Australia offers strong universities, generous work rights and a post-study work visa of two to three years. It has also become more selective: the visa fee rose to A$2,500 in July 2026, and applications are processed according to how many students each institution has already enrolled.
Here is how the subclass 500 student visa works for Pakistani applicants, step by step.
Before you apply: offer, CoE and OSHC
You need a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from a registered Australian institution, issued after you accept your offer and pay the deposit the institution asks for, often the first semester’s tuition. You also need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the whole of your visa, which most institutions can arrange.
Most universities ask Pakistani applicants for HSSC at about 65% to 70% for a bachelor’s, or a bachelor’s at 60% to 65% for a master’s, and IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0. Many run a Genuine Student check of their own before they issue the CoE.
The Genuine Student requirement
Since 23 March 2024 every applicant must meet the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. Instead of a long statement, you answer questions in the application form, each in no more than 150 words and in English:
- Your current circumstances: ties to family, community and work, and your economic situation.
- Why you chose this course and this provider, and what you understand about the course and about living in Australia.
- How completing the course will benefit you.
- Any other relevant information.
- If you have held an Australian student visa before, or are applying in Australia from another visa, your study history.
The Department gives more weight to statements backed by evidence, so attach transcripts, employment letters, salary evidence and anything else that supports what you write. Explain any gap in your studies and why a similar course in Pakistan does not meet your goals.
Money you must show
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Living costs, student | A$29,710 for 12 months |
| Living costs, partner | A$10,394 |
| Living costs, each child | A$4,449, plus school costs where relevant |
| Tuition | First-year tuition, less anything already paid |
| Travel | Return travel costs |
Funds can be in your account or your parents’, or come from loans or scholarships, but you must show genuine access to them. Unexplained recent deposits invite questions.
Visa fee, health checks and biometrics
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Student visa (subclass 500), main applicant | A$2,500 for applications from 1 July 2026 (previously A$2,000) |
| OSHC | Depends on the provider and length of cover |
| Biometrics and health examination | Paid to the service provider and panel clinic |
After lodging online through ImmiAccount you may be asked to give biometrics and to have a health examination with an approved panel physician. Do these promptly, because the case does not move until they are done.
How long processing takes in 2026
Under Ministerial Direction 115, applications lodged from 14 November 2025 are processed in priority order. Each university has an indicative allocation of new international students. Once a university reaches 80% of its allocation, its new applicants move to Priority 2, and beyond 115% to Priority 3.
| Priority | Target to start processing | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 to 4 weeks | Including PhD students, scholarship holders and students at providers below 80% of their allocation |
| 2 | 5 to 8 weeks | Students at providers between 80% and 115% of their allocation |
| 3 | 9 to 12 weeks | Students at providers above 115% |
Priority affects speed, not the outcome. University students can check each provider’s status on the Department of Education’s visa prioritisation page, and it is worth doing before you accept an offer for a tight intake.
Working and staying on after graduation
Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks.
Graduates can apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Post-Higher Education Work stream. Bachelor’s and coursework master’s graduates usually receive two years and research master’s and PhD graduates three years, if they are 35 or under. The 485 fee rose to A$5,750 from 1 July 2026.
Australia or somewhere else?
Australia suits students who want work experience during and after the degree and who can show the funds comfortably. Families who would struggle to show A$29,710 on top of tuition should look closely at the UK or Europe. See our cost comparison, or browse Australian universities in our directory.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Australia student visa fee in 2026?
A$2,500 for most main applicants lodging from 1 July 2026, up from A$2,000. Family members pay additional charges.
How much bank balance is needed for an Australian student visa?
A$29,710 for 12 months of living costs for the student, plus first-year tuition and travel, and more for a partner or children.
What is the Genuine Student requirement?
A set of questions in the visa application, answered in up to 150 words each, about your circumstances, your choice of course and provider, and how the course will benefit you.
How many hours can students work in Australia?
Up to 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks.
How long is the post-study work visa in Australia?
Usually two years after a bachelor’s or coursework master’s and three years after a research master’s or PhD, for applicants aged 35 or under.
Sources
Every figure in this guide was checked against the official sources below on 2 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you apply.
- Home Affairs: Genuine Student requirement
- Home Affairs: Student visa processing priorities
- Home Affairs: Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
- Study Australia: Student and Temporary Graduate visa changes 2024
- IDP: Australian visa fee changes from 1 July 2026
- One Planet Migration Law: Student visa financial capacity 2026
