Review your study plan
Compare your qualifications, interests, intake and full budget. Identify a course that connects to your study and career goals.
Subclass 500 · Indian applicants
Your Australia
Student visa.
Plan each step.
From your CoE and Genuine Student responses to funding and OSHC: organise your Subclass 500 preparation around your course and circumstances.
Selected sources reviewed October 18, 2026
The Australia Student visa process
From your study plan to arrival.
Start at the stage that matches your progress. Open each stage for the actions and preparation checkpoint.
01Course & CRICOSBuild your shortlist around a clear study plan.
Check CRICOS registration
Check the exact course and provider on the CRICOS register, alongside entry criteria, fees, campus and course dates.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 2 What to have ready
Keep course details, CRICOS codes, entry criteria and your full budget together.
02Offer & CoEUnderstand your terms and check your enrolment.
Read and accept your offer
Resolve academic and English conditions. Understand deposit deadlines, refund terms and the provider’s enrolment process before paying.
Review your Confirmation of Enrolment
Check your CoE against your passport, course and dates. Ask your provider to correct errors. Keep CoEs for each course in a packaged study plan.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 3 What to have ready
Resolve offer conditions, retain payment records and check your CoE details.
03GS & financial evidenceConnect your study choice and supporting records.
Prepare your Genuine Student responses
Explain your circumstances and study choice in your own words. Use relevant records to support your reasons and the expected value of the course.
Organise financial evidence
Calculate the funds required for your case. Document the source, availability and any loan or sponsorship conditions. Budget for actual living costs separately.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 4 What to have ready
Prepare your own responses, a funding calculation and evidence of the source of funds.
04OSHC & documentsPrepare the evidence required for your case.
Arrange OSHC and required records
Confirm cover for the required period unless exempt. Prepare the documents identified by the Home Affairs checklist, including any under-18 welfare arrangements.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 5 What to have ready
Confirm insurance dates and organise the documents on your personalised checklist.
05Application & checksConfirm eligibility, submit and follow requests.
Check eligibility and submit through ImmiAccount
Confirm where you may apply and whether family inclusion is permitted under the current rules. Review your answers, upload the required evidence and pay the applicable charge.
Follow requests and track your application
Respond to requests by their deadlines. Complete health checks with an approved panel physician, biometrics or character evidence if instructed. Keep your CoE and contact details current.
Preparation checkpoint
Explore stage 6 What to have ready
Check application-location rules, retain submission records and track any requested checks.
06Decision & arrivalRead your conditions and coordinate your start.
Review the decision and plan arrival
Read your grant letter and check visa dates and conditions in VEVO. Coordinate arrival, enrolment and orientation with your provider. Maintain required health cover and course progress.
Preparation checkpoint
Discuss my next steps What to have ready
Check your grant letter, VEVO, insurance dates and provider’s arrival instructions.
Some preparation happens in parallel. Follow your provider’s sequence and your application instructions. Admission, enrolment and the visa decision are separate steps.
Australia Student visa document checklist
Prepare the file that fits your case.
Mark the items you have ready. Some documents depend on your course, nationality, residence history and individual instructions.
0 of 10 marked ready
A preparation aid for the documents that apply to you. Follow your personalised application instructions. Your selections last while this page is open.
Financial capacity & application costs
Build a budget with each part in view.
Separate your funding evidence from what you pay to apply. Use your course quote and your circumstances to calculate the full amount.
Single-student living-cost benchmark
A starting point for your calculation.
12 months · Australian dollarsAUD 29,710
Plus the applicable tuition and travel requirements, and additional amounts for eligible family. Actual living costs can be higher. Check the financial evidence route that applies to your case.
What else belongs in the calculation?
Check course fees and amounts already paid, travel requirements, family circumstances and the evidence needed for your funding source.
Keep application payments, insurance and your practical arrival budget in view as well.
Reference: Study Australia financial capacity guidance.
Plan what you need to pay.
Check your applicable charge.
Confirm the current Home Affairs price for your application, any concession or exemption and any eligible family applicants before paying.
Quote the required period.
OSHC costs depend on cover dates, provider and who is insured. Check benefits and exclusions, and confirm any exemption.
Review insurance and checksAllow separately for any required tests, examinations and travel. Reference: Home Affairs current visa pricing and Study Australia OSHC guidance.
The details that matter
Find the answer for your next decision.
Explore GS preparation, English evidence, family eligibility, work conditions and graduate visa planning.
Genuine Student responses and supporting evidence
- Explain your current circumstances and why the chosen course and provider fit your plans.
- Connect your study choice to your background and the benefit you expect from the qualification.
- Use supporting records and disclose relevant study and visa history truthfully. Follow the current form’s questions and response limits.
Admission and a visa: who decides what?
Provider admission
- Academic qualifications and course prerequisites
- Provider-specific English and assessment requirements
- Offer conditions, deposits and scholarship decisions
Subclass 500 application
- Valid enrolment evidence and applicable eligibility rules
- Genuine Student assessment and financial capacity
- Required English, health, character and insurance evidence
An offer or CoE does not guarantee a visa. Your provider and Home Affairs make separate decisions.
Explore Australia admission requirementsEnglish evidence: provider and visa requirements
Check admission requirements and visa English evidence separately. Accepted tests, versions, scores, validity and exemptions depend on the current rules. A university waiver does not automatically remove a visa evidence requirement.
Confirm the accepted test and version before booking.
Explore test preparationEducation loans, savings and sponsorship
- Calculate the applicable living, tuition and travel components, including any eligible accompanying family.
- Keep evidence of the source and genuine availability of funds. For loans, retain the lender’s terms and conditions; for scholarships or sponsorship, retain the award and coverage details.
- Use the current Home Affairs evidence instructions for your funding route. Do not assume a balance alone or a universal holding period settles the requirement.
Explaining education gaps
- Set out an accurate timeline of study, work and other activities.
- Use relevant employment, training or other records to explain gaps. Keep dates consistent across your application and supporting documents.
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
- The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is a separate application with its own eligibility requirements.
- Stream, qualification, age, nationality, English evidence and application date can affect eligibility and stay length. Indian applicants should check any applicable treaty provisions.
- Regional study alone does not guarantee an extension. Check all requirements for the relevant stream. A temporary visa does not guarantee employment or permanent residence.
Work conditions while studying
| Before your course starts | Do not assume you can work; confirm any permission under your current visa. |
|---|---|
| While your course is in session | The usual Student visa limit is 48 hours per fortnight. |
| Scheduled course breaks | Unlimited hours may be permitted under the applicable conditions. |
| Research master’s or doctorate | No work-hour limit after the course starts under the applicable research-student conditions. |
| Before accepting work | Check your grant letter and VEVO. Work permission does not guarantee a job. |
Family inclusion under the October 2026 rules
- Under the October 2026 rules, family inclusion requires an applicable exemption. Family members cannot be added after grant.
- Check eligibility before planning a family move; budget for any additional funds, health cover and schooling that apply.
- Check each family member’s own visa conditions before working. Do not assume a partner has unrestricted work rights.
Processing delays and deferral planning
- Published processing times describe recently decided applications; they do not promise a decision date for your file.
- Allow time for documents and any requested checks. Monitor ImmiAccount and respond by the stated deadlines.
- If your intake becomes unrealistic, discuss deferral with your provider and update enrolment evidence as instructed. Check current rules before changing courses or applying again.
Consistent records and refusal decisions
- Review names, dates, course information and funding records for inconsistencies before submitting.
- Disclose relevant refusals and immigration history accurately. Provide complete, genuine records.
- If refused, read the decision notice for reasons, any review rights and deadlines. Options depend on the decision and circumstances; seek appropriately qualified advice.
OSHC, medical examinations and biometrics
- Arrange approved Overseas Student Health Cover for the required visa period, unless an exemption applies. Confirm dates rather than using course length alone.
- Compare benefits, exclusions and waiting periods. Obtain a quote for your dates and any eligible family members.
- Follow instructions for health examinations and biometrics if requested. Use an approved panel physician for immigration health examinations.
October 2026 update: application location and family eligibility
Rules changed on October 2, 2026. Applying while in Australia, applying for another Student visa and including family now depend on the applicable exemptions. Check your circumstances before making study, travel or relocation commitments. Family members cannot be added after a Student visa is granted.
Reference: Home Affairs October 2026 application-rule changes.
Your questions, answered
Before you submit.
Common questions about your CoE, funding and Subclass 500 preparation.
What is the difference between an offer and a CoE?
An offer sets out the provider’s admission and enrolment terms. A Confirmation of Enrolment records your enrolment for the visa process. Neither guarantees a visa decision.
What does the Genuine Student requirement assess?
It considers your circumstances, reasons for your study choice and the benefit of the course. Answer the application’s questions truthfully and support relevant details with evidence.
How much funding should I prepare?
The published single-student living-cost benchmark is AUD 29,710 for 12 months, alongside the applicable tuition and travel requirements. Your calculation and evidence depend on your circumstances; actual living costs may be higher.
Do I need OSHC and a medical examination?
OSHC is generally required for the required visa period unless exempt. Health examinations depend on your circumstances and instructions; use an approved panel physician if required.
Can I include my partner or children?
Under the October 2026 rules, an exemption must apply to include family. Family members cannot be added after grant. Check eligibility before making family travel or relocation plans.
Can I apply while I am already in Australia?
Your current visa and the applicable exemptions determine whether you may apply in Australia under the October 2026 rules. Check eligibility before enrolling again or relying on an onshore application.
Can I work while studying?
The usual limit is 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. Different conditions can apply to scheduled breaks and research qualifications. Confirm your own work rights in your grant letter and VEVO.
Does an Australian qualification guarantee a graduate visa?
No. Subclass 485 has separate eligibility rules. Your qualification, stream, age, nationality and application date can affect the outcome. Studying does not guarantee work or permanent residence.
Your profile. Your preparation.
Make the next step
a considered one.
Discuss your course options, provider requirements and study preparation with Ratnas Overseas.
Selected sources reviewed October 18, 2026: Department of Home Affairs Student visa requirements, October 2026 application changes, current visa pricing and Temporary Graduate visa guidance; Study Australia visa preparation and OSHC guidance. Confirm requirements for your circumstances and application date.