Student visa

(Subsequent entrant) (500 Visa)

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The subsequent entrant 500 visa allows dependent family members to join the primary student visa holder in Australia after the primary student visa has been granted. You can apply for this visa online through the ImmiAccount and can be either inside or outside Australia.

With subsequent entrant 500 visa you can

This visa is intended for members of the family unit who wish to subsequently join the primary applicants Student Visa after it has been granted by the Department of Home Affairs. It allows the member of the family unit or (subsequent entrant) to visit Australia for the purpose of joining the primary applicant. You can apply for this visa online through the ImmiAccount either inside or outside Australia. If granted, this visa will allow you to do the following:

Travel: Enter and exit Australia as often as needed.
Work: Work up to 48 hours per fortnight while the primary applicant’s course is in session (no work limit for those studying a master’s by research or doctoral degree).
Study: Study for up to 3 months in Australia.

Visa Requirements:

You need to meet the following requirements:

Be a Dependent: This visa is for members of the family unit of the primary student visa holder. Family members can include partners, children, or other dependents as defined by Australian immigration law.
Proof of Relationship: Provide evidence of your relationship to the primary student visa holder if you are applying as a spouse.
Financial Support: Demonstrate that you have adequate financial support while in Australia.
Health and Character Checks: You may need to meet health and character requirements similar to the primary visa holder.
Genuine Student (GS) Requirement: Demonstrate that you are a genuine student.
Health Cover: Hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) or meet exemption criteria.
Age: At least 6 years old.
Welfare Arrangement: If under 18, provide evidence of welfare arrangements.
Visa Status (if applying from within Australia): Hold an eligible substantive visa.

How long you can stay

The duration of a subsequent entrant in Australia will typically match the duration of the primary student visa holder’s stay, allowing family members to stay for the same period.

For primary school children enrolled in years 1-4, the maximum period for which a student visa is generally granted is up to 3 years. However, this duration may vary based on individual circumstances and specific visa conditions.

It’s important for applicants to check the requirements and conditions applicable to their particular situation when applying for a student visa.

Options to Stay Longer:

It’s important to plan ahead if your student visa in Australia is approaching its expiration date. Here are some options to consider for continuing your stay or exploring other visa pathways:

New Student Visa: If you plan to continue your studies, you or the primary applicant can apply for a new Student visa to extend your stay in Australia.
Visitor Visa (Subclass 600): If your student visa expires before graduation, you might be eligible for a Visitor visa with a graduation confirmation letter from your provider.
Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485): If you have completed specific qualifications in Australia in the last six months, you may be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa. This visa allows recent graduates to live, study, and work in Australia temporarily after completing their studies.
Other Visa Options: Explore additional visas if staying for reasons other than study.

Cost Breakdown of 500 visa

Here’s a breakdown of the visa costs for the main applicant and potential additional charges:

Visa Application Fee (Main Applicant): AUD $1600
- This is the base fee for the main applicant to apply for the visa.
Additional Charges:
- For applicants aged 18 and over: AUD $1190
- For applicants under 18: AUD $390
- Possible additional subsequent temporary application charge: AUD $700
Other Costs:
- Health Checks: You may need to undergo health examinations as part of the visa application process. The costs vary by location and examination type.
- Police Certificates: You may need to provide police clearance certificates from countries you have lived in for a certain period. The cost of obtaining these certificates vary by country.
- Biometrics: Additional costs if biometric data (such as fingerprints and photographs) is required.

Family Inclusion:

Generally, when initially applying for a student visa, you have the option to include your family members, who may be your spouse or your dependent children. It’s important to note the following points regarding family members and the visa application process:

Declare Family Members: You must declare your family members in your initial student visa application, even if they do not yet intend to accompany you to Australia. Failure to do so may render them ineligible to apply for a subsequent student visa later to join you in Australia.
Age Limit for Dependents: If your child has turned 18 at the time your visa is finalized, they will not be eligible to be included as a dependent on your student visa. In such cases, they will need to apply for their own visa.
Subsequent Entrant Applications: Family members who are not included in your initial student visa application can apply separately as subsequent entrants at a later time online through the ImmiAccount.
Health and Character: All family members included in the visa application, regardless of whether they plan to travel to Australia, must meet the health and character requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs.
School Costs: If you plan to bring dependent children to Australia, you should be prepared for the annual school costs, whether they attend public or private schools. Ensure you have sufficient funds to cover these expenses.

By providing accurate information and adhering to the visa application requirements, you can ensure a smooth process for including your family members in your student visa application

Packaged courses

When applying for a student visa, it’s important that the main applicant provide Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each course they intend to undertake. Here are some key points to consider regarding CoE and course packages:

Main Course of Study: The last course enrolled in as part of the course package will be considered your main course of study. This main course determines the evidence required for financial capacity and English language proficiency.
Course Gaps: If your visa application includes a package of courses, any gaps between courses must generally be less than two calendar months. However, exceptions apply if the first course ends at the conclusion of the academic year and the next course begins at the start of the following academic year.
Acceptable Gap Period: For instance, if the academic year typically ends in November and starts again in February of the following year, a gap of three to four months between courses may be acceptable.

Your obligations

You and your family must meet all visa conditions and follow Australian laws.

Travel

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Eligibility for Subsequent Entrant 500 Visa

Be a certain age (school student)

If you’re a student attending school (excluding secondary school exchange programs), you need to be at least 6 years old to apply for this visa. Additionally, specific age criteria apply for different stages of schooling:

Starting Year 9: Must be under 17 years old
Starting Year 10: Must be under 18 years old
Starting Year 11: Must be under 19 years old
Starting Year 12: Must be under 20 years old

Make Welfare arrangements if you are under 18 years

If you’re under 18 and applying for a student visa, it’s crucial to have suitable welfare arrangements during your stay in Australia. However, if you’ll turn 18 upon arrival, certain requirements may not apply to you. For detailed information, refer to the Welfare arrangements for students under 18 section.

Have adequate health insurance

It is mandatory for you and your family members to possess and maintain adequate health insurance throughout your stay in Australia. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) from an approved Australian health insurance provider is required, unless an exception applies.

For Applicants outside Australia:

OSHC coverage must commence from the day you and your family arrive in Australia, not from the course start date.
If you intend to arrive in Australia before your course begins, the OSHC start date should align with your arrival date, typically 1 week to 1 month before the course starts.
Ensure OSHC is in place before entering Australia and maintain it until departure, as entry may be denied without proof of health insurance.

For Applicants in Australia:

Continuous health cover is necessary, with no gaps between previous health insurance and OSHC if your previous visa mandated health insurance.

Exceptions:

Norwegian students covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme
Swedish students covered by Kammarkollegiet
Belgian students covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia

Acquiring Overseas Student Health Cover:

Find an approved provider and purchase the policy.
Your education provider or agent may assist in arranging OSHC, in which case, ensure you have the necessary information.
If arranging OSHC independently, obtain the policy number for visa application inclusion.

Failure to provide health insurance information during the visa application process will result in visa refusal.

Insurance for Family Members:

Consider obtaining a family policy if you have family members, including children born in Australia after your arrival.
Every family member must possess health insurance.
New family members joining you in Australia must demonstrate OSHC coverage for their stay duration.

Have this visa if applying while in Australia

If you are currently in Australia:

You must possess an eligible substantive visa. Note: A bridging visa does not qualify as a substantive visa.
If you lack an eligible substantive visa, you must apply within 28 days of:
- Holding a Student visa, Special Purpose visa, or dependent Diplomatic (temporary) visa
- Being notified by the Tribunal that your visa cancellation has been overturned.
It’s important to note that you can only do this once. You cannot validly apply for a student visa if you previously obtained a visa based on an application made while you lacked a substantive visa.

Have enough money for your stay

You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your expenses during your stay in Australia. It’s important to note that living costs can vary widely across the country and may exceed the minimum requirement specified for your visa application.

The declared living costs required for your visa application represent the minimum amount necessary for visa purposes. However, actual living expenses can differ significantly across different regions of Australia and may surpass the visa requirement. We strongly advise you to conduct thorough research on the specific area where you plan to reside, taking into account the local cost of living.

It’s not advisable to rely solely on employment to sustain yourself or your family during your time in Australia. The Study Australia website, maintained by the Australian Government, offers valuable information on various accommodation options and includes a cost of living calculator to help you estimate additional expenses beyond the visa application requirement.

For further details, please visit the Study Australia website.

Be a Genuine Student (GS)

As part of your visa application, it’s crucial to demonstrate that you are a Genuine Student (GS)

Meet our character requirement

Applicants aged 16 years and over, including family members, must meet the character requirement as part of the visa application process.

Meet the health requirement

You and any accompanying family members must meet the health requirement as part of the visa application process.

Sign the Australian values statement

If you are 18 years old or older, you must have familiarized yourself with the Life in Australia booklet and acknowledge, through signing the Australian Values Statement, your commitment to uphold the Australian way of life and adhere to Australian laws.

Have paid back your debt to the Australian Government

If you or any family members, even those not included in your visa application, have outstanding debts to the Australian government, you must have either settled the debts or arranged a suitable repayment plan.

Not had a visa cancelled or an application refused

Your immigration history will be thoroughly reviewed as part of the visa application process. Having a history of visa cancellations or refusals may impact your eligibility for this visa category.

However, there are exceptions, and in certain cases, you may still be able to apply for a permanent visa despite past visa cancellations or refusals.

Best interests of the child

The issuance of this visa may be contingent upon whether it is deemed to be in the best interests of any applicant under the age of 18.

Conditions

8104 - Work limitation

This condition stipulates that individuals holding this visa cannot work for more than 40 hours per fortnight, unless they are a family member of a student visa holder.

Family members of a student visa holder have specific guidelines regarding work rights:

They cannot work before the student’s course starts unless they, or the student visa holder, held another visa that permitted work in Australia at the time of applying for the visa.
They cannot work more than 48 hours per fortnight, except for those accompanying a student studying a masters or doctorate degree, who can work beyond this limit.
A fortnight refers to a 14-day period starting on a Monday.

It’s important to understand these work rights, and resources such as the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) are available to help individuals and employers navigate Australian workplace laws. The Fair Work Ombudsman website provides comprehensive information on workplace rights and entitlements for visa holders and migrant workers.

8105 - Work limitation

This condition restricts you from working in Australia before your course begins, unless you held another visa allowing work at the time of applying for this visa. During your course, you must not exceed 48 hours of work per fortnight, except in certain circumstances.

When your course is in session, defined as during school semesters or when undertaking another course that contributes to your main course during term breaks, the 48-hour limit applies. However, exceptions exist:

If you hold a student visa for a masters by research or doctorate degree and the course has commenced.
If work is a registered part of your course and specified as a requirement in the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.

When your course is not in session, such as during scheduled breaks or if your enrollment has been deferred or suspended, you’re not bound by the 48-hour limit.

It’s crucial to understand the definition of work and your rights:

Any work that involves attending a place of work, being ‘clocked on,’ or receiving remuneration counts towards your work limitation.
Work experience, whether paid or unpaid, is subject to the 48-hour limit, unless it’s a mandatory part of your course.
You can hold multiple jobs as long as the total hours worked do not exceed 48 hours in a fortnight.

Employers should verify that student employees have commenced their course and adhere to visa conditions. Resources like the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) provide valuable information on workplace rights and entitlements

8201 - Maximum 3 months study