500 Student Visa
500 Student Visa Overview
Student visa holders can undertake full-time studies at a registered educational institution in Australia. The maximum validity of a student visa is no more than five years. Eligible family members can apply for a dependent visa.
At the time of application, the applicant must be at least 6 years old and have purchased Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). The applicant must ensure they have received a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from an Australian educational institution for full-time study.
Eligible courses of study generally include
- • English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
• Primary school courses
• Secondary or high school courses
• Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses
• Higher education courses, including bachelor’s degree, graduate certificates/diplomas,
• Master’s degree (coursework), master’s degree (research), and doctoral degrees.
Student visa holders are allowed to work up to 48 hours per fortnight. There are no work restrictions during school holidays. Work is not permitted before the official course commencement date. Research-based master’s or doctoral students have no work limitations. All work-related income must be reported to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and taxed accordingly.
Students must meet their institution’s attendance and academic performance requirements. If they need to change courses or transfer to another institution, they can generally only switch to a course of the same or higher level and cannot choose a lower-level course.
After the student visa expires, holders may apply for a Subclass 485: Temporary Graduate Visa based on their individual circumstances or directly apply for skilled migration to obtain Australian permanent residency.