The Student Visa 500 is more than permission to study — it’s the foundation of one of the world’s most reliable pathways to permanent residence. EPA manages both the university admissions and the visa, so your study plan and your migration plan are built together from day one.
Australia’s Subclass 500 Student Visa is one of the most applied-for visas in the world — and one of the most frequently refused, for entirely avoidable reasons. The visa itself is straightforward: it grants permission to study at a registered Australian institution (a CRICOS-registered provider) for the duration of your course. But the assessment goes well beyond academic qualifications.
The Department of Home Affairs assesses your Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) status, your financial capacity, your English proficiency, your health and character, and — critically — whether your application is consistent with you genuinely intending to study, not use the student visa as a backdoor migration pathway. A poor GTE statement, an inconsistent financial picture, or an institution-course mismatch triggers refusal.
Because EPA handles both university admissions and migration, our counsellors select courses and institutions with your long-term migration outcome in mind — not just your immediate admission. The institution you choose, the course level, the location, and the field of study all affect your migration points and options down the line. We start planning that picture from the first conversation.
Six requirements sit at the centre of every application. The GTE is the highest-risk — but financial and English requirements catch almost as many applications.
A written statement demonstrating your primary purpose is study and you intend to leave Australia when your visa expires. Assessed against your immigration history, home country ties, and the course's alignment with your background.
Issued by your CRICOS-registered institution once you have accepted an offer and paid the required deposit. You cannot lodge a visa application without a valid COE. Each enrolled course generates its own COE.
Mandatory health insurance covering you for the full duration of your course. Must be purchased from an approved provider before your visa can be granted. OSHC covers basic medical and hospital expenses in Australia.
An accepted English test result (IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, Cambridge C1/C2) meeting the minimum scores for your course level. Some nationalities and course types have English exemptions — a MARA agent confirms your situation.
Evidence that you can fund your tuition fees, living expenses, and return travel. The Department assesses 12 months of costs at a minimum. Bank statements, scholarship letters, sponsor declarations and loan documents are all accepted as evidence.
Most applicants are required to undergo a health examination through an approved panel physician. Police clearances from countries where you have lived for 12 or more months may also be required for applicants aged 16 and over.
The GTE is not a box to tick — it is a holistic assessment of whether your entire application is consistent with genuine study intent. The Department considers your circumstances as a whole.
EPA's MARA agents review and advise on GTE statements before they are submitted. A well-constructed statement directly addresses the Department's concerns — it does not simply assert that the applicant is genuine. The specifics matter: your personal circumstances, your chosen course, and your post-study intentions must form a coherent and credible picture.
Different course levels require different minimum scores. Your institution may also set higher English requirements for admission — visa requirements are the floor, not necessarily the ceiling.
| Course Level | IELTS (Academic) | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters / Doctoral (University) | 6.5 | 58 | 79 | No band below 6.0 (IELTS). Individual institutions often require 6.5–7.0+ |
| Bachelor Degree (University) | 6.0 | 50 | 64 | No band below 5.5. Many universities require 6.5 for admission |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 5.5 | 42 | 46 | No band below 5.0 |
| Vocational Education & Training (VET) | 5.0 | 36 | 35 | No band below 5.0 |
| ELICOS (English Language) | No test required — ELICOS is itself the English qualification | Can be packaged before a higher course | ||
All scores are indicative minimum thresholds for visa purposes as of mid-2026. Cambridge C1 Advanced and OET are also accepted. Confirm exact scores with your MARA agent and your institution before booking a test.
Work rights on the Student Visa changed in November 2023. The cap that previously applied was removed in the post-COVID period — then reintroduced at a higher level.
During scheduled course breaks, there is no cap — you can work unlimited hours. Your institution's academic calendar defines when a break begins and ends. Secondary applicants (spouses/partners) may have different or no work restrictions depending on the primary applicant's course level.
Exceeding work hours is a visa condition breach and can lead to visa cancellation. If your employment situation changes or your academic calendar is uncertain, speak to a MARA agent before working additional hours. EPA advises clients on compliant work arrangements throughout their study period.
Australia's Study-to-PR pathway is one of the clearest routes from international student to permanent resident anywhere in the world. It is not accidental — it is designed into the system. But it requires planning from the start, not retrofitting at the end.
The course you choose, the institution's location (city vs regional), the CRICOS code, and the field of study all affect your points score and your post-study visa options. EPA considers all of these before recommending any course — not after.
Student visa refusals are largely preventable. These are the patterns EPA sees most often — and what we do to avoid them.
Most education consultants handle the course application. Most migration agents handle the visa. EPA does both — so nothing falls between the two.
We select courses based on your migration goals, not just admission eligibility. CRICOS provider, course level, field of study, and campus location all affect your post-study options.
We draft and review GTE statements tailored to your individual circumstances — addressing the exact factors the Department assesses, not a generic template.
We review your financial documents before lodgement — identifying inconsistencies and advising on how to present your financial position accurately and compellingly.
We compile and review the complete visa application — COE, OSHC, English results, financial evidence, GTE statement, health and character documentation — before lodgement.
We plan your 485 Temporary Graduate visa and the route to PR before you enrol. The choices you make now affect your migration score years later.
If the Department requests further information, we respond. If circumstances change — course variation, leave of absence, new COE — we advise on the migration implications.
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