How to get an Australian student visa: UK student’s guide

Thinking of going to study in Australia from the UK? It’s a dream destination for international students, boasting beautiful weather and scenery, friendly people and some of the best cities in the world.

If you’re thinking of studying for your degree in Australia, there’s something you’ll need first - a visa.

In this guide, we’ll run through everything you need to know about applying for the Australia study visa. This includes fees, required documents, processing times and a step-by-step guide to the application process.

And if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to manage your money as an international student, check out the Wise account. You can send, hold, and convert multiple currencies, including Australian dollars (AUD).

You can even get a Wise international debit card, to start spending like a local from the moment you arrive in Oz.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

What is a student visa in Australia?

In the simplest form, an Australian Student Visa allows foreign nationals to study at an eligible academic institution in Australia. It remains valid for the length of the course, up to a maximum of 5 years.

You must be enrolled in a course of study in order to be eligible, and you must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the visa.¹

Types of student visas in Australia

If you’re worried about choosing the right visa to suit your needs as a student, then rejoice - the Australian student visa comes in just one form.

The Subclass 500 Student Visa

The Subclass 500 Student Visa is designed to allow foreign nationals to study full-time at an educational institution for up to five years.²

While we will be going through the eligibility criteria in just a moment, it’s important to note right off the bat that you must have enrolled already before you can be accepted for this visa.

As well as making you eligible for a course of study in Australia, it also allows you to work up to 40 hours every two-week period (48 hours as of 1 July 2023). You can also include family members in your application, such as a partner or dependant child.²

Does a student visa count towards residency in Australia?

The general residence requirement for citizenship is to have lived lawfully on Australian soil for a period of 4 years and at least one year as a permanent resident.

And thankfully, the time spent on your Australian study visa does count towards those 4 years. So, you’re in good stead if you’d like to continue your Australian adventure once your study visa expires.³

What are the requirements for a student visa in Australia?

The Australian student visa requirements are not extensive. In fact, they’re really simple:²

• You must be enrolled in a course of study in Australia.
• You must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
• You must be 6 years old or more
• You must prove you have a welfare arrangement (if you’re under 18)

The only tricky part of that list will likely be the Overseas Student Health Cover, which you might not have considered. It’s something you must have for the entirety of your stay in Australia and covers visits to the doctor, some hospital treatment, ambulance cover and limited pharmaceuticals (medicines).⁴

We’ll explain how to apply for this later in the guide.

Documents needed for Australia student visa application

Let’s also quickly run through the documentation needed for the process. You may not need all of this during your application but generally, this is what is required:⁵

• Proof of enrolment
• A valid passport
• Your Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) statement
• Academic and work experience documents
• Evidence of your English proficiency skills (such as IELTS test scores)
• Evidence of financial ability (tuition fees, living expenses, expenses for dependents, return airfare)
• Details of your health insurance policy (OSHC)
• Passport-sized photographs.

To clarify, a GTE is simply a statement written by the person intending to travel proving their intention to move.

There are a lot of guides available online detailing how to write an effective GTE. But to run through the basics, you simply need to talk about your past experience, and why you want to study in Oz. It’s not dissimilar to a cover letter when applying for a job.⁶

The average processing time for Australian student visas

Once the application process is complete and has been submitted to the Australian embassy, it’ll take around 1-3 months of processing until you hear back.⁷ This is the average Australia student visa processing time, but bear in mind that it could potentially take longer.

Are there any restrictions on working hours with an Australian student visa?

The Australian student visa is very generous when it comes to permitting paid employment.

At the time of writing, the Australia student visa allows working hours of up to 40 a week for every two-week period. However, this is soon to change to 48 hours from the 1st July 2023.²

Student visa application fees for Australia

The student visa fee for Australia is $650 AUD, which is around £350 in GBP. And unless you’re including secondary applicants, this is the only fee you’ll need to pay.

Secondary applicants submitting an individual application will need to pay a fee of $650 AUD. This is $485 AUD for over 18s and $160 AUD for under 18s applying alongside the primary applicant.

If you need to make a visa extension application, this’ll be a further $650 AUD. A second extension will set you back $700 AUD.⁸

Need an easy, affordable way to pay visa fees in AUD? Open a Wise account, and you can get a Wise card. It’s ideal for spending in multiple currencies, including online. So you can use it to pay your visa fee in AUD for low fees and fair exchange rates.

Sign up with Wise

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

How to apply for an Australian student visa?

If you’re ready to apply for your visa, here’s a step-by-step guide to the process:

Before you begin, we should reiterate that it’s important to have received confirmation of enrolment at an academic institution before even starting this process. If you have this and evidence of the health policy (OSHC), you can follow these steps:⁹

1. The first thing you’ll want to do is open an account with the Australian immigration authorities which you can do right here. Make sure you have all the documentation laid out earlier before you start.
2. With this done, complete the Visa application for the Subclass 500 Visa on the site, then pay the Visa fee to receive a Transaction Reference Number. Jot this down so you can keep track of your application.
3. You may at this stage have to complete a health check, but maybe not. You’ll almost definitely have to complete an interview however so book and attend this.
4. With that, you now just have to wait for their decision, which you’ll likely get within a few weeks.

Is the Australian study visa easy to get?

The process for getting an Australian student visa isn’t too stressful, at least when compared to other countries.

As long as you have a good reason for wanting to study there, you should be home and dry.¹⁰

How long can you stay in Australia after your student visa expires?

The Department of Home Affairs offers a 28-day grace period after visa expiry.

During this time, you can apply for another visa without being subject to the 3-year exclusion period, which bars you from applying for any temporary visas for 3 years after you’ve left the country.¹¹

How to extend your Australian student visa?

The only way to extend your visa is to apply for a brand-new one as you did previously. So, simply follow the guide above a second time and be sure to do so before your current one runs out.¹²

Can you change a student visa to work visa in Australia?

There is no automatic way to simply convert your study visa to a work visa in Australia. You can however apply for a 485 Skilled Graduate Temporary Visa which allows students to stay and get work experience for 18 months if they’ve just completed at least two years of study.

Once that visa is up, they’ll have a big advantage when applying for an 887 Skilled Regional Residence Visa. This requires the applicant to have lived in Oz for two years and have a year of work experience. Australia’s famous points-based immigration system still plays a part, however.¹³

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And with that, all the bases have been covered. You should now have a better idea of how to apply for the Australia study visa, what documents you’ll need and how much it costs.

For any further help needed for a new life Down Under, check out how to manage the cost of living in Australia, a guide to the working-holiday visa and how to open an Australian bank account.

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Sources used:

1. Home Affairs - Getting a Visa
2. IDP- International Student Services
3. MyVisa - Australian Citizenship Guide
4. Study Australia - Insurance
5. IDP - Study In Australia
6. GTE Experts - How to write a GTE
7. Atlantis Visa - Student Visa Processing Time
8. Atlantis Visa - Visa Policies
9. IDP - Australian Visa Steps
10. Y-Axis - Expiring Visa
11. No Borders - Expiring Visa
12. University of Melbourne - Renewing your visa
13. International Student - Working after graduation

Sources last checked on date: 23-May-2023