Australian student visa application guide

PTE Author
PTE Author
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Reading time: 4 minutes

Australia is known for its beautiful landscapes, quality of life, and excellent standard of education. If you’re interested in studying in Australia, you’ll first need to understand the Australian student visa application process.  This will set the stage for the exciting new chapter in your education. 

However, there can be a lot to remember when it comes to Australian student visa requirements. That’s why we’ve put together this informative guide, which breaks down everything you need to know. Let’s get started!  

Australian student visa requirements 

In order to apply for an Australian student visa – called the Subclass 500 Student visa – you must be enrolled in a course of study at an Australian institution. You’ll need to complete an application form, gather important documents, and prove to the Australian Government that you meet a list of requirements, including:  

  • The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement

  • Financial requirements

  • English proficiency requirements

  • Health and characteristic requirements

You can also use the Document Checklist Tool to which documents need to be attached to the application. 

The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement

To fulfill the GTE requirement, you must prove you’re coming to Australia temporarily to receive a quality education. To do this, you’ll need to provide a personal statement in English, or translated it into English. This should include information and evidence about your:  

  • Previous studies (with academic transcripts)

  • Current employment

  • Ties to your home country 

  • Economic situation  

  • Immigration history

Overall, Australia wants to ensure you’re entering the country to further your education, and not for other motives.

Financial requirements

This is an important part of the Australian student visa application process. Many applicants need to prove they have sufficient funds to pay for life in Australia, including living costs and tuition fees. There are a few options to do this; for example, you can show you’ve received government loans or scholarships. Evidence of 12-months fund or evidence that you meet the annual income requirement will also work.  The requirements range from $29,710 AUD (about $19,000 USD) to $102,500 AUD (about $65,500 USD). For detailed and most updated information, please refer to Department of Home Affairs.  

Learn more about financial requirements.  

English language requirements

Australia is a very diverse country. Approximately 73% of the population in Australia speaks English at home. To meet Australian student visa requirements, applicants who aren’t from an English-speaking country need to show English language proficiency.  And, our computer-based and unbiased English language test at PTE Academic is accepted by the Australian government for every visa category.  

To be eligible for a student visa in Australia, you must achieve:

  • At least 50 for each of the 4 components for PTE Academic 

  • At least 36 for each of the 4 test components of PTE Academic if you undertake an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) course before your main course 

View a full breakdown of Australian study visa PTE requirements. 

Health & characteristic requirements 

Most visa applicants need to do a medical exam to prove that they are healthy. In addition to the medical exam, the majority of applicants must buy Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) from an approved Australian provider. 

To get an Australian student visa, you also need to be of good character. You shouldn’t have a substantial criminal record or be a member of a criminal group, for example. To prove this, you might have to supply a police certificate.  

Fees  

A Subclass 500 Student visa starts at $1,600 AUD ($1,020 USD) unless you are exempt. There are also added charges for each family member who applies for the visa.  For more information on visa costs, check out the Australian government’s visa pricing estimator.  

Processing times 

For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application. 

To find out if you’re eligible for an Australian student visa, be sure to review all the requirements on the government website. You can see all the documents you’ll need for your application using the government’s documents checklist tool. 

Learn more about working in Australia on a post-study work visa.

Last updated 20 December 2024.

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