Who qualifies for an Australian student visa?

An applicant with a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for a full-time CRICOS course, funds for 12 months of living costs (AUD 29,710), 12 months of course fees and AUD 2,000 for travel (or parents' income of AUD 87,856 a year), English at IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for most degree courses (5.5 with 10 weeks of ELICOS), Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole stay, a health examination, and answers to the Genuine Student questions that show the course fits your history and plans.

AUD 2,500 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, plus the additional applicant charge for each family member included. Add OSHC (about AUD 600 to 700 a year for a single student), the health examination with a Bupa-approved panel physician in India, biometrics collection and the English test. The fee is not refunded on refusal.

How long does it take from India?

Home Affairs' global figures show 50 percent of higher-education applications decided in 16 days and 90 percent in four months, with a median of 22 days across all sectors. Under Ministerial Direction 115 applications are prioritised by the provider's allocation under the national planning level, so timing depends on your institution; lodge at least three months before the course starts.

How much money do I need for an Australian student visa from India?

AUD 29,710 for 12 months of living costs, plus 12 months of course fees less any amount paid and AUD 2,000 for travel, with AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 per child. Alternatively a parent or spouse can show annual income of AUD 87,856 (AUD 102,500 with family members).

What is the Australian student visa fee in 2026?

AUD 2,500 for the main applicant for applications lodged from 1 July 2026, up from AUD 2,000. Additional applicant charges apply to family members, and the fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.

What IELTS score is needed for an Australian student visa?

IELTS 6.0 overall (or equivalent) for a direct-entry course, 5.5 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 5.0 with 20 weeks, from a test taken in the last two years. Universities often require higher scores for admission.

How many hours can international students work in Australia?

48 hours per fortnight while the course is in session and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks, under condition 8105. Research master's and PhD students have no cap once the course starts.

Does Vistolane file Australian student visas?

Yes. Vistolane files subclass 500 applications with a guaranteed lodgement date, checks the financial capacity figures and Genuine Student answers before lodging, and study-abroad consultants run whole intakes through the same workspace.

Australia visaSubclass 500

Australia Student visa (subclass 500) for Indian students

The Student visa (subclass 500) needs a Confirmation of Enrolment from a CRICOS-registered provider, evidence of AUD 29,710 for a year's living costs plus tuition and travel, English at the required band, Overseas Student Health Cover and a Genuine Student statement. The fee rose to AUD 2,500 on 1 July 2026 and Home Affairs decided half of higher-education applications within 16 days and 90 percent within four months.

8 min read Verified 29 October 2026 against immi.homeaffairs.gov.au · How we verify

Australia student visa: quick answers

Who qualifies for an Australian student visa?: An applicant with a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for a full-time CRICOS course, funds for 12 months of living costs (AUD 29,710), 12 months of course fees and AUD 2,000 for travel (or parents' income of AUD 87,856 a year), English at IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for most degree courses (5.5 with 10 weeks of ELICOS), Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole stay, a health examination, and answers to the Genuine Student questions that show the course fits your history and plans.
What does it cost?: AUD 2,500 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, plus the additional applicant charge for each family member included. Add OSHC (about AUD 600 to 700 a year for a single student), the health examination with a Bupa-approved panel physician in India, biometrics collection and the English test. The fee is not refunded on refusal.
How long does it take from India?: Home Affairs' global figures show 50 percent of higher-education applications decided in 16 days and 90 percent in four months, with a median of 22 days across all sectors. Under Ministerial Direction 115 applications are prioritised by the provider's allocation under the national planning level, so timing depends on your institution; lodge at least three months before the course starts.

At a glance

Item	Detail
Visa	Student visa (subclass 500), length of course plus 1 to 2 months
Government fee	AUD 2,500 main applicant (from 1 July 2026)
Living costs	AUD 29,710 for 12 months, plus 12 months of tuition and AUD 2,000 travel
Partner and child	AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 per child in living costs, plus school fees
English	IELTS 6.0 overall (5.5 with 10 weeks ELICOS; 5.0 with 20 weeks) or equivalent; higher for some courses
Health cover	Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole visa period
Processing	50 percent in 16 days, 90 percent in 4 months (higher education); median 22 days
Work	48 hours per fortnight in session; unlimited in scheduled breaks

Who can apply and what Home Affairs checks

You need a CoE for each course in your package from a provider registered on CRICOS, Overseas Student Health Cover starting before you arrive, and a passport valid for the stay. The Genuine Student requirement replaced the genuine temporary entrant test in March 2024: the form asks about your current circumstances, why you chose the course and provider, how the course benefits you, your study and employment history and anything else relevant, and the officer weighs the answers against your record and the provider's own assessment.

The financial capacity rule asks for 12 months of living costs at AUD 29,710 for the student (AUD 10,394 for a partner, AUD 4,449 for each child, plus school fees of AUD 13,502 per school-age child), 12 months of course fees less any amount paid, and AUD 2,000 for travel from India. Alternatively a parent or spouse can show annual income of AUD 87,856 (AUD 102,500 if family members are included) from the most recent tax year. Indian applicants are assessed at evidence level 2 or 3 depending on the provider, which means financial and English evidence must usually be attached rather than declared.

English is shown with IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge or OET results from the last two years at the level the regulations set (IELTS 6.0 overall, or 5.5 combined with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 5.0 with 20 weeks), though many universities require more for admission. Applicants under 18 need welfare arrangements. A health examination is required for Indian applicants and is best completed before lodgement.

Fees and funds

Item	AUD	Notes
Student visa (subclass 500), main applicant	2,500	From 1 July 2026; AUD 2,000 before
Additional applicant 18 or over	Per current pricing table	Partner included in the application
Additional applicant under 18	Per current pricing table	Each child
Living costs, student	29,710	12 months; evidence-level dependent
Living costs, partner	10,394	12 months
Living costs, each child	4,449	Plus AUD 13,502 school fees per school-age child
Travel	2,000	From outside Australia
Overseas Student Health Cover	About 600 to 700 per year	Single cover; family cover costs more

Funds can be shown with bank statements, fixed deposits, an education loan sanction letter from an Indian bank or NBFC, or a scholarship letter. Home Affairs checks that the money is genuinely available: loans must be disbursable, and recent deposits need a documented source.

How the application runs, step by step

1
Accept the offer, pay the deposit and receive the CoE
The provider issues a CoE for each course once the deposit and OSHC are arranged; package courses need a CoE for each stage.
2
Prepare the Genuine Student answers and the funds
Write specific answers for each GS question, assemble 12 months of living costs plus tuition and travel or the parental income evidence, and sit the English test if needed.
3
Complete the health examination
Book a Bupa-approved panel physician in India through My Health Declarations before lodging to avoid a referral later.
4
Lodge in ImmiAccount and pay AUD 2,500
Attach the CoE, OSHC certificate, passport, English result, financial evidence, GS answers and academic documents.
5
Biometrics, any request for information and the grant
Attend the collection centre when requested, answer any request within 28 days, and check the grant letter for conditions 8105 (work) and 8202 (course progress).

Timeline for a February or July intake

Stage	Typical time
Offer to CoE	2 to 6 weeks after the deposit
Funds, English and health examination	4 to 8 weeks
Lodgement to decision	16 days for half of higher-education applications; up to 4 months for 90 percent
Grant to travel	Up to 90 days before the course starts

Lodge at least 12 weeks before the course start date and earlier for vocational providers, whose applications sit lower in the Ministerial Direction 115 priority order once the provider's allocation is reached.

Working, dependants and the Temporary Graduate visa

Students can work 48 hours per fortnight while the course is in session and unlimited hours in scheduled breaks; research master's and doctoral students have no cap. Condition 8202 requires enrolment, attendance and satisfactory progress; a provider report for non-compliance leads to cancellation. Partners of master's and doctoral students may work unlimited hours; partners of other students are limited to 48 hours a fortnight.

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) Post-Higher Education Work stream gives two years after a bachelor's or coursework master's and three years after a research master's or doctorate, for graduates under 35 with IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each band), applied for within six months of completion. Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders have longer stays; Indian graduates in listed STEM and other fields may also qualify for an additional stay under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement arrangements. Check the current 485 page before relying on the post-study period.

Document checklist: enrolment and health cover

Document	Standard the officer applies
Confirmation of Enrolment for each course	From a CRICOS-registered provider; package courses need one per stage
Overseas Student Health Cover certificate	Covering the whole visa period from arrival
Offer letter and course details	Fees, duration and start date matching the CoE

Genuine Student requirement

Document	Standard the officer applies
Written answers to the GS questions	Current circumstances, reasons for the course and provider, benefit to you, study and work history
Academic transcripts and certificates	Class 10, 12 and degree records; explain gaps over six months with employment or other evidence
Employment evidence	Letters, pay slips and Form 16 for work history claimed

Funds

Document	Standard the officer applies
Bank statements or fixed deposits	Covering AUD 29,710 living costs plus 12 months of tuition and AUD 2,000 travel, with sources of large deposits
Education loan sanction letter	From a bank or NBFC, stating the amount is disbursable and the course it covers
Parental income evidence (alternative)	ITR and Form 16 showing AUD 87,856 or more in the last tax year, plus relationship proof

English, identity and health

Document	Standard the officer applies
English test result	IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge or OET within two years at the required band
Passport and photograph	Valid passport; recent photo
Health examination (HAP ID)	Completed with a Bupa-approved panel physician before lodgement
Biometrics	At a VFS Australian Biometrics Collection Centre when requested

Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix

Genuine Student requirement not met

The answers were generic, the course did not fit your study or work history, or similar courses were available in India at lower cost without explanation.

The fix. Write specific answers that connect your record to the course and to a career outcome, address any change of field or step down in level, and keep the answers consistent with the provider's own GS assessment.

Financial capacity not shown

Funds below the AUD 29,710 plus tuition and travel figure, unexplained recent deposits, or a loan letter that did not confirm disbursal.

The fix. Hold the full amount with a documented source, use a sanction letter that states the funds are available before travel, or use the parental income alternative with the tax return.

English below the required level

An expired test, a score under IELTS 6.0 without a matching ELICOS package, or a test type not accepted for visa purposes.

The fix. Retake an accepted test within two years of lodgement or add the ELICOS weeks the regulations require for a lower score.

Public interest criterion 4020: false or misleading information

A document or statement that could not be verified, including bank letters and employment letters, bringing a three-year bar on further grants.

The fix. Use only documents the issuer will confirm, declare everything accurately, and respond to any natural justice letter with evidence inside the deadline.

Health or OSHC gaps

A health examination not completed after referral, or OSHC not covering the full visa period.

The fix. Complete the examination before lodging and buy OSHC for the whole course length plus the visa buffer.

Official sources

Australia student visa questions

Other Australia routes

Subclass 600

Visitor visa (subclass 600)

AUD 250 per person

Read the route

Subclass 482

Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

AUD 4,015 per person

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Subclass 189

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

AUD 6,135 main applicant

Read the route

Subclass 309/100

Partner visa (subclass 309/100)

AUD 11,710 main applicant

Read the route