Australia student visa — step by step

From AUD2,500.00 for the main applicant, as published at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (charge increased from 1 July 2026). "There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa." Lower charges apply only to eligible Pacific Island/Timor-Leste and ASEAN passport holders and to the Independent ELICOS and Non-Award sector — Indian passport holders pay the standard charge. Home Affairs also notes you may pay extra for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator for your exact amount.

Home Affairs publishes no single figure — it publishes a stream-by-stream guide based on recently decided applications. Checked on the Department's visa processing times guide tool on 14 August 2026: Higher Education Sector — 50% processed in 15 days, 90% processed in 7 months; Postgraduate Research Sector — 50% in 27 days, 90% in 3 months; Vocational Education and Training Sector — 50% in 7 months, 90% in 7 months. These are a guide only, change regularly, and are not specific to your application. Applications lodged outside Australia on or after 14 November 2025 are processed under Ministerial Direction 115 (before that date, Ministerial Direction 111).

As published at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (Student visa 500 — Gather your documents), you must show enough money for travel + 12 months of course fees + 12 months of living costs (pro rata for stays under 12 months). Published 12-month living costs: students AUD29,710; a partner coming with you AUD10,394; a child coming with you AUD4,449. Schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year apply for each school-age child. Travel costs guide: AUD2,000 if applying from anywhere outside Australia other than Africa. Alternative "annual income" option: evidence that your parents or partner had a personal annual income of at least AUD87,856 in the 12 months before you apply (AUD102,500 if family members come with you), proved by official government documents such as a tax assessment less than 12 months old — bank statements and employer letters are not accepted for this option. You must also prove genuine access to the funds and explain how they were accumulated; Home Affairs states that "providing a bank balance certificate across a single day does not show us how you increased your funds."

As published at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au: you can "work up to 48 hours a fortnight when your course of study or training is in session". You cannot work in Australia before your course starts. When your course is not in session, Student visa holders can work unlimited hours (family members keep limited work rights). Students studying a masters by research or doctoral degree — and their family members — can work more than 48 hours a fortnight. Always check your own conditions in VEVO or your grant letter.

Home Affairs does not publish a routine, compulsory interview for the subclass 500 — the application is decided online in ImmiAccount, and the Department may instead ask for more information at any time (respond promptly rather than waiting for the deadline). Biometrics: the official page says "We might ask for biometrics. Most applicants will be advised immediately after submitting an application if you need to provide biometrics" and you are given 14 days to attend; biometrics (facial image + all 10 fingerprints) must be provided before travelling to Australia. Note for Indian applicants: India is NOT on the Department's published list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) locations (list stated as correct as of March 2026), so if biometrics are requested you will be told whether to use the Australian Immi App or attend a centre. Health examinations are the more likely in-person step: India is not on the Department's low-tuberculosis-risk country list, so temporary visa applicants staying 6 months or more generally need a medical examination, a chest x-ray (aged 11+) and a serum creatinine/eGFR test (aged 15+), done at a panel clinic using the HAP ID in ImmiAccount.