Student Visa Australia (Subclass 500): Complete 2026 Guide

What Is the New Rule for Student Visa in Australia?

One of the biggest changes to the Subclass 500 visa is the introduction of the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. It replaced the earlier Genuine Temporary Entrant, or GTE, statement.

The change is more than a change of name. Instead of relying on a general personal statement, applicants have to answer structured questions about their circumstances and explain why their proposed study in Australia makes sense. Their responses are assessed alongside supporting evidence.

The GS assessment looks at areas such as:

• previous education and academic history;
• reasons for choosing the particular course;
• reasons for choosing the Australian education provider;
• the relationship between the course and future career plans;
• personal and economic circumstances in the home country; and
• whether the applicant understands and intends to comply with their visa conditions.

That makes consistency important. A student who has studied one subject, worked in a related field, and then chosen a postgraduate course that builds on that background has a fairly straightforward academic story to explain. Someone changing fields or returning to study after several years of employment may need to give more context.

Financial requirements have also increased. A primary applicant now needs to demonstrate access to AUD 29,710 for annual living expenses, separate from tuition fees and international travel costs.

English language requirements have also been tightened. The source gives IELTS 6.0 overall or PTE Academic 50 as the baseline for general higher-education entry, while different minimums apply to certain packaged English and pathway arrangements.

Work rights remain capped while the course is running. A student visa holder can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during the academic term, with unrestricted work permitted during official scheduled breaks.

Applications are also subject to provider prioritisation under Ministerial Direction 115. This means the education provider attached to an application can affect how it is prioritised for processing. The policy framework is intended to manage migration levels while giving greater attention to the integrity of Australia’s international education system.

What Are the Requirements for a Student Visa in Australia?

An application for an Australia student visa is built around several documents and eligibility requirements. The exact evidence can vary according to the applicant’s circumstances, course and country of residence, but the core requirements cover enrolment, money, English, health insurance, genuine study intentions, and health and character.

Confirmation of Enrolment

A student needs an official Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from a CRICOS-registered Australian education provider.

The CoE confirms the course in which the student has enrolled and forms the basis of the proposed period of study. It should therefore match the course details stated elsewhere in the visa application.

Financial Capacity

Applicants need to demonstrate that they can support themselves while studying. The financial calculation includes:

• AUD 29,710 for the primary student’s annual living expenses;
• the applicable first-year tuition costs; and
• approximately AUD 2,500–3,000 for return travel.

The living-cost amount is a benchmark for visa purposes. It should not be mistaken for the total amount a student will necessarily spend in Australia, since actual costs vary considerably between cities, accommodation types and lifestyles.

Planning your actual budget as well as your visa funds? Compare student accommodation costs in your university city before estimating your monthly living expenses.

Evidence can take the form of bank funds and other accepted financial documentation. What matters is that the money is genuinely accessible and the financial position can be explained clearly.

English Language Evidence

Most applicants who need to demonstrate English proficiency must submit an accepted test result. The source identifies IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and Cambridge C1 Advanced among the recognised tests.

The standard benchmark given for general higher education is IELTS 6.0 overall or PTE Academic 50, although lower scores can apply to specific ELICOS and foundation or pathway arrangements.

Students should also distinguish between the English score required for admission to their institution and the score required under the visa rules. The two requirements can overlap, but they are not necessarily identical.

Overseas Student Health Cover

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is mandatory for the relevant period of the visa. The policy needs to come from an approved Australian health insurance provider and cover the required duration.

This is a practical requirement as well as a visa condition. Medical treatment in Australia can be expensive without appropriate insurance, so the OSHC arrangement needs to be in place rather than treated as paperwork to sort out after arrival.

Genuine Student Evidence

The GS assessment is supported by evidence that helps establish the applicant’s academic and personal circumstances. Depending on the case, this can include academic transcripts, employment records, tax documents and a CV or résumé.

The important point is consistency. The proposed course, previous qualifications and career plans should have a reasonable connection. If there is a significant gap in education or a change in field, the application should explain the circumstances rather than leave unexplained sections in the applicant’s history.

Health and Character Requirements

Applicants may need to complete medical examinations through an authorised panel physician. Police certificates may also be required for countries where the applicant has lived for 12 months or more during the previous ten years.

These requirements can take time, particularly where police certificates or medical appointments need to be arranged in more than one country. Leaving them until the final stage of the application can therefore create avoidable delays.

Student Accommodation and the Visa Process

Arranging student accommodation in Australia before travelling can also make the practical side of moving easier. Having a confirmed residential address gives students somewhere to receive important correspondence and can help with other arrangements after arrival, including setting up local services and a bank account.

Housing itself is separate from the core visa eligibility test, though, so an accommodation booking should not be treated as a substitute for the required financial or academic evidence.

Got your visa requirements covered? Start comparing student accommodation by weekly rent, location, and room type so you can work out what your actual housing costs will look like after arrival.

How Much Will the Student Visa Fee in Australia Be in 2026?

The student visa Australia fee depends on the type of application and the applicant’s circumstances. The source places the standard primary applicant charge at AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026, compared with AUD 2,000 in 2025 and AUD 1,600 in 2024.

The fee structure in the source is:

Online payment can also attract a card or PayPal surcharge. The source places these processing surcharges at roughly 1.4% to 1.95%, depending on the payment method.

The visa application charge should also be treated as a non-refundable expense. Paying the fee does not guarantee that the application will be approved, and the charge is not normally returned simply because an applicant withdraws the application or receives a refusal.

For students planning their overall move to Australia, the visa fee is therefore just one part of the upfront budget. Tuition deposits, OSHC, English testing, flights, accommodation and the required financial capacity can add considerably more to the initial cost of moving overseas.

Financial Support, Grants & Centrelink Rules

Questions about Centrelink and student grants often appear alongside Subclass 500 visa searches, but the two systems should not be treated as interchangeable. Centrelink is Australia’s social security system, and most of its student payments are aimed at Australian citizens, permanent residents and certain humanitarian visa holders. Holding an Australian Student Visa does not automatically make an international student eligible for those payments.

That distinction is particularly important for international students planning their finances. Money received from Centrelink should not be included in an Australian Student Visa financial plan unless the applicant is actually eligible for the relevant payment.

Does Centrelink Give Money to University Students?

Yes, Centrelink does provide financial assistance to some university students. The key issue is eligibility, rather than whether someone is enrolled at university.

The main student support programmes include Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY. Eligibility depends on factors such as age, study status, personal circumstances and residency status.

For international students on a Subclass 500 visa, however, the position is different. The source states that international students are generally not eligible for Centrelink income support, study allowances or ordinary government welfare benefits. They are expected to have sufficient financial resources to support themselves while living in Australia.

This is why a student arriving from overseas should not build their monthly budget around Centrelink payments. The funds demonstrated for the visa application need to stand on their own.

How Much Does Centrelink Give to Students?

Eligible domestic students can receive fortnightly payments through programmes such as Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY.

The amount varies according to circumstances. Age, whether the student is considered dependent or independent, and whether they live at home or away from home can all affect the payment. The source places the general base payment at around AUD 450 to AUD 810 per fortnight.

Some eligible recipients can also receive Commonwealth Rent Assistance if they meet the relevant conditions. The source gives a figure of approximately AUD 180 to AUD 210 per fortnight for this additional housing support.

These are not universal student payments. A university enrolment by itself does not guarantee Centrelink assistance.

What Is the $5000 Student Grant in Australia?

The commonly discussed $5,000 student grant refers to the Tertiary Access Payment (TAP).

The payment is intended to help eligible young people from regional and remote areas with the additional costs associated with moving away from home for full-time higher education. Depending on the applicant’s circumstances and remoteness category, the payment can be up to AUD 5,000, with lower amounts applying in some areas.

The eligibility conditions are specific. The source states that applicants must generally:

• be an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
• be aged 22 or younger on the course start date;
• move from an outer-regional or remote area to study;
• attend a campus at least 90 minutes from the family home; and
• meet the relevant parental income requirements.

An international student arriving in Australia on a student visa Australia pathway should therefore not assume that the TAP is available simply because they are moving away from home to attend university.

What Is the $10,000 Centrelink Payment?

There is no single universal $10,000 Centrelink payment that every Australian university student can claim.

The figure is often used online when several forms of government assistance are added together over a longer period. For eligible domestic students, Youth Allowance or Austudy can be combined with other forms of assistance, including Rent Assistance and the Student Start-up Loan, resulting in total annual support that can exceed AUD 10,000 in some circumstances.

Other government schemes can also contribute to figures of this size, but they are separate programmes with their own eligibility rules.

The source also mentions the Commonwealth Prac Payment, which can provide around AUD 319.50 per week to eligible students undertaking mandatory placements in areas such as nursing, teaching and social work.

There are also state-level grants that have nothing to do with ordinary Centrelink student payments. For example, first-home-buyer schemes can involve payments around AUD 10,000, but those are housing grants rather than university student allowances.

The safest way to read claims about a “$10,000 Centrelink payment” is therefore to ask which payment or combination of payments is actually being discussed.

Who Gets $4000 from Centrelink in Australia?

The $4,000 Centrelink figure is associated in the source with working credit arrangements for eligible domestic students receiving Youth Allowance or Austudy.

Working Credit can let an eligible person earn employment income without having their Centrelink payment reduced immediately by the full amount of those earnings. Credits accumulate while the recipient has little or no employment income and are then used as their earnings increase.

The source places the maximum Working Credit balance at approximately AUD 3,500 to AUD 4,000, depending on the applicable circumstances and measures in force. It is important to understand that this is not an AUD 4,000 cash payment deposited into a student’s bank account.

The figure represents a credit mechanism linked to employment income and Centrelink eligibility.

The source also refers to relocation support for eligible domestic students moving from regional areas to undertake higher education. Those payments can be several thousand dollars, particularly during the first year.

Neither arrangement should be confused with ordinary income from employment.

How Much Can a Student Earn Per Month in Australia?

International students holding an Australian Student Visa can work under the conditions attached to their visa. During the academic term, the standard limit is 48 hours per fortnight. Official course breaks are treated differently, with unlimited work permitted during those periods.

The amount a student earns depends on their hourly rate, occupation, and number of hours worked. The source uses the following wage figures:

Using AUD 33.05 per hour as an example, a student working the full 48 hours permitted in a fortnight would earn:

48 × AUD 33.05 = AUD 1,586.40 gross per fortnight

Using approximately 2.167 fortnights per month, that works out to around AUD 3,437 gross per month before tax.

That figure is a maximum-hours illustration, not a guaranteed monthly salary. A student who works fewer hours, earns a lower hourly rate, or cannot find consistent shifts will earn less.

During official university breaks, the situation changes because the 48-hour fortnight restriction no longer applies. The source illustrates approximately 80 hours per fortnight at AUD 33.05 per hour, producing around AUD 5,729 gross per month.

Penalty rates can also increase earnings for certain weekend and public-holiday shifts, particularly in hospitality and retail. Students working in Australia should also obtain a Tax File Number (TFN) so that employment income is taxed correctly.

The important distinction is between earning potential and guaranteed income. A student visa permits work within its conditions, but it does not guarantee a particular number of shifts or a particular wage.

Planning to use part-time work to support yourself? Compare accommodation costs first and make sure your rent remains manageable even when your working hours vary.

Student Visa Australia Requirements at a Glance

The main figures and conditions can be brought together as follows:

The financial figures should be read separately. AUD 29,710 is a visa financial-capacity benchmark, while student earnings are money earned after arriving and working within the visa conditions. Centrelink payments, meanwhile, are a separate social security system and generally do not apply to international students holding a Subclass 500 visa.

Final Thoughts on the Subclass 500 Visa

The Subclass 500 visa brings together several parts of an international student’s move to Australia: admission to an approved course, financial capacity, English proficiency, health insurance, genuine study intentions and compliance with visa conditions.

The changes introduced around the Genuine Student requirement mean that the application needs a clear explanation of why the applicant has chosen their course and how it fits their background and future plans. Financial preparation is equally important, particularly with the AUD 29,710 living-cost benchmark and the separate tuition and travel expenses.

The visa fee is another high upfront cost in 2026, while Centrelink should generally be left out of an international student’s financial planning. Employment can supplement a student’s budget, but the 48-hour-per-fortnight term-time limit means part-time work should not be treated as the sole source of funding.

For someone preparing to study in Australia, the sensible approach is to have the course, finances, insurance, accommodation and documentation organised before the application is lodged. Once those pieces line up, the Australian Student Visa application becomes much easier to understand as a whole rather than as a collection of unrelated requirements.

Getting ready to apply? Take accommodation off the list early by comparing student housing near your university, checking the weekly rent and seeing what is included before you arrive.