Subclass 500 Student visa document checklist

The Student visa (subclass 500) lets a person study full time at an Australian education provider. This checklist is a starting point as at November 2026; confirm each item on the Home Affairs subclass 500 page and with the document checklist tool before lodging.

Changes from 2 October 2026

Home Affairs changed the Student visa application rules for applications lodged on or after 2 October 2026:

• Most temporary visa holders, including Working Holiday Maker and Skills in Demand visa holders, can no longer apply for a Student visa in Australia.
• Most applicants must be outside Australia when they apply and when the visa is granted, unless an exemption applies.
• Family members cannot be included unless an exemption applies, and cannot be added after the grant.
• Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the earlier rules.

Documents

• Identity: passport bio page and a passport photograph
• Enrolment: Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from the Australian education provider
• Genuine Student requirement: the applicant's answers and supporting evidence for the Genuine Student requirement
• Financial capacity: evidence of funds for travel, tuition, 12 months' living costs and school costs for any children, or evidence of the annual income of a spouse or parent who is not travelling. Check the current amounts on the evidence of financial capacity page.
• Genuine access to funds: evidence that the funds are genuinely available to the applicant. See genuine access to funds.
• English: an English test result, unless an exemption applies (for example, a principal course of standalone ELICOS)
• Health insurance: Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the intended stay
• Applicants under 18: evidence of welfare arrangements
• Academic history: transcripts and certificates from previous study
• Health: Health examinations, when Home Affairs asks for them

Collect it with Immiluma

Immiluma includes a sample subclass 500 template with a student questionnaire covering education history, the course and CoE, financial capacity and the Genuine Student questions. Clients answer in the portal in English, 简体中文, 日本語 or 한국어. See all visa checklists.