Study Spectra

Australia student visa (subclass 500) from India: requirements, funds, OSHC and the Genuine Student questions

You apply online through ImmiAccount for a Student visa (subclass 500), generally from outside Australia. Home Affairs says you need a Confirmation of Enrolment for a CRICOS-registered course, Overseas Student Health Cover, English test evidence if the checklist asks, evidence of funds if required, and honest Genuine Student answers. The Department decides; no agent can promise approval.

How do I get an Australia student visa (subclass 500) from India?

The direct answer, and what changed on 2 October 2026

The Student visa (subclass 500) is the temporary visa for full-time study in Australia. As shown by the Department of Home Affairs page for the visa in October 2026 (page last updated 12 October 2026), it lets you study an eligible course, travel in and out of Australia, and work up to 48 hours a fortnight when your course is in session. It is granted for up to 6 years, in line with your enrolment.

Home Affairs says that from 2 October 2026 new rules apply: most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia, and most applicants can no longer include family members (partners and children) in the application. Applications lodged before that date are assessed under the rules in force when they were lodged. If you are applying from India you would normally be applying from outside Australia, but read the Eligibility tab on the official page for the exemption categories before you plan a family move.

This guide covers the study-visa side only. For the destination and course side, see our Study in Australia page and the wider student visas overview. This page does not cover work visas.

Requirements at a glance

Requirement	What Home Affairs says (October 2026)	What to prepare
Enrolment	You must be enrolled in a full-time course registered on CRICOS and provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each intended course. Without a CoE at lodgement the application is invalid.	Offer letter, accepted offer, deposit receipt, CoE codes
Genuine Student (GS)	You must show you are a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student and that study is the primary reason for applying. Applies to applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024.	Answers in the online form plus supporting evidence
English	You might need an approved test score, unless an exemption applies. Tests taken entirely online or at home are not accepted. Use the Document Checklist tool to see if you must provide it.	Approved test result within the validity window
Health insurance	You and your family members must hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the whole stay, unless an exception applies. Cover must start from the day you arrive, not the day your course starts.	OSHC provider name, policy number and dates
Financial capacity	If your document checklist requires it, you must attach evidence of funds. Home Affairs may still ask during processing even if the checklist does not.	Bank, loan, scholarship or income evidence with source of funds
Health and character	Applicants must meet the health and character requirements. Study Australia says a health examination and, in some cases, a police check may be needed.	My Health Declaration and police certificates only if requested
Under 18	You need adequate welfare arrangements while in Australia.	Welfare documents from your school or guardian

Step by step: from offer to lodgement

Choose a course on CRICOS. The CRICOS register lists the education providers and courses that can enrol people on student visas. Use CRICOS to confirm your course is listed before you pay anything.
Read the Letter of Offer carefully. Study Australia says it sets out course details, fees and refund arrangements, and that you should not accept it if you are unhappy with any term. Keep a copy.
Accept the offer, pay the deposit and receive your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). Study Australia says the CoE is sent after you accept and pay the deposit, and a copy must go in your visa application.
Arrange OSHC. Home Affairs says your provider or agent may arrange it, or you can arrange it yourself. If you arrange it yourself you need the policy number for the form, and the application will be refused if the information is missing.
Check the document checklist, then gather English test, funds and identity evidence. Home Affairs points to its Document Checklist tool to show whether English or financial evidence is required for your case.
Answer the Genuine Student questions in the online form. Home Affairs says it prefers answers in the form rather than a separate statement, with a limit of 150 words per response, and all responses must be in English.
Lodge through ImmiAccount and pay the correct visa application charge. Home Affairs says it cannot process an application if the correct charge is not paid. Study Australia notes you do not need an agent to lodge.

The Genuine Student requirement in plain terms

Home Affairs says the GS requirement replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant test for applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024. It recognises that genuine students may develop skills Australia needs and may later apply for permanent residence, and says future intentions of this kind do not count against an applicant under GS.

The online form asks about your current circumstances (ties to family, community, employment and economic position), why you chose this course with this provider and what you understand about studying and living in Australia, how the course will benefit you, and any other relevant information. Home Affairs says it gives more weight to statements backed by evidence.

Previous study: transcripts, certificates, provider names and length of study. If you studied in Australia before, a full study history and reasons for any change of course.
Employment: current employer, period, position held and a contact who can confirm it.
Ties and finances: documents showing employment or business activity for 12 months before lodging, and tax returns or bank statements.
Course fit: Home Affairs says it considers whether the course matches your education level and how it helps your employment prospects in your home country or another country.
Immigration history: visa and travel history and any refusals or cancellations.
Keep each answer within the 150-word limit and in your own words. Copied or templated answers undermine the point of the question, which is to show your own research and intentions.

Evidence of funds, using the figures Home Affairs publishes

As shown by the Home Affairs subclass 500 page in October 2026, the minimum you must be able to show covers your travel, 12 months of course fees (or pro rata if shorter), 12 months of living costs for you and any accompanying family, and school fees for any accompanying school-age children. Home Affairs says the living-cost figure is the minimum for the visa and actual costs vary and may be much higher.

Study Australia does not state the visa minimum; it points applicants to the Home Affairs financial requirements and the Document Checklist Tool. Rules, amounts and who must show funds can change, so confirm on the official page and the checklist before you rely on any number here. For a broader budget, including tuition and accommodation, see study abroad costs and proof of funds.

Item	Figure shown by Home Affairs (October 2026)
Living costs, student, 12 months	AUD29,710
Living costs, partner, 12 months	AUD10,394
Living costs, each child, 12 months	AUD4,449
Schooling, each school-age child, per year (at least)	AUD13,502
Travel guide, applying from anywhere else outside Australia (not Africa)	AUD2,000
Alternative: parents' or partner's annual income in the 12 months before you apply (at least)	AUD87,856, or AUD102,500 if you bring family
Course fees	First 12 months of fees, less amounts already paid and evidenced

What counts as funds, and how to show access to them

Home Affairs lists deposits from a financial institution, a government loan or loans from a financial institution, and scholarships or similar financial support as evidence that can be used.
For the income route, Home Affairs says to give official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old, and that it will not accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer for that route.
If someone else is providing the money, Home Affairs asks for evidence of your relationship, their identity documents and evidence of any financial support they gave you or another Student visa holder in the past. If support comes through a business, show proof it is operating.
If you show deposits, explain where the money came from, for example with recent transaction statements showing the history of funds and regular payments or growth patterns such as salary.
Home Affairs says if you do not give required financial evidence it may refuse the application without asking you for more information.

English test evidence

Home Affairs says you might need to provide an approved English test score, and that you can check using the Document Checklist tool. It publishes minimum scores, for example IELTS Academic or General Training 6.0, with lower thresholds (5.5 or 5.0) when the main course is packaged with at least 10 or 20 weeks of ELICOS or an eligible pathway program, and equivalent scores for other approved tests. It also lists exemptions, such as citizens holding a passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland, and applicants whose principal course is a standalone ELICOS course.

Home Affairs says tests delivered entirely online or at home are not accepted, including IELTS Online and TOEFL iBT Home Edition. For TOEFL iBT, it says that from 21 January 2026 you must select the option for Australia when registering. Because test lists and scores are revised, check the live table before you book a test.

OSHC, work limits and staying on

OSHC: Study Australia says students and dependants must hold OSHC for the entire duration of study. The basic plan usually covers GP visits, some hospital treatment, ambulance and limited medicines, and does not cover dental, optical or physiotherapy. Study Australia lists approved providers including ahm OSHC, Allianz Care Australia (Peoplecare), Bupa, CBHS International Health, Medibank and NIB OSHC. Compare policies yourself.
OSHC start date: Home Affairs says cover must begin from the day you arrive, and you may be refused entry if you cannot prove health insurance on arrival.
Work: Home Affairs says you may work up to 48 hours a fortnight when your course is in session. Master's by research and doctoral students and their families have no work limit. Check your visa grant letter or VEVO for your own conditions.
Fair treatment: Study Australia says Australian workplace laws protect international students working part time, and points to the Fair Work Ombudsman for help.
Extending: Home Affairs says you cannot extend this visa. To keep studying you apply for a new Student visa, and from 2 October 2026 most holders must apply from outside Australia unless they meet an exemption.
After your course: Home Affairs says some former Student visa holders who completed specific qualifications in Australia in the last six months might be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). See post-study work visas compared for the wider picture and check eligibility on the official page.

Scams and red flags specific to Australian student visas

Anyone who says they can guarantee or fast-track a visa. Decisions rest with Home Affairs, which also tells applicants to allow plenty of time and says processing can take longer in peak periods.
Pressure to pay a course deposit before you have a written Letter of Offer and confirmed the provider and course on CRICOS.
Offers to write your Genuine Student answers for you, invent employment, or supply ready-made bank statements. Home Affairs gives more weight to statements supported by genuine evidence, so invented documents defeat the purpose.
Education agents giving immigration advice. Study Australia says an education agent who is not a registered migration agent or legal practitioner cannot lawfully give immigration assistance in Australia. Home Affairs also tells applicants to read its page on who can help with a visa application before they pay anyone.
Anyone asking for your ImmiAccount password or to lodge the application in a way you cannot see. You can lodge yourself, and you should keep control of your own account and passport details.
Requests to pay the visa charge to a personal account. Pay only through the official ImmiAccount payment step.
For India-specific concerns, also read our trust page and verify any agent independently.

What the official pages do not say

The visa application charge. The Home Affairs subclass 500 page we read shows the charge as a figure that loads dynamically, so we cannot quote it. Use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator at the time you apply. Third-party sites give different figures, so do not rely on them.
India-specific rules. The pages we read did not set out a separate checklist for Indian passport holders or say which evidence level applies to you. Use the Document Checklist tool with your own details.
How long a decision takes. Home Affairs points to its processing time guide and says it is not specific to your application, and that applications lodged outside Australia on or after 14 November 2025 are processed under Ministerial Direction 115. We did not read that Direction and do not summarise it.
Approval odds. No page gives pass rates, a safe bank balance beyond the published minimums, or what makes a Genuine Student answer pass.
Which courses or providers suit you. Official pages describe rules, not recommendations. Compare options on Study Australia and CRICOS.

About Study Spectra

Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP. We provide information and document-preparation support; immigration, visa and admission decisions rest solely with the relevant authorities and institutions. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and we do not place people into overseas jobs.

If you want help organising your paperwork, see our document readiness page, the tools page and our services, or contact us. To compare destinations, see study abroad, Canada, the UK and New Zealand, or read the Canada study permit and New Zealand student visa guides.

Official sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-21. Information only, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Australia student visa subclass 500?

It is the temporary visa for full-time study in Australia. Home Affairs says it lets you study an eligible course, travel in and out of Australia and work up to 48 hours a fortnight in session, and it can run for up to 6 years in line with your enrolment.

Can I apply for the subclass 500 from India?

Yes, from outside Australia. Home Affairs says that from 2 October 2026 most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia, and applicants who do not hold an eligible visa must be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Confirm your case on the official page.

What is the Genuine Student requirement?

It is the test for applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024. You must show you are a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student and that study is the primary reason for applying. The form asks about your circumstances, course choice and benefit, with 150 words per answer.

Does wanting to apply for permanent residence later count against me?

Home Affairs says genuine students may develop skills Australia needs and may later choose to apply for permanent residence, and that future intentions of this kind do not count against an applicant under the GS requirement. Your answers must still show real study intent.

How much money do I need to show for an Australian student visa?

As shown by Home Affairs in October 2026, living costs are AUD29,710 for a student for 12 months, plus course fees for 12 months and travel, with a travel guide of AUD2,000 from outside Australia (not Africa). The checklist decides whether you must attach evidence, so check it.

What is OSHC and do I have to buy it?

Overseas Student Health Cover is compulsory health insurance for the whole stay. Study Australia says students and dependants must have it. Home Affairs says cover must start on the day you arrive, not the day your course starts, and lists limited exceptions such as certain Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian students.

How many hours can I work on a student visa in Australia?

Home Affairs says up to 48 hours a fortnight when your course is in session. Master's by research and doctoral students, and their families, have no work limit. Check your visa grant letter or VEVO for your own conditions, since this is the published general rule.

Do I need an IELTS score?

Not always. Home Affairs says you might need an approved test score, and lists exemptions. Where required, IELTS 6.0 is the standard minimum, with lower thresholds if your course is packaged with ELICOS or an eligible pathway. Online or at-home tests are not accepted. Use the Document Checklist tool.

Can I bring my spouse and children?

Home Affairs says that from 2 October 2026 most Student visa applicants can no longer include family members and family cannot apply later as subsequent entrants, unless an exemption category applies. If you plan to bring family, read the exemption list on the official Eligibility tab first.

Do I need an agent to apply?

No. Study Australia says you do not need an agent to lodge a student visa application. If you want immigration assistance, it says to use a registered migration agent or legal practitioner, because an education agent without those credentials cannot lawfully give immigration assistance in Australia.

Does Study Spectra decide or guarantee my Australian visa?

No. Study Spectra is a trading name of Spectravault Group LLP and gives information and document-preparation support only. Visa and admission decisions rest with Home Affairs and the education provider. We do not hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration and do not place people into overseas jobs.