Reviewed by the finduni team · Last verified 15 September 2026 · Sources: Home Affairs: Genuine Student requirement, Home Affairs: Student visa (subclass 500), Home Affairs: English language requirements, GOV.UK: Secure English Language Tests, GOV.UK: Student visa, knowledge of English
What changed in this update: Rewritten from the Home Affairs pages. We removed a deposit requirement that does not exist, corrected the English minimums to the current table, and added sections on the Genuine Student (GS) questions, CoE, OSHC, health and character, and the visa fee.
Overview
The Student visa (subclass 500) lets you study a registered course in Australia. You apply online through ImmiAccount, from Nepal, once your education provider has enrolled you. Every requirement below is taken from the Home Affairs Subclass 500 page, which is the page to check before you apply.
The Genuine Student (GS) requirement
Every Student visa applicant must be a genuine student, and show that studying in Australia is the main reason for applying. The Genuine Student (GS) requirement applies to applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024; it replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement.
The online application form asks you to address GS in your own words:
- 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. Each answer has a limit of 150 words, and must be in English. Home Affairs prefers answers in the application form rather than a separate GS statement, and gives more weight to answers supported by evidence.
Our GS guide covers how to structure each answer. Source: Home Affairs, Genuine Student requirement.
Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
You must be enrolled in a course of study in Australia and hold a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) when Home Affairs decides your visa. Your education provider issues the CoE once you accept the offer and meet its conditions, and you attach it to your application. A CoE stops being valid if it is cancelled or the course is complete.
English Language Requirements
These are the Student visa minimums for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. The test must be taken at a secure test centre. Tests delivered completely online or at home are not accepted. Examples Home Affairs names: CELPIP Online, IELTS Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, MET Digital (taken at home), OET@Home, TOEFL iBT Home Edition. The Duolingo English Test is not accepted for the Australian Student visa (subclass 500).
| Test | Minimum score | With at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or a Foundation or eligible Pathway program | With at least 20 weeks of ELICOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| IELTS General Training | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 39 | 31 |
| TOEFL iBT | 67 | 51 | 37 |
| C1 Advanced | 161 | Not available | Not available |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 61 | 54 | 46 |
| MET | 53 | 49 | 44 |
| OET | 1210 | 1090 | 1020 |
In short: IELTS 6.0 or PTE Academic 47, or 5.5 / 39 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS or a Foundation or eligible Pathway program, or 5.0 / 31 with at least 20 weeks of ELICOS. A TOEFL iBT taker must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when registering.
These are visa minimums. Your university may ask for more, so check the course page as well.
Proof of Funds
You must have enough money for your stay. At a minimum Home Affairs asks you to cover:
- Travel: AUD 2,000 as a guide amount when applying from Nepal
- Course fees: your first 12 months of fees, less anything you have already paid and can evidence
- Living costs for 12 months: AUD 29,710 for you, AUD 10,394 for a partner coming with you, AUD 4,449 for each child
- School costs: at least AUD 13,502 a year for each school-age child
Evidence can be 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 (AUD 102,500 if family members come with you), using official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. Bank statements and direct evidence from an employer are not accepted.
The proof of funds guide works through an example in NPR.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
You must hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for your stay in Australia, or fall into one of the exemption categories Home Affairs lists. Buy OSHC from an approved insurer, often through your education provider, and attach the evidence to your application.
Health and Character
- Health: you and any family members applying must meet the health requirement. You might need health examinations, and you can complete them before you apply.
- Character: you and any family members aged 16 or over who apply must meet the character requirement. You may be asked for police certificates.
- Australian values: if you are 18 or older, you must sign the Australian Values Statement.
Visa Application Fee
The fee changes from time to time, and there is a separate charge for each family member who applies. finduni.ai does not state a figure until it is confirmed on an official page: use the Visa Pricing Estimator linked from the Home Affairs Subclass 500 page for the current amount. You may also pay separately for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
Step-by-Step Application Process
| Step | What to do | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accept an offer and get your CoE | From a registered education provider |
| 2 | Take an approved English test | At a secure test centre, meeting the score for your tier |
| 3 | Organise health exams | You might need them, and can do them before you apply |
| 4 | Buy OSHC | For your whole stay, unless you are exempt |
| 5 | Gather your documents | Passport, CoE, English results, evidence of funds, OSHC, and evidence behind your GS answers. Documents not in English need translations |
| 6 | Apply online in ImmiAccount | Answer the GS questions and submit a complete, decision-ready application |
| 7 | After you apply | Give biometrics if asked, respond to requests for information promptly, and avoid booking travel until the visa is decided |
Visa Processing Time from Nepal
Home Affairs does not publish a fixed processing time. Its visa processing time guide shows how long recently decided applications took, as a guide only. Student visa applications lodged outside Australia are processed in the priority order set by a Ministerial Direction. Apply with enough time before your course starts, and send a complete application: one lodged without the relevant documents may be delayed or refused.
Common Reasons for Refusal
- GS answers that do not show studying is the main reason for the visa, or are not backed by evidence
- Not enough evidence of funds, or funds whose source is unexplained
- An English test below the minimum for your tier, or a test taken online or at home
- Previous visa refusals or cancellations not disclosed
- Gaps in study or work that are not explained
Use finduni.ai's GS Statement Helper to plan your answers.