All you need to know about the Student 500 Visa
Are you thinking of undertaking studies in Australia? To do so, you will need to apply for a student 500 visa. To apply for this visa, you will need to lodge your application online. Applications can be made either online in or outside of Australia.
So, what does the Student 500 Visa enable you to do?
Essentially, this visa enables applicants to travel to Australia to complete either their tertiary or secondary education. Applicants can stay up to five years in Australia – as long as it is in line with your enrollment.
We have an article about enrollment & Packaged Courses
Primary Criteria
To be eligible under the regulation, the applicant must;
- Either be enrolled in a registered course; and
- Be genuine entry and stay as a student; and
- Have adequate health insurance
Course of Study
Course of study may refer to a full time course of study under a secondary exchange program that is administered by a State/Territory education authority, a full time course of study or training under a scholarship scheme or training program approved by the Foreign Minister or Defence Minister or other full time CRICOS registered course.
Genuine Temporary Entry
The applicant must have a genuine entry to stay temporarily, notwithstanding the potential for this intention to change over time to an intention to remain in Australia for an extended period or permanently. They must also have the intention to entry and stay purely for their studies. The department will consider these factors when assessing GTE:
- Applicant’s circumstances
- Applicant’s immigration history
- Applicant’s age
- Any other relevant matters
For further information, we also have a newsletter article about the GTE for students. Click here.
Health insurance (Overseas Student Health Cover)
Applicants must submit evidence of adequate health insurance during their stay in Australia.
For further information, we also have a newsletter article about health insurance for students. Click here.
Documents Needed
DOHA provides a document checklist tool that enables applicants to know what documents to submit. Click here to find out what you need for your visa.
Here is an example.
Let’s imagine that Emma just finished her secondary schooling and would like to conduct her tertiary education in another country. Emma is from South Korea and is 19 years old. She researches and decides that she would like to go to Sydney for her tertiary education. Emma wants to be a biologist and enrolls into a Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney. She is successful and receives an offer letter. However, for her to complete her course, she will need to apply for a student 500 visa. Conducting her research, she notices that she has to lodge her application online. This is where the document checklist tool comes in handy. Unsure what documents to upload, she uses this tool as a guideline. From there is realises that she needs to upload the following:
- Identification: i.e, passport, national identity card or driver licence
- Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE)
- Health insurance cover
- Evidence of GTE: this could include academic transcripts
Emma has completed her form and submits all relevant documents. Emma has met all the requirements, and as a result, she was successful with her visa application. Emma can now go to Sydney and complete her tertiary education aboard.
Are you looking to apply for a student visa and want to have a story like Emma? As you can see, there are many requirements which are unique to this visa. We understand that it might be quite complicated and are here to help. Call +61 2 8054 2537, 0434 890 199 or book online today to speak to our migration specialists.
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