Australia Student Visa 2026 - Subclass 500 and 485 Guide

What the Subclass 500 student visa is

The Subclass 500 is Australia's single, all-purpose student visa, introduced in 2016 to replace a confusing system of seven separate student visa streams. Today almost every international student enters Australia on a 500, whether they are doing a short English-language course, a vocational diploma, a bachelor's degree, a master's, or a PhD. It lets you stay in Australia for the duration of your enrolled course, study full-time at a registered institution, work within set hour limits, and bring eligible family members as dependants.

The visa is tied to your course and your education provider, which must be listed on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). You cannot simply arrive and look for a course; you must already be enrolled and hold a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) before you lodge the application. The 500 typically allows a stay of a few months beyond your course end date so you have time to graduate, travel, or apply for a further visa such as the Subclass 485 post-study work visa.

Crucially, the Subclass 500 is a study visa, not a work visa and not a residence visa. It is the first rung on a ladder: you study on the 500, you may work limited hours while studying, then after you graduate you can apply for a separate post-study work visa, and from there move toward skilled migration and permanent residence. Keeping those stages distinct matters, because the rules, costs, and rights are different at each step. For the wider picture across countries, see our student visa guide.

Subclass 500 requirements in 2026

To be granted a Subclass 500 you must satisfy several distinct requirements at the same time. Each one is assessed independently, and a weakness in any single area - funds, English, or your study intentions - can sink the whole application. The core requirements as of 2026 are a Confirmation of Enrolment, meeting the Genuine Student requirement, proving financial capacity, holding Overseas Student Health Cover, and meeting the English-language and health and character standards.

The Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is the document your CRICOS-registered education provider issues once you have accepted an offer and usually paid an initial tuition deposit. It is non-negotiable: no CoE, no student visa. You will normally need a separate CoE for each course you intend to study, and the visa is granted around the dates on that CoE.

The Genuine Student (GS) requirement is the assessment that, from 2024, replaced the older Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) test. Rather than asking you to declare an intention to leave Australia, the GS requirement focuses on whether you are coming primarily to study and whether your study plans make sense for your circumstances. You answer targeted questions about your ties, your course choice, your financial situation, and your previous study and immigration history. The shift from GTE to GS is subtle but important, and study-agency content often still describes the old test - we cover the most common reasons applications fail in our visa rejection reasons guide.

Financial capacity is one of the most common stumbling blocks. You must show you can cover your living costs, tuition, and travel. The living-cost figure was raised and as of 2026 sits at around AUD 29,710 per year for the primary student, with additional amounts required for a partner and children. This is a minimum benchmark, not a budget that reflects real life in Sydney or Melbourne, and you must evidence it with genuine funds. Alongside this you must hold valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the full length of your visa, and meet English-language, health, and character requirements.

English-language requirements are not a single fixed number. The score you need depends on your course, your provider, and whether you are taking a packaged English course first. Common accepted tests include IELTS, TOEFL iBT, and PTE Academic, and some applicants qualify for an exemption (for example, if they have previously studied in English). The key point is that you prove English in an accepted way - this is about evidence, not about avoiding English altogether.

Costs, funds, and tuition ranges

Studying in Australia is a significant financial commitment, and you need to budget for three separate buckets: the visa application charge, your living costs (which you must also evidence to get the visa), and tuition. The visa application charge for the Subclass 500 was increased again in 2026, continuing a trend of rising fees. Tuition varies enormously by level and institution - vocational diplomas sit at the lower end, while postgraduate degrees at the leading universities sit at the top.

The financial capacity figure of around AUD 29,710 is the amount you must show for one year of living costs, and it is separate from your tuition. If you bring a partner or children, you must show additional funds for each of them, and potentially school fees for school-age children. These figures are minimums set by the Department of Home Affairs and are reviewed periodically, so always check the current amount rather than relying on a number you read months ago.

Remember that the financial requirement is about evidencing genuine funds, not just having a bank balance on the day you apply. Case officers look at where the money came from and whether it is genuinely available to you. Loans from recognised institutions, scholarships, and sponsor support can count, but unexplained large deposits shortly before applying are a classic red flag. Budgeting realistically also matters because the official figure is below the actual cost of living in major cities, so plan for more than the minimum.

Working while studying - the 48 hours per fortnight rule

One of the most important - and most misunderstood - features of the Subclass 500 is the work right. While your course is in session, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight. A fortnight is a fixed two-week period, so this works out to an average of 24 hours per week, but you can spread those hours unevenly across the two weeks. During scheduled course breaks, the limit is lifted entirely and you can work unlimited hours.

This 48-hour cap is the current rule after a period of change. During the pandemic, work limits were temporarily suspended, then a 48-hour fortnightly cap was set as the new ongoing limit (replacing the older 40-hour fortnightly cap). Some roles - notably certain work that is a registered part of your course, and some aged-care work under specific arrangements - have been treated differently, so check whether any exemption applies to you. Breaching the work limit is a serious matter and can lead to visa cancellation.

It is vital to keep working-while-studying separate from post-study work. The 48-hours-per-fortnight rule applies only while you are an enrolled student on the Subclass 500. It is not a general work permit and it does not continue after you graduate. Once your course ends, your work rights under the 500 fall away, and to keep working you need a different visa - which is exactly what the Subclass 485 provides. For a country-by-country comparison of student work hours, see our guide to working while studying abroad.

The Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate (post-study work) visa

The Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa is the reward at the end of the Australian study journey, and it is one of the main reasons students choose Australia over destinations with weaker post-study options. It lets eligible graduates of Australian institutions stay on and work in Australia, in any job, for a set period after they finish their course. Unlike the Subclass 500, it is a genuine open work visa - there is no hour cap and you are not tied to a particular employer or sector.

The 485 has two main streams. The Post-Higher Education Work stream (recently renamed from the Post-Study Work stream) is for graduates of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The Post-Vocational Education Work stream is for graduates of certain vocational qualifications in occupations linked to skill shortages. The length of stay you get depends on your qualification level and, in some cases, where in Australia you studied, with regional study attracting longer stays in some cases.

The 485 is a temporary visa, but it is the bridge between studying and skilled migration. While you hold it, you can gain Australian work experience, build toward an occupation on a skilled list, and improve your points for a skilled visa. It is genuinely separate from the student visa: you apply for it after you graduate, it has its own (higher in 2026) application charge, and it has its own eligibility rules. We dig into how post-study work visas compare worldwide in our dedicated post-study work visa guide.

What changed in 2026

2026 brought several changes that affect both new students and recent graduates, mostly tightening eligibility and raising costs. The most concrete are a higher visa application charge for both the Subclass 500 and the Subclass 485, a lowered maximum age limit for the 485, and tightened English-language and eligibility requirements. None of these change the fundamental study-to-work-to-PR pathway, but they raise the bar and the price of entry, so it is worth understanding each one.

The lowered maximum age limit for the Subclass 485 is the change most likely to catch people out. The 485 has long had an upper age limit, and in 2026 that ceiling was reduced, meaning some graduates who would previously have qualified can no longer apply for the post-study work visa. If you are an older student planning around the 485 as your route to staying on, check the current age cap carefully before you commit, because the student visa itself has no such age limit and you could find yourself qualified to study but not to stay on afterwards.

The higher application charges and tighter English and eligibility rules reflect a broader policy direction in Australia of managing net migration and student numbers more tightly than during the post-pandemic surge. These settings can shift again, sometimes at short notice, so treat every figure here as a 2026 snapshot and confirm the live position with the Department of Home Affairs before you apply or pay anything.

From study to skilled migration and permanent residence

The whole point of the Australian student pathway, for many people, is that it can lead to permanent residence. Australia runs a points-tested skilled migration system, and time spent studying and then working on the 485 helps you build the profile you need. After your 485, the main routes are the General Skilled Migration program (skilled independent and skilled nominated visas), employer-sponsored visas, and the new Skills in Demand visa that replaced the older Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) arrangements.

State and territory nomination is a key lever. Each Australian state and territory publishes its own skilled occupation lists and can nominate candidates whose occupations it needs, which adds points and can open visa subclasses you could not access on your own. Studying - and ideally working - in a regional area or in a state with strong demand for your occupation can materially improve your chances. Your occupation must appear on a relevant skilled occupation list, and you usually need a positive skills assessment for that occupation.

None of this is automatic. Studying in Australia does not guarantee permanent residence, and the points thresholds, occupation lists, and state priorities change regularly. What study gives you is access: an Australian qualification, the right to gain Australian work experience on the 485, and the local connections that make state nomination and employer sponsorship realistic. For how Australia fits into the global competition for skilled migrants, see our global skills migration map for 2026.

Step by step - from CoE to permanent residence

Here is the full pathway in order, from first enrolment to permanent residence. Each step is a distinct stage with its own rules, and you cannot skip ahead - you must complete and hold each status before moving to the next. Treat this as a map of the journey rather than a guarantee of the destination.

1. Choose a CRICOS-registered course and education provider, accept your offer, pay the initial deposit, and obtain your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
2. Meet the Genuine Student (GS) requirement, prove financial capacity (around AUD 29,710/year in living costs plus tuition), arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), and satisfy English, health, and character requirements.
3. Apply for the Subclass 500 student visa online, paying the (higher in 2026) visa application charge, and wait for the grant.
4. Arrive in Australia, start your course, and study full-time at your enrolled institution.
5. Work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks, keeping within the cap to protect your visa.
6. Graduate, then apply for the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa within the eligibility window, checking the lowered 2026 age limit and tightened requirements.
7. Work on the 485 (around 2 to 4 years depending on qualification and location) to gain Australian experience and build your skilled-migration profile.
8. Pursue skilled permanent residence through General Skilled Migration, state or territory nomination, employer sponsorship, or the Skills in Demand visa.

The pathway is real and well-trodden, but it rewards planning. Decisions you make early - which course, which institution, which state, and even whether you study regionally - ripple through to your 485 length and your eventual permanent-residence options. Before you commit money at any stage, confirm the current rules, figures, and lists with the Department of Home Affairs and the relevant state or territory authority.