Student Visa 500: Study in Australia, With Your Future in Mind.
The 500 is the single student visa for every sector - from a uni degree to a trade course, an English program or school. The trick is treating it as the first step, not the last, because what you do on this visa shapes whether you can stay for a graduate visa and, later, permanent residence.
One visa. Every sector. The whole length of your course.
The student visa lets you live in Australia and study full-time in a CRICOS-registered course. It covers every sector - higher education, vocational training, English language programs, schools and postgraduate research. Whatever you're studying, this is the visa you apply for, and it lasts for the length of your course rather than a fixed block of time.
It sounds straightforward, and at a basic level it is. But the 500 carries a set of requirements that quietly catch people out, and a refusal here can follow you. Getting it right the first time matters far more than most applicants realise when they start.
Most refusals come down to two things - and both are avoidable. The Genuine Student requirement and your financial evidence are where the Department says no most often. They're not about your grades. They're about how well your story and your paperwork hold together. That's exactly the part we make sure is right before you lodge.
The main requirements for a 500.
- A Confirmation of Enrolment in a CRICOS-registered course
- The Genuine Student requirement - the declaration that replaced the GTE in 2024
- Proof of financial capacity to support your study and stay
- English proficiency at the level your course and the visa require
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the length of your stay
- The usual health and character requirements
You can include family members in your application. Once you're studying, you can work - with a cap on hours per fortnight set by the government and reviewed over time. We'll confirm the current cap when we look at your situation.
We start with the two parts that decide most cases.
Your Genuine Student response and your financial evidence. We build them properly rather than hoping they pass. We check your Confirmation of Enrolment, English and OSHC are all in order, and we add any family members the right way.
Most importantly, we plan past the 500. We look at where your course leads - whether it sets you up for a Temporary Graduate visa later, and what that means for permanent residence - so the visa you lodge today is working toward the life you actually want. See the student to PR pathway guide.
What it costs, when to lodge, and how it compares.
Three things shape your application before the requirements even come into play - the government charge, the timing of your lodgement against your course start, and whether the 500 is genuinely the right study visa for your situation. Here is how each tends to sit.
The government application charge. A government application charge applies to the Subclass 500 Student visa, and it has risen in recent years. We confirm the current figure with you before you apply, rather than quoting a number that may already be out of date. Our own professional fee is separate, and we quote it to you in writing. See how we quote.
| Study visa | Who it suits | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 500 Student visa | Anyone enrolled full-time in a CRICOS-registered course, any sector | Lasts the length of your course; the visa most students apply for |
| Subclass 590 Student Guardian visa | A parent or guardian accompanying a student aged under 18 | A care visa, not a study visa - the guardian does not study or work |
| Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa | Graduates who have finished a qualifying course and want to stay and work | The step after the 500; its charge rose to around AUD 4,600 from 1 March 2026 |
Lodge with your course start in mind. Student visa processing generally runs around four to six weeks, though it varies with your course, your country and how complete your file is. Lodging a well-prepared application well ahead of your course start date gives that timeline room to move, which is why we confirm your Confirmation of Enrolment, finances and Genuine Student response are ready before you apply rather than after.
Student Visa 500 questions.
Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)
Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.
Planning to study here?
Get the Genuine Student requirement and your finances right the first time, and keep the door open to staying on after you graduate.