How to Apply for an Australia Student Visa from India: Step by Step

There is no visa centre appointment and no paper file for this visa. Everything happens in your ImmiAccount, so the order in which you prepare things matters. The steps below follow the Home Affairs rules as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For the wider picture, including visitor and work visas, see our Australia visa guide for Indians.

What must be in place before you open ImmiAccount?

Four things decide whether your application is valid and complete. Sort them out first.

• Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). You need a CoE for every intended course, in a full-time CRICOS-registered course. Without it the application is invalid, and it must still be valid when the visa is decided.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Buy it from an approved Australian insurer for your whole stay, starting on the day you arrive. You enter the insurer's name and policy dates; the application is refused if OSHC details are not given.
• English results, if the Document Checklist Tool asks for them.
• Financial evidence, again if the Document Checklist Tool asks for it.

The Document Checklist Tool is updated on 31 March and 30 September. Check it just before you apply, not when you first start planning, so that you work from the current list.

Step by step: lodging the subclass 500 application from India

1. Accept your offer and receive the CoE from your Australian education provider.
2. Arrange OSHC covering you from your arrival date until the end of your stay.
3. Run the Document Checklist Tool on the Home Affairs Student visa page and note whether you must show English results and funds.
4. Draft your Genuine Student answers. The online form asks questions to be answered in English, 150 words each. Back them with academic transcripts, current employment details, your ties to India, your economic circumstances (such as 12 months of employment or business records, tax returns or bank statements) and your reasons for not studying a similar course in India.
5. Scan everything in colour. Upload multi-page documents as one file and have non-English documents translated into English, with the translator's details.
6. Create your ImmiAccount, fill in the form and pay. The charge is AUD 2,500 for the main applicant, or AUD 2,050 for a standalone ELICOS or Non-Award course. Home Affairs charges in AUD only.
7. Respond to requests. If Home Affairs asks for biometrics, give them within 14 days of the request; health examinations may also be requested. India was not on the list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centre locations as of March 2026, so follow the instructions in the request letter.
8. Wait for the decision and keep your CoE and OSHC valid while you wait.

How much money do you need to show, and what counts as proof?

When the Document Checklist Tool asks for financial capacity, Home Affairs expects the following amounts.

The income route must be shown with official government documents such as tax assessments. Bank statements or employer letters are not accepted for it. If you rely on deposits, loans or scholarships, you must also show genuine access to the money: how deposits were built up, for example through transaction history or salary patterns, and the loan terms and disbursement for an education loan. A single-day bank balance certificate does not show this.

Note that most applicants can no longer include family members from 2 October 2026, so the partner and child figures apply only to the exempt groups, such as PhD students.

Which English test scores does Home Affairs accept?

These tables apply to tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, and the result must be within 2 years. Fully online or at-home tests, such as IELTS Online, are not accepted. Since 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT takers must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when registering, or the score will not count for an Australian visa.

How long will you wait for a decision?

The Home Affairs global guide covers all nationalities; the India figure comes from its student visa program report.

Plan backwards from your course start date and apply as soon as your CoE and OSHC are ready.

What changed for Indian student applicants recently?

• 7 August 2025: new English score tables for tests taken on or after this date.
• 14 November 2025: applications lodged outside Australia from this date are processed under Ministerial Direction 115.
• 21 January 2026: the TOEFL 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' selection became mandatory.
• 1 July 2026: the charge rose to AUD 2,500 for the main applicant.
• 2 October 2026: most applications must be lodged outside Australia, and most applicants can no longer include family members. Exemptions include PhD students, DFAT- or Defence-sponsored students and fully funded foreign-government scholarship holders.

Before you submit, avoid the common slips: a CoE missing for one of your courses, OSHC dates that start after your arrival, or a funds file that shows a large deposit with no history behind it.

If you need a cover letter or travel paperwork for your file, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages range from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). Contact us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or via our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours can I work in Australia on a student visa?

Once your course starts, you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session. When your course is not in session, there is no limit on working hours.

Can I take my spouse to Australia on my student visa from October 2026?

In most cases, no. From 2 October 2026 most Student visa applicants cannot include family members. Exemptions include PhD students, DFAT- or Defence-sponsored students and fully funded foreign-government scholarship holders.

Is IELTS Online accepted for an Australian student visa?

No. Home Affairs does not accept fully online or at-home tests such as IELTS Online. Take a centre-based IELTS, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT test that meets the score tables for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.

How long can an Australian student visa last?

The Student visa (subclass 500) allows full-time study in a CRICOS-registered course for up to 6 years, in line with your enrolment. Your CoE for every intended course must be included when you apply.