How to Successfully Apply for a Student Visa in Australia

So, you’ve decided to study in Australia – congratulations! As an international student, you’ll need to apply for a Student Visa (Subclass 500) to be able to study in Australia. The process can seem overwhelming at first, but with proper planning, you can do it. Applying with Study Anywhere will make this process stress-free. You can focus on this big step in your life and let us handle the paperwork.

Short on time? Jump straight into the section you need the most:

1. Enrolment
2. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
3. Student visa application and documents
4. Student visa lodgement

Important student visa update (February 2023): Starting from the 1st of July 2023, unrestricted work rights for international students in Australia will come to an end. To learn more about this change and others, check out our blog article.

Step 1: Enrol in a Course eligible for a student visa

Your first step in applying for a student visa in Australia is to enrol in a course at an Australian educational institution. This can be a college, university, or other accredited institution that is registered with the Australian government to offer courses to international students. The most affordable ones are usually courses at smaller private colleges. The cheapest Diploma courses in Australia start at approximately $1,250 / every three months.

TiP: Read our blog article about the cheapest courses for a Student visa in Australia in 2024.

When researching schools, always look for CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students). Don’t worry because all courses listed on Study Anywhere are part of CRICOS.

Have you found a course that meets your academic and career goals? Great, now you’ll need to complete the enrolment process. Here you can find information on what this usually looks like and what documents you’ll need: How to enrol in a course eligible for a student visa in Australia.

Step 2: Get your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

As an international student in Australia, you need to have health insurance for the duration of your stay. This insurance is called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). It’s important that you purchase OSHC before you apply for your student visa, as you’ll need to provide proof of your coverage when you apply.

There are six companies that offer OSHC, and the cost of coverage will depend on the length of your stay and the level of coverage you choose. Try OSHC Australia to compare and get the cheapest Overseas Student Health Cover. Remember, even the cheapest OSHC is eligible for a student visa in Australia.

TIP: Australian Department of Home Affairs usually grants student visas for a little longer than the actual course duration. Make sure that even if you get the cheapest OSHC for your student visa, it won’t end on the date of your course completion. Don’t make a mistake and get the correct OSHC duration as described in our FAQs.

Step 3: Prepare your student visa application

Once you’ve enrolled in a course and obtained OSHC, you’ll be ready to start preparing your student visa application. There are a few things you’ll need to do to make sure your application is complete and accurate. Your Study Anywhere agent will guide you through this process step-by-step.

Gather the required documents for your student visa application

This is a general overview of the documents you’ll need to apply for a student visa in Australia. These may vary based on your nationality, the school you’re enroling in, and also your previous education and career history. Send us a message and get a free personalised list of everything that you’ll need to submit with your student visa application. When you enrol in your course with Study Anywhere, our registered migration agent will help you to prepare and lodge your student visa application. This assistance is free for all our students to make sure your student visa application is prepared in the best possible way and increases your chances of a successful visa grant.

What documents do you need to apply for the Australian student visa?

Check the Student Visa Document Checklist Tool from the Department of Home Affairs and let’s go through the main documents together. Some are the same as you’ve provided for your enrolment: your passport, previous education certificate, and proof of your English language proficiency (if required).

You will also need these:

• Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
• Proof of your OSHC coverage – a PDF document is fine and you can get it here almost instantly.
• Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Statement – reasons why you’ve decided to study in Australia and what are your plans after graduation
• Your employment, education, and travel history
• Student visa application form – our team will give you access to an online portal where you’ll fill out your personal details and information about your health and financial situation.

TIP: Find out whether you need to submit your bank statements and how much money you need to have in your bank account. Learn the truth about the so-called “show money” in our FAQs.

Step 4: Lodge your student visa application and wait for a visa grant

Once you’ve gathered all the required documents and completed the visa application form, you’ll be ready to submit your application. Our migration agent will do this for you as soon as you approve it. We will also receive any communication from the Department of Home Affairs regarding your application. This means less stress for you. Especially in case the Department requests some additional information regarding your student visa application. E.g. a request to arrange a health examination.

Before we submit your application, make sure you’ve double-checked all the information and documents to ensure everything is correct according to the instructions of our migration agent.

Once we are about to lodge your visa application, we will ask you to pay the student visa application fee. This is the fee you need to pay to the Department of Home Affairs. It’s currently $650 AUD + credit card fee. The Department will charge you more if you are renewing your visa in Australia for the second or more time. Expect a higher fee also when you’re applying for your student visa with a partner. You can find more details about these student visa fees here.

After we’ve submitted your application, you’ll need to wait for a decision from the Australian government. This process can take several weeks, so be patient. If your application is approved, you’ll receive your student visa grant letter and can come to Australia.