Australia Student Visa (Subclass 500): Requirements, Fees & Processing (2026)

If you already hold an offer from an Australian university, the Subclass 500 student visa is the last — and often the most stressful — step. It is the single visa that lets you live in Australia and study full-time, and for African applicants it is decided almost entirely on two things: whether your course choice is genuine, and whether your money is real and traceable.

Get those two things right and the rest is process. This guide walks the official 2026 rules — the AUD 2,500 charge, the AUD 29,710 you must prove, the English scores, and how to lodge through VFS Global — all drawn from the Department of Home Affairs. Rules and fees change often, so confirm each number on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before you lodge.

What actually decides your visa

Home Affairs does not publish student-visa approval rates by country, so any single percentage you see quoted online is an estimate, not an official figure. What the department does set out is what it assesses — and that is where your energy belongs.

Two things carry almost all the weight. The first is the Genuine Student requirement: a clear, honest account of why this course, why Australia, and how it fits your plans when you return home. The second is proof of funds: money that is genuinely yours or a documented sponsor’s, with a history that shows where it came from. A thin study plan, or a large deposit that lands in your account days before you apply, are the two most common reasons an African application is refused or held for more information — and both are entirely within your control.

What is the Subclass 500 student visa?

The Subclass 500 is Australia’s single student visa for international students enrolled in a registered full-time course. It lets you stay for the length of your course — usually up to five years — study, work part-time, and bring eligible family members.

You must remain enrolled in a course registered on CRICOS (the government register of courses for overseas students), keep valid health cover, and continue to meet the conditions of the visa for as long as you hold it. The visa is granted per person: your partner or children apply as attached applicants on the same application, each with their own requirements. Before you can apply, your university must issue an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) — you cannot lodge without it. Australian universities take international applications through a registered education agent rather than direct, so an agent lodges your course application, obtains the eCoE and guides the visa. Courses start throughout the year — February and July are the largest intakes, with sizeable March and September intakes too — so you can usually find a start date that fits.

The official requirements and costs (Home Affairs)

The figures in this section are set by the Australian government. They are current for 2026 but change often — verify every number on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au on the day you lodge.

The base visa application charge is AUD 2,500 per primary applicant from 1 July 2026 (up from AUD 2,000). That is only the government lodgement fee — the real cost of applying is the money you must show alongside it. Additional charges apply for family members who apply with you. On top of the charge, budget for health cover, biometrics and courier fees at your VFS centre, English test fees, and document certification. For a full year-one budget, see our cost of studying in Australia guide.

The money you must prove

This is where most African applications succeed or fail. You must show you can cover twelve months of living costs, your course fees, and travel, and that the money is genuinely yours and can be traced.

The living-cost figure for a single student is AUD 29,710 for twelve months (set by Home Affairs on 10 May 2024). If a partner travels with you, add AUD 10,394; add AUD 4,449 for each child. As an alternative to showing savings, Home Affairs also accepts evidence that a parent or partner earned at least AUD 62,222 in the twelve months before you apply.

Source: Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 500 financial capacity requirements (official). KES/NGN values change daily; convert AUD at the day’s rate. Confirm all figures on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.

The travel component is specific to where you apply from. Applicants from East and Southern Africa add AUD 2,500 to their evidence; applicants from West Africa add AUD 3,000. This is on top of living costs and course fees, and it reflects the cost of getting to Australia from the region.

English language requirements

You must show competent English, and the score you need depends on what you are enrolling in. For direct entry to most university degrees the standard is IELTS 6.0, with higher scores common for postgraduate courses.

Source: Australian student visa English requirements and university admissions guidance (official). PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT equivalents are widely accepted — confirm the exact score with your university and on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.

PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT are accepted as equivalents by most universities. The precise score is set by your course, so the number on your offer letter is what matters — treat these as the common minimums, not a guarantee. If your score falls short, a foundation or ELICOS pathway can still get you there.

The Genuine Student requirement

Since 23 March 2024, the Genuine Student (GS) requirement has replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant test. You must satisfy the Department that your main reason for coming to Australia is to study a genuine course. In practice, weak GS answers and thin funds evidence are what separate a refused Nigerian application from an approved Kenyan one — the requirement itself is identical for both.

In practice you answer targeted questions — about your circumstances at home, why you chose this course and provider, how it fits your past study and career plans, and the conditions of the visa. There is no single “correct” answer, but your responses must be honest, specific to you, and consistent with the rest of your application. Vague, copied, or contradictory answers are a common cause of refusal, especially where a course does not obviously follow on from your background. Choosing a course that clearly builds on your qualifications makes this far easier — our guide to the best universities in Australia can help you pick a genuine, affordable fit.

Documents you need

Gather these before you open your application — a complete lodgement is processed faster and questioned less. Requirements vary by case, so treat this as a starting checklist and confirm yours on Home Affairs.

• Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE)Issued by your university once you accept your offer and meet its conditions. You cannot lodge without it.Required
• Valid passportBio-data page, with enough validity for your intended stay.Required
• Proof of fundsSavings history or sponsor income covering living costs, fees and travel.Required
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)Policy covering the full length of your visa, from a registered provider.Required
• English test resultsIELTS, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT at the level your course requires.Required
• Genuine Student responsesYour answers to the GS questions, plus supporting documents on your circumstances and course choice.Required
• Academic transcripts & certificatesYour previous qualifications, certified where asked.Required
• Health and character documentsHealth examination and police clearance, if requested for your case.If requested

How to apply, step by step

You lodge the Subclass 500 online through ImmiAccount, then complete biometrics in person at a VFS Global centre. The whole process is done from your home country.

1. Accept your offer and get your eCoE. Confirm your place, pay any deposit your university requires, and receive the electronic Confirmation of Enrolment.
2. Arrange OSHC. Buy health cover from a registered provider for the full length of your visa before you lodge.
3. Create an ImmiAccount at the Home Affairs website and start a new Subclass 500 application.
4. Complete the form and GS questions, upload your documents, and answer the Genuine Student questions carefully and honestly.
5. Pay the visa application charge (AUD 2,500 base) with an accepted card.
6. Give your biometrics. Book and attend an appointment at your nearest VFS Global centre to have fingerprints and a photo taken.
7. Complete health checks if asked, then wait for a decision and monitor ImmiAccount for any request for more information.

Lodge as early as your eCoE allows and submit a complete application — incomplete lodgements and requests for more information are the biggest cause of delay. Check the current processing-time estimate for your course level on the Home Affairs website; we do not quote a fixed number here because it changes.

Applying from Africa

The application itself is the same wherever you are, but biometrics are collected through VFS Global, and your proof of funds comes from an African bank — two areas where preparation matters most, and where the successful applicants consistently get it right.

Australian Biometric Collection Centres, run by VFS Global, are confirmed in several African cities. If yours is not listed, VFS operates across roughly 13 Sub-Saharan countries — including Ethiopia, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe — so check the VFS Global Australia page for your nearest centre.

Source: VFS Global — Australia visa services, African centres (official). Locations and booking arrangements change; confirm your centre on the VFS Global Australia page before you travel.

For proof of funds from an African bank, present statements that show a genuine savings history rather than a sudden lump sum, keep sponsor and loan documents clear and complete, and be ready to explain the source of every large amount. If you are applying from Kenya, our step-by-step guide to studying in Australia from Kenya walks through the local process in detail.

Working, staying and the path to PR

The Subclass 500 lets you work while you study, and Australia offers a clear route to stay and work after you graduate — one of the biggest reasons students choose it.

Across Australian universities, students can work up to 24 hours per week while studying, and all the universities you can apply to through Craydel offer a post-study work permit (typically around two years), and from there graduates can work towards Australia’s points-tested permanent-residency pathway — run by the Department of Home Affairs, not granted by universities. Officially, term-time work is capped by Home Affairs at 48 hours per fortnight with no limit during scheduled breaks; students in a Masters by Research or PhD have no cap. Work is a helpful supplement to your funds — never a substitute for the money you must prove before you arrive.

Term-time work cap and subclass 485 conditions are set by Home Affairs — verify on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.

Frequently asked questions