Find out about the Student visa (subclass 500) including study types, work restrictions and fees.
a course at an Australian education provider.
in your application including your partner, child or partner’s child.
in Australia for the duration of your course (maximum five years) and travel in and out of Australia
up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course of study is in session. Students who have started a master's degree by research or Doctoral degree have no work hour limits.
The student (subclass 500) visa allows you to study the following study types:
You will need to enrol in a course at an Australian education or training provider first and then apply for a student visa after you have been issued a confirmation of enrolment (CoE) from the provider. For more information on applying for courses, visit the how to apply to study page.
In Australia, student visa fees are from AUD$1,600 per visa application* unless you are exempt. Australian student visa processing times vary from person to person. Visa processing times are available on the Department of Home Affairs website. You can also get tips on how to improve your processing time.
*Prices are correct at July 2024.
The number of work hours allowed during study terms and semesters is capped at 48 hours per fortnight. If you fail to comply with this visa condition, you may have your student visa cancelled.
Students who have already started their Master degree by research or Doctoral degree have no work hours limit.
Check the Visa Entitlement Verification Online system (VEVO) to see the work conditions that apply to you.
International students are protected by Australia's workplace laws. Find out more on our Working in Australia page.
There are some other important visa conditions that you need to take note of, including that you must:
You can check your visa status and full list of conditions any time at the Department of Home Affairs Visa Entitlement Verification Online system (VEVO).
You can apply to study two or more courses on your Student visa (subclass 500) where there is clear progression from one course to another. This is known as course packaging.
You will need a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each course you plan to take. The final course that you will undertake as part of your package will be your main (or ‘principal’) course of study.
For your visa application, the Department of Home Affairs will use your main course of study to work out what:
If your visa application includes a package of courses, course gaps must be less than two calendar months. This gap can be longer (three to four months) if:
Standard visa grant periods apply to packaged courses. To find about more about the most popular pathway (or packaged study) options, visit our Pathways page.
From 1 July 2024, holders of certain visas, including Visitor, Temporary Graduate, and Maritime Crew visas, can no longer apply for Student visas while in Australia.
Student visa applicants with a genuine intention to pursue studies in Australia will still be able to apply for a Student visa from offshore (outside of Australia).