Student visa (Subsequent Entrant) (500)

Student visa

(Subsequent entrant) (500)

Home » Student visa (Subsequent Entrant) (500)

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 IMMI Account either inside or outside Australia. If granted, this visa will allow you to do the following:

Be able to travel in and out of Australia.
Work for up to 48 hours per fortnight when the primary applicant’s course of study or training is in session, see visa condition 8104.
Study for a maximum of 3 months while in Australia.

In addition you need to meet the following requirements:

Meet the Genuine Student (GS) requirement.
Hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or qualify for one of the exemption categories.
Be at least 6 years old.
Provide evidence of a welfare arrangement if you are under 18 years old.
If applying from within Australia, hold an eligible substantive visa.

Please note:

A substantive visa ceases to be in effect if another substantive visa is granted.
Applications are processed based on Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) or Australian Eastern Daylight Standard Time (AEDST) when applicable.

With this visa you can

As a Subsequent Entrant on a student 500 visa, you are eligible for the following:

Participate in a maximum of 3 months of study or training while you are in Australia, see condition 8201.
Be able to travel in and out of Australia.
Work for up to 48 hours per fortnight when the primary applicant’s course of study or training is in session. However, students studying a masters by research or doctoral degree, as well as their families will have no work limit.

These criteria ensure that international students can engage in their studies, travel as needed, and work part-time to support themselves and their families during their time in Australia.

How long you can stay

The duration of a subsequent entrant student visa in Australia depends on the type and length of the primary applicants enrolled course or program 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.

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:

Apply for a 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. Make sure to meet all the eligibility requirements and submit your application before your current visa expires.
Visitor Visa (Subclass 600): If your Student visa will expire before your graduation but you need more time to complete your studies, you might be eligible for a Visitor visa. You’ll need a letter from your education provider confirming the date of your graduation.
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.
Skilled Recognition Graduate Visa (Subclass 476): Recent engineering graduates from recognized institutions may be eligible for the Skilled Recognition Graduate visa. This visa allows eligible applicants to gain up to 18 months of skilled work experience in Australia.
Explore Other Visa Options: If you want to stay longer in Australia for reasons other than study, it’s essential to explore other visa options that suit your circumstances. You can consult with immigration professionals or use online resources to understand the various visa pathways available.

Remember to carefully review the eligibility criteria and requirements for each visa option before applying. It’s also advisable to plan your visa application well in advance to avoid any disruptions to your stay in Australia.

Cost

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

Visa Application Charge (Main Applicant): AUD $710.00
- This is the base fee for the main applicant to apply for the visa.
Charge for Each Family Member:
- There is an additional charge for each family member who applies for the visa. For additional applicant’s 18 and over, AUD $530; for additional applicant’s under 18, AUD $175. Their may also be an additional subsequent temporary application charge of AUD $700 if it applies.
Other Costs:
- Health Checks: You may need to undergo health examinations as part of the visa application process. The cost of these examinations can vary depending on your location and the type of examinations required.
- 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 varies by country.
- Biometrics: If biometric data (such as fingerprints and photographs) are required as part of the application process, there may be additional costs associated with this.

To get an accurate estimate of the total cost of your visa application, including any additional charges, you can use the ‘Visa Pricing Estimator’ provided by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Keep in mind that this estimator may not include all potential costs, so it’s essential to thoroughly review the visa requirements and associated fees before applying.

Students affected by COVID-19

If you meet the specified criteria and believe you are eligible for a fee waiver for your Student visa application due to COVID-19 impacts, you must follow these steps:

Complete the Form 1545 COVID-19 Impacted Student provided by your education provider.
Apply for a Student visa and attach the completed Form 1545 when submitting your application.
If you are applying for the fee waiver in Australia, note that a Bridging visa will not be issued automatically while the fee exemption is being assessed.
Await the outcome of your fee waiver application. If you have applied for a fee waiver in Australia and have not received a Bridging visa immediately, there is no need to contact the Department of Home Affairs.

It’s essential to provide accurate information and follow the instructions provided by your education provider and the Department of Home Affairs to ensure your fee waiver application is processed correctly.

Include family

Generally when applying for a student visa, you have the option to include your family members, who are defined as your partner or your dependent child under the age of 18 who is unmarried. It’s important to note the following points regarding family members and the visa application process:

Inclusion of Family Members: You must declare your family members in your student visa application, even if they do not intend to accompany you to Australia. Failure to do so may render them ineligible to apply for a subsequent student visa to join you in Australia.
Age Limit for Dependent Children: 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 visa application can apply separately as subsequent entrants at a later time online through the IMMI Account.
Health and Character Requirements: 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 for Dependent Children: 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

Apply from

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when the Department of Home Affairs decides on your 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.

Eligibilty

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