Student Visa Brisbane, Australia
The Student Visa Brisbane allows you to stay, study, and work in Australia while studying in a full-time education programme registered with the. Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
- Who it is for
- Anyone accepted into a full-time registered course in Australia, from school to PhD, and their partner and children.
- Government charge
- From AUD 2,500 per application from 1 July 2026 (Study Australia), plus a charge for each family member.
- Processing time
- Published in the global visa processing times tool and varies by education sector.
- What you will need
- A Confirmation of Enrolment for each course, your Genuine Student answers, Overseas Student Health Cover, evidence of funds, English results, health and character checks.
- Work rights
- Up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session; no limit during scheduled breaks.
- First consultation
- $80 by phone or $110 in person (GST inclusive). Course placement is handled by our education counsellor; visa advice comes from a registered migration agent.
Student visa (subclass 500): who can apply
To be eligible you must
- You must have been accepted to study full-time at an educational institution in Australia.
- You must be at least six years of age. In that case, you should have organized appropriate welfare arrangements for the duration of your intended stay in Australia if you are under 18 years of age.
- You must have valid health insurance.
Student visa (subclass 500)
Students can study for Up to 5 years and are in line with their enrolment.
With this visa, you can
- The student is in an eligible course of Study
- Students can bring family members to Australia with you
- Students can apply online in or outside Australia
- Students can work additional hours in specific sectors
You must
- be enrolled in the Course of Study in Australia
- hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or fall in one of the exemption categories
- must be six years or older
- prove you have a welfare arrangement if you are under 18
- If in Australia, hold an eligible substantive visa. See, ‘Have this Visa if applying while in Australia” in Eligibility Tab.
Note:
- A substantive visa ceases to be in effect if another substantive visa is granted.
- Applications are received Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) (or Australian Eastern daylight standard time (AEDST) when applicable)
Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
This is a temporary visa. The length of your visa will be determined by the student visa Australia holder’s stay and age.
With this visa, you can
come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age or older due to exceptional circumstances
This visa is explicitly meant for the guardians of the students and permits the residence when:
- The student is below 18 years of age.
- The student above 18 years needs special assistance need or care.
Under this visa, you cannot work as a guardian in Australia. You can reside only during the student’s course duration or until the student turns 18, whichever is earlier. You are entitled to be the guardian of more than one student via this visa.
You must
- be the student’s parent, custodian or relative who is 21 years or older
- have enough money to support yourself and the student during your stay
- be able to provide accommodation, welfare and other support
Understanding the Student visa (subclass 500)
The Student visa (subclass 500) lets you study full time in Australia at a registered education provider, for up to five years depending on your course. You can work part time while your course is in session, include your partner and children in the application, and apply from inside or outside Australia. It is a temporary visa, so the Department also needs to be satisfied that you genuinely intend to study.
That last point is where most refusals come from, not the paperwork. The sections below cover each requirement in the order the Department looks at them.
What it costs and how long it takes
The base application charge for a subclass 500 visa is AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026, unless you are exempt. Each family member included in the application pays an additional applicant charge. Source: Study Australia (Australian Government) and the Department of Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator, checked 20 September 2026. The charge is indexed every 1 July, so check the estimator on the day you lodge.
Processing times are published monthly in the Department's global visa processing times tool. They vary by education sector and by how complete the application is. In our experience a decision-ready application, with the financial evidence and the Genuine Student answers done properly, is decided faster than one the Department has to send a request for more information on.
The Genuine Student requirement
Since 23 March 2024 the Genuine Student (GS) requirement has replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant statement. You answer a set of targeted questions in the application about your current circumstances, why you chose this course and this provider, how the course fits your plans, and your immigration history in Australia. The decision maker weighs those answers against your documents.
Two things trip people up. The first is a study history that looks scattered: a change of provider, a withdrawal, or a move to a lower qualification without an explanation. The second is copy-and-paste answers that could belong to anyone. Write about your own situation and attach evidence for what you say.
Confirmation of Enrolment and your Letter of Offer
You need a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for every course in your package before you lodge. The CoE is issued by your education provider after you accept the Letter of Offer and pay the deposit. Read the Letter of Offer before you accept it: it sets out the course, the fees, the refund terms and the conditions of enrolment. Keep a copy.
Our education counsellor, Shikha Chaudhary (QEAC 11707), works on course placement and admissions. She is not a registered migration agent, so the visa advice itself always comes from one of our four MARA-registered agents.
English language evidence
Unless you fall within an exemption, you need a result from an accepted English test (IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced or OET) at the level set for the visa and for your course. Providers often set a higher entry score than the visa minimum, so check both. Test results have a validity period, and the Department publishes the current minimum scores on its subclass 500 page.
Financial capacity: how much money you need to show
You have to show you can cover course fees, travel and 12 months of living costs for everyone in the application. The Department's living cost figures (Home Affairs, checked 20 September 2026) are:
- AUD 29,710 for the student
- AUD 10,394 for a partner coming with you
- AUD 4,449 for each child, plus school costs where they apply
Instead of showing savings, you can rely on your parents' or partner's annual income: at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months before you apply, or AUD 102,500 if family members are included. These amounts are reviewed regularly, so confirm them before lodging.
The source of the funds matters as much as the balance. A large deposit that appeared last month with no explanation will be questioned. Bank statements, loan approvals, scholarship letters and payslips that show where the money came from are what a decision maker wants to see.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
You must hold OSHC for the full length of your visa, and in most cases you arrange it before you lodge. It covers hospital and medical treatment, most prescription medicines and ambulance cover in an emergency. If family members are included, they need cover too. An application without OSHC in place cannot be granted.
Health and character
Most applicants need a health examination with a panel physician, and every applicant answers character questions. A police clearance is requested where your history calls for it. Answer honestly. A refusal on character grounds, or for an incorrect answer, is far harder to fix than the underlying issue would have been.
Work rights on a student visa
Once your course starts you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while it is in session, and there is no limit during scheduled course breaks (Home Affairs, checked 20 September 2026). Higher degree by research students have no cap once their course begins. The limit is a visa condition: going over it is a breach and can lead to cancellation.
Applying from inside Australia
If you are already here you need to hold an eligible substantive visa when you apply. Since 1 July 2024, holders of a Visitor visa (subclass 600) and a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) can no longer apply for a Student visa onshore; they have to lodge from outside Australia. If your current visa is close to expiry, get advice on timing before you enrol rather than after.
Why student visas get refused, and what we learned at the Tribunal
In our files the refusals fall into three groups: the Genuine Student assessment, financial capacity, and a study history that was never explained. One matter we ran at the Administrative Review Tribunal is a good example. The applicant had changed providers and withdrawn from an earlier course, and the Department found the new study did not fit their background. We prepared a course comparison showing the new qualification was a progression from the earlier study, documented the withdrawal, and separated out finances, study progress and visa compliance so none of them became a loose end. The Tribunal set the refusal aside and the visa was later granted. You can read that matter, and nine others, in our case studies.
The lesson carries over to first-time applications: answer the concern the decision maker will actually have, with documents, before they raise it.
Have questions about your student visa?
How we help with a student visa
Bullseye Consultants is a registered migration agency in Brisbane, with a second office in Perth. Our four migration agents are registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority; the principal, Amanpreet Bhangoo, holds MARN 1573884, and every MARN is published on our team page so you can check it yourself.
A first consultation is $80 by phone or $110 in person (GST inclusive). We look at your course, your funds and your history, tell you honestly whether the application is ready, and give you a written costs agreement before any work starts. If a student visa has already been refused, see our guide to the student visa refusal appeal.
If a student visa application is refused, see our guide to the student visa refusal appeal process.
Our registered migration agents advise on student visa applications from Brisbane and across Australia.
Subclass 500 requirements by applicant type
| Requirement | Single applicant | Applicant with partner or children | Applicant under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmation of Enrolment | Required for each course | Required for the primary applicant | Required |
| Genuine Student requirement | Yes | Yes, for each applicant over 18 | Yes, assessed with the guardian arrangements |
| Financial capacity evidence | Course fees, travel and living costs | Increases for each family member | Course fees, travel and living costs |
| Overseas Student Health Cover | For the full visa period | For every family member | For the full visa period |
| Welfare arrangements | Not applicable | School costs may apply for children | CAAW or approved guardian required |
| English test | Usually required unless exempt | Primary applicant only | Usually required unless exempt |
| Health examination | Usually required | Required for each applicant | Required |
| Work rights after grant | Capped hours during study | Partner work rights vary by course level | Capped hours during study |
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Frequently asked questions about student visas
What is the Genuine Student requirement?
It replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant test in 2024. You answer targeted questions about your circumstances, your course choice and what you plan to do afterwards. The decision maker is assessing whether the study is a genuine reason for coming, on your specific facts.
How much money do I need for a student visa?
You must show funds for course fees, travel and living costs. The living cost figure is set by the Department and is reviewed regularly, so check the current amount rather than an older article. The source of the funds matters as much as the balance.
Can I work on a student visa?
Yes, within the work limit that applies to student visa holders, and generally without limit during scheduled course breaks. The cap has changed more than once in recent years, so confirm the current hours before relying on them.
Can I bring my family on a student visa?
Family members can be included, but the financial evidence increases and school costs for children may apply. Adding family members after grant is possible in some cases and is treated as a subsequent entrant application.
What health insurance do I need?
Overseas Student Health Cover for the full period of your visa, arranged before you apply in most cases. Ask for the OSHC card once you arrive, because you need it at appointments.
Can I change courses or education providers?
Usually yes, but the timing and the type of change matter. Moving to a lower qualification level, or changing within the first six months, can put your visa at risk. Get advice before you enrol somewhere new rather than after.
Why do student visas get refused?
Most commonly on the Genuine Student requirement, financial capacity, or an unexplained study history. A change of provider or an earlier withdrawal is not fatal, but it has to be explained with documents rather than left as a gap.
What can I do if my student visa is refused?
If you applied in Australia there is usually a review right at the Administrative Review Tribunal, with a short deadline that generally cannot be extended. See student visa refusal appeals for what a review involves.
Can I stay in Australia after I finish studying?
Often, through the Temporary Graduate visa, subclass 485, if you meet the study and eligibility requirements. Many graduates then move to a skilled pathway. Our skilled migration guide sets out the options.
Do I need an agent for a student visa?
Not usually. A straightforward application with clear finances and a consistent study history can be lodged through ImmiAccount. Advice earns its cost where there has been a refusal, a provider change, a visa condition breach, or a complicated financial position.