How to Get a Student Visa for Australia After +2 in Nepal

Can you go to Australia for study right after +2 in Nepal?

Yes. Completing +2 (Grade 12, NEB or equivalent) makes you eligible to apply to Australian universities and colleges for an undergraduate degree, and to apply for the subclass 500 student visa that lets you study there. Many Nepali students do exactly this each year, Australia is consistently the number one destination for Nepali students going abroad.

If your +2 grades or English level are not yet strong enough for direct entry into a Bachelor's degree, you can still go. You enrol in a foundation programme, diploma, or pathway course first, which then leads into the degree. The student visa covers these pathway arrangements through what is called a packaged offer.

Step 1: Choose a course and a CRICOS-registered institution

Every course that can legally enrol an international student in Australia must be listed on the CRICOS register (the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students). If a course is not on CRICOS, it cannot support a student visa, so this is the first thing to verify. Choose your course based on your career goal, your +2 background, the total tuition cost, and the city you want to live in.

Step 2: Get an offer letter and accept it

Apply to the institution with your +2 transcripts and certificates, your English test result, and a statement of purpose. If you meet the entry requirements, the institution issues an offer letter. You accept the offer and pay an initial tuition deposit.

Step 3: Receive your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)

Once your deposit is paid and any conditions are met, the institution issues a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). The CoE is the central document of your visa application, it is electronic proof that you are formally enrolled. You cannot lodge a subclass 500 visa application without it.

Step 4: Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Australia requires every student visa holder to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the full duration of the visa. You buy this from an approved Australian health insurer, often arranged through your institution. The cost varies by provider and length of stay, typically a few hundred to over a thousand Australian dollars per year for a single student.

Step 5: Prepare your finances

You must show you can genuinely afford to study in Australia. The living-cost amount set by the Department of Home Affairs is AUD 29,710 for 12 months for a single student. On top of living costs, you must account for your first 12 months of course fees and travel. Home Affairs accepts evidence of deposits of money with a financial institution; a government loan, or loans from a financial institution; scholarships or similar financial support. Alternatively, you can show that your parents or partner had a personal annual income of at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months before you apply. Source: Home Affairs, Subclass 500.

Step 6: Write your Genuine Student (GS) statement

For applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024, Australia replaced the old Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement with the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. The application form asks you to address, in your own words, with a limit of 150 words per response:

• Your current circumstances, including ties to family, community, employment and economic circumstances
• Why you want to study this course in Australia with this education provider, and your understanding of the course and of studying and living in Australia
• How completing the course will benefit you
• Any other relevant information you would like to include

There is another question if you have held a student visa before, or are applying in Australia from a non-student visa. Home Affairs prefers answers in the application form rather than a separate GS statement, and gives more weight to answers supported by evidence. Your answers must be honest, specific, and consistent with the rest of your application. A vague or copied answer is a common reason for refusal. Source: Home Affairs, Genuine Student requirement.

Step 7: Lodge the subclass 500 visa application

You apply online through the Department of Home Affairs ImmiAccount portal. The visa application charge changes from time to time, so check the current amount on the official Subclass 500 page before you lodge. Along with the application you upload your CoE, OSHC confirmation, financial evidence, GS responses, English test result, passport, academic documents, and any other requested items. You will also complete health checks, including a medical examination, and provide biometrics.

What English test do you need?

The subclass 500 visa accepts these English tests: C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, LANGUAGECERT Academic, Michigan English Test (MET), Occupational English Test (OET), PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT. The test must be taken at a secure test centre. Tests delivered completely online or at home are not accepted. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 the visa minimum is IELTS 6.0 or PTE 47, or IELTS 5.5 / PTE 39 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS or a Foundation or eligible Pathway program, or IELTS 5.0 / PTE 31 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS (Home Affairs). The Duolingo English Test is not accepted for the Australian Student visa (subclass 500). The score your university needs depends on your course: many Bachelor's degrees ask for around IELTS 6.0 to 6.5 overall. Always check the specific requirement on your offer letter.

Booking your English test through finduni.ai saves money: PTE Academic costs NPR 33,000 against the official NPR 36,500, and IELTS Academic computer-delivered is NPR 35,000. The Duolingo English Test is the lowest-cost option at NPR 10,500, but it is not accepted for the Subclass 500 visa itself, so only use it where a university accepts it for admission and you hold another accepted test for the visa.

How long does it take?

From deciding on a course to holding your visa, a realistic timeline from Nepal is 3 to 6 months. Course applications and CoE issuance take several weeks, financial document preparation takes time to do properly, and visa processing varies. Australia's processing now uses a priority system tied to each institution's enrolment management, so processing speed depends partly on where you applied. Start at least 6 months before your intended course intake.