Student visa (Subclass 500)
Australia
Genuine Student, evidenced properly
The Subclass 500 now turns on the Genuine Student requirement, which replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant test. Financial capacity is published and precise: AUD $29,710 of living costs for twelve months, plus tuition and a return airfare.
Figures verified
September 2026
- Funds to evidence
- AUD $29,710 living costs for 12 months
- Post-study work
- Temporary Graduate visa, length tied to qualification
- Intakes
- February · July · November
SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026
Why Australia
The case, and the conditions.
- Visa
- Student visa (Subclass 500)
- Currency
- AUD ($)
- Processing
- Indicative times published by subclass and applicant cohort.
Australia rewrote the central question of its student visa. The Genuine Temporary Entrant test asked whether you intended to leave. The Genuine Student requirement asks whether you are actually a student — whether the course follows from your background, whether it is a credible use of your time and money, and whether your account of it holds together.
That is a better test, and it is harder to fake. It also means the written response carries more weight than in any other destination on this list. A Subclass 500 file is won or lost in the narrative.
The financial side is mechanical by comparison. Living costs are set at AUD $29,710 for twelve months, and you evidence that alongside tuition and a return airfare. Overseas Student Health Cover must be held for the entire stay, and the confirmation of enrolment must be an eCoE, not an offer letter.
Australia also requires an in-person English test — IELTS, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic. Remote or at-home test results are not accepted for this visa, which catches out a surprising number of applicants each intake.
Changes to plan around
Genuine Student replaced Genuine Temporary Entrant
The assessment is now about whether you are a credible student, not solely whether you intend to leave. The written responses matter more than they used to.
SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026
Programmes & institutions
What students in your field study here.
Programmes commonly offered here in the disciplines we specialise in, and the institutions worth knowing. A sample, not a ranking — and not a claim of partnership or placement.
Healthcare & engineering focus
- Master of Public Health
- Master of Nursing Practice
- Master of Professional Engineering
Other programmes that recur
- Master of Information Technology
- Master of Business Analytics
- Master of Construction Management
Institutions to know
A sample of well-known institutions, not a ranking. We shortlist against your record, your discipline and your budget.
Monash University
MelbourneLarge postgraduate coursework portfolio across engineering and business.
University of Melbourne
MelbourneGraduate-school model; most professional degrees sit at master's level.
University of Queensland
BrisbaneStrong in agriculture, biomedical science and environmental engineering.
University of Adelaide
AdelaideLower living costs than the eastern seaboard capitals.
RMIT University
MelbourneApplied and industry-linked, with strong design and IT streams.
Curtin University
PerthMining, geoscience and engineering, with a large international cohort.
Tuition
Additional, with a return airfare
Tuition is set programme by programme, not nationally. We quote the exact figure from your offer letter and model it against the financial evidence your visa requires — we do not publish averages, because no student pays an average.
Cost of living, line by line
AUD $29,710 for 12 months
Living costs only. Tuition and a return airfare are required in addition.
The AUD $29,710 figure is the regulatory financial capacity requirement. It is a threshold to evidence, not a forecast of what your year will cost.
Verified requirements
The figures, with the page they came from.
Financial capacity for the Subclass 500 is AUD $29,710 of living costs for twelve months, in addition to tuition fees and the cost of a return airfare. Funds must be genuinely available to the applicant and supported by evidence of their source.
SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026
| Requirement | Figure in force |
|---|---|
| Living costs — 12 months | AUD $29,710 Required in addition to tuition fees and the cost of a return airfare. SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026 |
| Genuine Student requirement | Applies to every applicant Replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant test. Assessed on your written responses and your overall circumstances. SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026 |
| Confirmation of Enrolment | eCoE required An offer letter is not sufficient. The eCoE is issued after you accept and pay the required deposit. SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026 |
| Health cover | OSHC for the full stay Overseas Student Health Cover must be held for the entire period of the visa. SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026 |
| English test | In-person test required IELTS, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic. At-home and remotely proctored results are not accepted. SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026 |
The process
From offer letter to decision.
Student visa (Subclass 500)
The order matters more than the paperwork. Several of these steps require money to move, or a document to age, before the next one can start.
- 01
Accept an offer and obtain the eCoE
1–3 weeks after acceptance
Pay the required deposit and any OSHC premium so the electronic confirmation of enrolment can issue.
- 02
Sit an accepted in-person English test
Book 3–5 weeks ahead
IELTS, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic, taken at a test centre. Book early — seats tighten before every intake.
- 03
Prepare the Genuine Student responses
1–2 weeks with us
The structured written responses are the core of the application. They must reconcile with your transcript, your work history and your funding.
- 04
Evidence financial capacity and health cover
Concurrent
AUD $29,710 living costs, tuition and return airfare, plus OSHC for the full stay.
- 05
Lodge online, complete health checks, await decision
Per published times
Medical examinations are required for most applicants and are booked through approved panel clinics.
Rights and pathways
What the visa lets you do.
Work rights are conditions printed on the visa you are actually granted, not a national constant. Read the grant notice — where we quote hours or caps, we quote them from the published source rather than a figure that may already have moved.
After you graduate
Temporary Graduate visa, length tied to qualification
The Temporary Graduate visa is the standard post-study route, with eligibility and duration determined by the qualification completed and, for some applicants, age. Confirm the stream and length that applies to your specific qualification before you enrol.
SourceAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026
While you study
Capped per fortnight while the course is in session; lifted in scheduled breaks.
Work rights attach to the Subclass 500 and are capped per fortnight while your course is in session, with the cap lifted during scheduled course breaks. Conditions are printed on your visa grant notice.
Toward residence
Points-tested skilled migration, driven by occupation lists that are revised.
Skilled migration is points-tested and driven by occupation lists that are revised periodically. Australian study can contribute points, but it is one input among several — never treat a course as a migration product.
English tests accepted
IELTS, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic — in person, not at home
Processing
Home Affairs publishes indicative processing times by visa subclass and applicant cohort. They shift with intake volume; check the current figure before booking travel.
Common refusal grounds
What gets Australia files refused.
Almost none of it is academic. These are the grounds we prepare against from the first week of a file.
Genuine Student responses that read as generic
How we pre-empt it
We build the responses from your actual transcript, employment record and funding, and we do not reuse paragraphs between students.
Course that does not follow from prior study or work
How we pre-empt it
Where the change is real, we evidence the reason for it rather than hiding it.
Funds that cannot be traced to a credible source
How we pre-empt it
We audit the source of funds, not just the balance, before lodgement.
An at-home English test result
How we pre-empt it
We confirm test format eligibility before you book, every time.
Example pathways
Profiles that consider Australia.
Example pathways describe typical profiles. They are not testimonials and do not describe any individual student or outcome.
- Example pathwayMedicine · MBBS → master's
An MBBS graduate weighing Australia's pathways
Why Australia fits
Master of Public Health and health-science programmes are common, and the living-cost figure and health cover are published and sourced.
Read the pathway → - Example pathwayPublic Health · Bachelor's → master's, after a gap
A working professional with a study gap returning to a master's
Why Australia fits
Master of Public Health and professional master's programmes are common, with published living-cost and health-cover requirements.
Read the pathway →
Start here
Australia, or one of the other six?
Book a free profile assessment. We will tell you honestly whether this destination fits your record, what would have to change first, and — if it is the better answer — which of the other six fits it better.
Talk to an advisor
- +92 300 0000000
- Mon–Sat, 10:00–18:00 PKT
- Fees and services are discussed openly during consultation.
The other six
Most students compare at least three.
United Kingdom
One-year master's, and a graduate route that is narrowing
Explore UKCanada
Capped, but materially easier for master's applicants in 2026
Explore CanadaUnited States
Decided in three minutes, prepared over three months
Explore USAGermany
Low tuition, high documentation
Explore GermanyIreland
English-speaking, EU, and explicit about its numbers
Explore IrelandNew Zealand
Three years after a bachelor's, and a new short-term route
Explore New Zealand
Important — please read
Medica Study Advisor is an independent study-abroad consultancy. We are not a law firm and do not provide immigration legal advice. Visa rules, fees and financial thresholds change frequently — always confirm current requirements with the relevant official government authority before acting. Figures shown were last verified in September 2026.
Medica Study Advisor does not guarantee admissions, visa outcomes, jobs or sponsorships. We provide guidance, information and support to help you pursue opportunities responsibly.
Verified againstAustralian Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500)Last verified September 2026