed by any registered migration agent (s 15, Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021) — what changes is whether the application anticipates the doubts an officer will have.
General information only. Visa charges, financial thresholds and policy settings change — verify current figures at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before relying on this page.
This page does not constitute migration advice (s 23, Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021). Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) only after a paid initial consultation under section 43 of the Code, with a written service agreement issued before further work commences (section 42). The OMARA Consumer Guide is provided to all clients before the consultation begins. Outcomes cannot be guaranteed by any registered migration agent (s 15). PI insurance held under the Migration Agents Regulations 2026. Complaints via our Complaints Policy or directly to OMARA.
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