Student Visa Fee (Subclass 500) Increases From 1 July 2026

The standard Australia Student visa fee is AUD 2,500 for the main subclass 500 applicant for applications lodged from 1 July 2026. An additional applicant aged 18 or over costs AUD 1,530, while an additional applicant under 18 costs AUD 500.

The government Visa Application Charge is only one part of the Student visa Australia cost. Students may also need to budget for tuition deposits, Overseas Student Health Cover, health examinations, biometrics, English tests, police certificates, translations and travel.

Student visa fee Australia 2026

The current visa fee for a Student visa in Australia applies to applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. The date of lodgement matters; a course offer or CoE issued before that date does not preserve an earlier visa price.

From 1 July 2026, eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens may access a lower concessional charge. Eligibility is limited and should be calculated through the official Visa Pricing Estimator. VEM’s Student visa Australia guide explains the CoE, Genuine Student, OSHC and application requirements that sit behind the fee.

Is the application charge refundable?

The Student visa application fee is generally not refunded merely because the application is refused, withdrawn, delayed, the CoE is cancelled or the student changes course plans. Limited statutory refund situations exist, but applicants should never build their budget around receiving one.

Student visa costs for partners and children

Each family member applying with the student attracts an additional applicant charge. Their OSHC, medicals, biometrics, police documents, travel and financial-capacity amounts also need to be included in the wider budget.

Family applying later as subsequent entrants

A family member applying after the student’s grant uses the subclass 500 subsequent-entrant pathway and a separate fee schedule, rather than being retroactively added to the original application. From 1 July 2026, the listed subsequent-entrant charges are AUD 745 for the primary applicant in that later application, AUD 555 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and AUD 185 for each additional applicant under 18. The AUD 700 STAC may still be added where the separate onshore charging rules apply.

Later applicants must also establish relationship, financial capacity, health cover, health and character requirements. See VEM’s Student visa subsequent entrant guide before using combined-application amounts for a later application.

Student Guardian visa is a separate application

A parent or eligible relative accompanying a student who needs care may require a subclass 590 Student Guardian visa rather than being treated as the student’s partner. From 1 July 2026, its standard main applicant charge is AUD 2,500. Eligibility, work restrictions, welfare arrangements and funds differ from subclass 500; VEM’s Student Guardian visa 590 guide explains the separate pathway.

Student visa extension fee Australia

Australia does not extend the expiry date of an existing Student visa. A person needing more time to study generally lodges a new subclass 500 application and pays the current base charge of AUD 2,500, plus family charges and any applicable STAC. Therefore, the Student visa extension fee is not a cheaper renewal tariff.

When the AUD 700 STAC may be added

The Subsequent Temporary Application Charge can apply to a person lodging another temporary substantive visa in Australia, depending on their visa history and current exemptions. It is assessed per person, not once per family. It is also different from a subsequent entrant application.

A new CoE, extended OSHC and updated Genuine Student and financial evidence may be required. VEM’s Student visa extension Australia guide covers timing, Bridging Visas, onshore restrictions and the document checklist.

Australian Student visa costs beyond the government charge

The cost of a Student visa in Australia is often used to mean the entire study budget. For accurate planning, separate compulsory visa charges, third-party expenses and funds that must merely be available as evidence.

Overseas Student Health Cover

OSHC is generally required for the student and accompanying family for the relevant stay. Premiums vary with provider, policy, family composition and duration, so publishing one universal price is misleading. Confirm the coverage dates against the expected visa period rather than buying only to the course end date.

Worked budget example

A single offshore student pays AUD 2,500 in base VAC. Their real cash outlay before travel could also include a tuition deposit, OSHC, an English test, medicals, biometrics and document costs. Separately, the financial-capacity calculation may require evidence covering 12 months of living expenses, tuition less amounts already paid and AUD 2,000 travel costs for most offshore locations. These categories must not be added as if every dollar were paid to Home Affairs.

How much bank balance is required for an Australia Student visa?

Home Affairs does not prescribe one universal bank balance for every student. The calculation depends on course fees, amounts already paid, travel location, family and intended stay. At the current published benchmark, 12-month living costs are:

• AUD 29,710 for the student.
• AUD 10,394 for a partner accompanying the student.
• AUD 4,449 for each accompanying child.
• At least AUD 13,502 annual schooling costs for each school-age child, unless an applicable waiver applies.

Add the first 12 months of course fees, less documented amounts already paid, and travel costs. Home Affairs currently uses a guide of AUD 2,000 for most applicants applying outside Australia, with different amounts for parts of Africa and onshore applicants. Funds must be genuinely available; a last-minute deposit without a credible source can weaken the evidence.

Example: student and partner

For a couple applying offshore from a location using the AUD 2,000-per-person travel guide, the living-and-travel component alone is AUD 29,710 + 10,394 + 4,000 = AUD 44,104. Add the student’s relevant tuition balance. This is evidence of available funds, not an extra AUD 44,104 visa charge.

Australia Student visa fee increase: what changed?

Did Australia double the Student visa fee in 2026?

No. The 2026 increase was from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500, not a doubling. The fee more than doubled in July 2024 when it moved from AUD 710 to AUD 1,600. From the pre-July-2024 amount to the current AUD 2,500, the base charge has more than tripled.

Australia Student visa fees impact on enrolment

A higher upfront, generally non-refundable charge can affect price-sensitive students, family applications and decisions about deferral or changing destination. However, enrolment trends also reflect provider capacity, visa processing priorities, course quality, exchange rates, tuition, accommodation and policy settings. It is therefore too simplistic to attribute every change in enrolments or government Student visa fee revenue to the application charge alone.

ART and Federal Court fees after a Student visa refusal

A refusal does not automatically carry review rights. The decision letter states whether a review is available, who may apply and the strict deadline. From 1 July 2026, the ART fee for review of a reviewable migration decision is AUD 3,727; a 50% reduction may be available on financial-hardship grounds. The ART cannot simply extend a statutory migration deadline.

Federal Court fees are not another visa appeal price

Judicial review asks whether a jurisdictional legal error occurred; it is not a fresh merits assessment of the Student visa. Federal Court filing and hearing fees depend on the proceeding, individual or corporate status, concession eligibility and the fee schedule in force. Legal costs and adverse-cost risk can be much larger than the filing fee. Use the Court’s current fee table and obtain legal advice before commencing proceedings.

How to reduce avoidable Student visa costs

Processing also affects accommodation, flights and course-start planning. Use VEM’s Australia Student visa processing time guide for current priority settings and factors that can delay a decision.

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