Your course is winding down. The finish line is close — and so is the question of what comes next for your visa. This page covers the Student visa (subclass 500): what it requires, who it fits, and the one rule that catches many graduates off guard.
What the Student Visa (Subclass 500) Is
The subclass 500 is Australia's main visa for international students. It lets you study full-time at a registered Australian education provider. It is not a post-study visa — it requires active enrolment, and the enrolment must be confirmed before the Department decides your application.
Who It Fits
The subclass 500 suits someone who:
- has not yet finished studying and wants to continue or change courses
- is offshore and planning to begin a new course in Australia
- wants to add an English course (ELICOS) before a main qualification
It does not suit a subclass 485 holder who is already in Australia. Read the section below on the onshore exclusion — this is the rule most people miss.
Core Requirements at a Glance
Every requirement below is drawn from the Department of Home Affairs. Check the official page for the current version — requirements can change.
Valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
You must hold a valid CoE when the Department decides your application. The CoE comes from your education provider after you accept an offer and pay any required fees. Without a valid CoE at decision, the application cannot succeed.
If your application covers a package of courses — for example, an English course followed by a diploma — the gap between those courses must be under two calendar months. A longer gap can cause the application to fail.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
You must hold OSHC for the duration of your stay, or meet an exemption. Your provider or a registered insurer can arrange this. Check whether your country of citizenship has a reciprocal health agreement with Australia — some nationalities are exempt.
Financial Capacity
The Department requires evidence that you can meet your living and tuition costs while in Australia. The specific dollar amount of this requirement is set by the Department and changes — do not rely on any figure you find on a third-party site. Check the current amount directly on the official Home Affairs student visa page before you apply.
English Language Evidence
You need to show sufficient English for your course. What counts as sufficient depends on your course level and your provider's requirements. The Department checks this at the application stage. If your English needs strengthening first, an ELICOS course can precede your main course — but the gap between the two must still fall under two calendar months.
Welfare Arrangement for Applicants Under 18
If you are under 18 years of age, you must have an approved welfare arrangement in place. This means a parent, relative, or provider-approved guardian is responsible for your care while you are in Australia. The Department will not grant the visa without this arrangement confirmed.
The Rule That Catches Graduates Off Guard: The Onshore Exclusion
Since 1 July 2024, if you hold a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), you cannot apply for a Student visa (subclass 500) while you are in Australia.
It is the current law.
If you are on a subclass 485 and you want to do further study, you have two practical options:
Option one — use your 485 study rights. The subclass 485 itself carries study rights. You do not need a new visa to enrol in a short course. A Certificate II or III, for example, is typically advertised at around 6–12 months — and actual completion often varies by provider and your prior experience. You can study, complete a skills assessment, and then look at employer-nominated routes including DAMA regions and Industry Labour Agreements. See our /dama/ pages for how those regional pathways work.
Option two — depart Australia and apply offshore. If you genuinely need a new Student visa, you would need to leave Australia, apply from offshore, and re-enter on the new visa. This is a significant step with real costs and risks. It is not a casual fallback.
Treating the subclass 500 as a simple extension option for a 485 holder is outdated advice that still circulates. The rule has been in place since 1 July 2024.
The 500-to-485 Pathway: What Comes After Your Studies
Many students use the subclass 500 to complete a qualification, then apply for the subclass 485 to work in Australia after graduating. The length of the 485 you may receive depends on your qualification level and your nationality. Here is how the durations work, based on the Department's current settings.
Post-Higher Education Work stream (formerly Post-Study Work stream):
- Bachelor degree (including honours), standard nationality: 24 months
- Masters by coursework, standard nationality: 24 months
- Masters (extended), standard nationality: 24 months
- Masters (research), standard nationality: 36 months
- Doctoral / PhD, standard nationality: 36 months
- Bachelor degree (including honours), Indian nationals (AI-ECTA): 24 months
- Bachelor first-class honours in STEM or ICT, Indian nationals (AI-ECTA): 36 months
- Any Masters, Indian nationals (AI-ECTA): 36 months
- Doctoral / PhD, Indian nationals (AI-ECTA): 48 months
- Any eligible degree, Hong Kong / British National (Overseas) passport holders: 60 months
Post-Vocational Education Work stream (formerly Graduate Work stream):
- Diploma, Advanced Diploma, trade qualification, or standalone postgraduate certificate or diploma, standard nationality: 18 months
- Any vocational qualification, Hong Kong / British National (Overseas) passport holders: 60 months
These durations are set by the Department and apply at the time of the 485 application — not at the time you finish your course. Requirements can change. Check the current rules before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for a subclass 500 while I am still on my current student visa?
Yes — if you are onshore and hold a subclass 500, you can apply for a new subclass 500. The onshore-application exclusion list covers the subclass 485 and several other visa types, but not the subclass 500 — which is why a current 500 holder is not caught by it.
What if my CoE expires before the Department decides my application?
Your CoE must be valid at the time of decision, not just at lodgement. If there is a risk your CoE will lapse, speak to your provider about extending it before you lodge.
Can I include an English course in my application?
Yes. An ELICOS course can be packaged with a main course. The gap between the two courses must be under two calendar months. Make sure both CoEs are in order before you apply.
Do I need OSHC from day one?
The requirement is that you hold OSHC for the duration of your stay in Australia on the visa. Arrange it before you travel or before your current cover lapses.
What if I am already on a subclass 485 and want to do more study?
You cannot apply for a subclass 500 onshore while holding a subclass 485. Your 485 already carries study rights — you can enrol in a short course without a new visa. If you need a full new student visa, you would need to apply from outside Australia. Talk to a MARA-registered agent before making that decision.
Will studying more courses improve my PR chances?
That depends entirely on your occupation, your skills assessment, and the pathway you are targeting. A course is only useful if it connects to an occupation on a relevant skilled list and fits your overall profile. The requirement is that the occupation appears on the relevant list — whether your profile fits is something to check against your own situation.
Two Things to Check Before You Do Anything
Two things matter most when your course is ending and you are thinking about your next visa step.
First, check when your current visa expires — not your course end date, but the visa itself. These are often different dates, and letting the visa lapse has consequences that a new application cannot easily fix.
Second, check whether your completed qualification links to an occupation on a skilled list. The course-to-occupation mapping covers a large number of CRICOS courses and their linked occupations. Whether your specific course and occupation combination opens a pathway is something to verify against your own profile.