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2026-08-04
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Australia has tightened its student visa settings more than any other major destination over the past two years. Fees have risen repeatedly, the financial capacity requirement has increased, and the Genuine Temporary Entrant test has been replaced by a Genuine Student requirement that is assessed differently.
This guide covers the Subclass 500 as it stands in 2026 and is specific about where applications from Nepal are most often refused.
The Subclass 500 is the only visa that allows full-time study in Australia for more than three months. It covers higher education degrees, vocational education and training, ELICOS English language programmes, school study and postgraduate research.
You must be enrolled in a CRICOS-registered course at a CRICOS-registered provider before you can apply. CRICOS registration is the Australian government register of courses approved for international students, and a course not on it cannot support a student visa regardless of how reputable the provider appears.
Your visa is granted for the duration of your course plus a short additional period, and it names conditions you must comply with throughout. Breaching those conditions can lead to cancellation, so read your grant notification carefully rather than filing it away.
On 23 March 2024 the Genuine Temporary Entrant test was replaced by the Genuine Student requirement. The change is not cosmetic. Rather than asking whether you intend to leave Australia, the GS requirement asks whether your primary purpose is genuinely to study.
You answer structured questions within the application covering your circumstances in Nepal, why you chose this course and this provider, how the qualification benefits your career, and your understanding of studying and living in Australia. Each answer is limited, so brevity and specificity matter more than eloquence.
Generic answers fail. "Australia has world-class education" tells the decision-maker nothing. An answer that names the course, the units within it, why that particular provider suits your background, and what role you are targeting afterwards demonstrates a genuine student. Write the answers yourself, in your own voice — assessors read thousands of these and templated responses are obvious.
| The GS questions are assessed alongside your documents, not separately. If you say your goal is a career in aged care but your transcripts are in commerce and you have no relevant experience, the mismatch will be noticed. Where your path has changed direction, explain why rather than hoping it passes unremarked. |
You must demonstrate access to funds covering living costs, tuition and travel. As at mid-2026 the living cost figure set by the Department of Home Affairs is AUD 29,710 for twelve months, with additional amounts of AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 for a child. This figure is separate from tuition, from travel, and from the visa application charge.
These amounts are updated periodically, so confirm the current figure on the Department of Home Affairs student visa page before you prepare your file. The requirement has risen more than once in recent years.
As with every destination, the source and history of funds matters as much as the balance. Funds must be genuinely available to you, and evidence should show where they came from. Education loan sanction letters from recognised banks, documented savings with a clear history, and properly evidenced sponsor support are all acceptable. Sudden large deposits without explanation are not.
English requirements are set both by your provider for admission and by the Department of Home Affairs for the visa, and the two are not always the same. Providers may require a higher score than the visa minimum, particularly for postgraduate and health-related programmes.
IELTS Academic and PTE Academic are the most widely used tests. Check the specific requirement for your course before booking, and allow time for a retake leaving the test to the last moment is the single most common cause of a missed intake.
OSHC is compulsory for the full duration of your student visa and must be arranged before you lodge your application. It covers hospital and medical treatment in Australia and is provided by a small number of approved insurers.
You must maintain cover continuously. A gap in OSHC is a breach of your visa conditions, and it is easy to create one accidentally if your policy expires while you are waiting for a visa extension or a Temporary Graduate visa decision.
| Item | Amount |
| Student visa application charge (from 1 July, 2026) | From AUD 2,500 |
| Financial capacity — living costs, 12 months | AUD 29,710 (evidence, not a payment) |
| Additional funds for a partner | AUD 10,394 |
| Additional funds for a child | AUD 4,449 |
| Overseas Student Health Cover | Varies by insurer and duration |
| Health examination with a panel physician | Panel physician rates in Nepal |
| Biometrics and police clearance | Varies |
The visa application charge rose to AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026, having previously increased from AUD 710 to AUD 1,600 and then to AUD 2,000. It is non-refundable whether or not your application succeeds, which is a strong argument for lodging only when the file is genuinely complete.
Most Subclass 500 visas carry condition 8105, which limits work to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. During scheduled course breaks there is no cap and you may work unlimited hours. Students in Masters by Research and doctoral programmes have no work-hour restriction once their course has commenced.
Exam periods generally count as in session, so the cap applies then. The cap also applies before your course starts. Check your grant notification to confirm which condition applies to you, as some visa holders carry condition 8104 instead.
Working over the cap breaches your visa condition and can lead to cancellation. Australia’s minimum wage makes part-time work a meaningful contribution to living costs, but it is not a way to fund tuition and expected earnings are not accepted as evidence of financial capacity.
Processing varies by provider risk level, applicant country and the completeness of the application. Published figures for 2026 indicate roughly half of applications processed within about 29 days and 90 per cent within about 56 days, but these are averages across all applicants and provider categories.
Applications from higher-risk cohorts, or to providers in higher-risk categories, take considerably longer. Lodge as early as your Confirmation of Enrolment allows and treat any published average as a guide rather than a commitment.
| Please note: visa decisions rest solely with the Department of Home Affairs. No agent or consultancy can guarantee a visa outcome. This page is general guidance and not legal or immigration advice; confirm current requirements on the Department of Home Affairs website before applying. |
You must show funds covering living costs, tuition and travel. The living cost figure set by the Department of Home Affairs is AUD 29,710 for twelve months, with AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 for a child. Confirm the current figure before applying.
From 1 July 2026 the student visa application charge is from AUD 2,500. It is non-refundable regardless of the outcome.
The GS requirement replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant test on 23 March 2024. It assesses whether your primary purpose is genuinely to study, through structured questions about your background, course choice and career plans.
Up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. Masters by Research and doctoral students have no work-hour restriction once their course begins.
Processing varies by provider category, applicant country and file completeness. Published 2026 figures indicate about half of applications processed within 29 days and 90 per cent within 56 days, but individual outcomes vary widely.
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