How long does the decision take?

Most straightforward applications are decided in weeks rather than months, but the published processing times move, and a request for more information restarts your patience. Apply with months in hand, not weeks.

What happens if I am refused?

You lose the charge and you have a refusal on your record, which makes the next application harder. That is exactly why the Genuine Student statement is worth taking seriously, and why complicated cases go to a registered MARA agent.

Are you a migration agent?

No. We are an education agency: we handle the school, the enrolment and the preparation, and when a case needs a registered migration agent we hand it to a MARA agent here in Cairns. Anyone who tells you the difference does not matter is being careless with your money.

Can I work before my course starts?

No. Work rights begin when the course begins.

Australian student visa (subclass 500) — 2026 costs and conditions

The GTE test no longer exists. On 23 March 2024 Australia replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement with the Genuine Student (GS) test. It is answered in writing, in your own words, and it asks about your circumstances at home, why this course, and what you intend to do afterwards. If a website is still preparing you for GTE, everything else on it is the same age.

What it costs

	Amount	Note
Visa application charge — English course	AUD 2,050	From 1 July 2026
Visa application charge — everything else	AUD 2,500	Up from AUD 2,000 on 1 July 2026
OSHC health cover	AUD 500-600 / year	Compulsory for the whole stay
Funds you must be able to show	AUD 29,710	Living costs for 12 months, plus tuition and travel

Charges as published by the Department of Home Affairs and summarised by Fragomen and IDP Education. The charge is not refunded if your application is refused.

What you have to prove

A CoE — a confirmation of enrolment from a registered Australian provider. You enrol first, then apply.
The Genuine Student statement — your own answers, not a template. This is where applications fail.
English — at the level your course requires, unless you are exempt.
OSHC — health cover for the entire period of your stay.
Money — tuition for the first 12 months, AUD 29,710 of living costs, and travel. You prove it; you do not have to spend it.

What the visa lets you do

Study full time, and work 48 hours per fortnight while your course is running — unlimited during scheduled course breaks. You may not start work before your course starts. Bringing family is now the exception: since 2 October 2026 a partner and children can be included on a student visa only in narrow cases, such as doctoral students, study fully funded by a foreign government, and Pacific or ASEAN passport holders.

You cannot arrive on a visitor visa and change to a student visa inside Australia. That route closed in 2024. The application is lodged before you fly. Since 2 October 2026 the same applies to Working Holiday, Temporary Graduate (485) and most work visas, and most students applying for a second student visa must apply from outside Australia too.

The student visa, subclass 500

What it costs

What you have to prove

What the visa lets you do

Talk it through with us. It costs nothing.