Studying in Australia is governed by national qualification, education and visa settings. This reference summarises the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) used for Australian qualifications and the indicative full-time durations of higher-education awards, how tuition and living costs are presented by official Study Australia guidance, the main student visa (subclass 500) settings, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), the temporary graduate visa (subclass 485), and where to find official skilled-migration criteria. It is a neutral third-party encyclopedia reference, not immigration advice, and it does not rank institutions or promise any visa outcome.
Qualifications and study duration
Study Australia sets out Australian qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which covers vocational education and training and higher education. The indicative full-time durations for higher-education awards are:
- Bachelor degree / undergraduate level: 3–5 years full time. A bachelor degree provides a broad and coherent knowledge base for professional work or further study. Bachelor Honours degree is a separate AQF qualification.
- Master degree: 1–4 years full time. Master degree programs develop advanced knowledge and expertise in a chosen field and may be available by coursework, research or a combination of both.
- Doctoral degree: 1–4 years full time, according to the Study Australia qualifications guidance.
These ranges are indicative full-time durations; for the duration of a specific program, check the official course and provider listing. Course duration is also different from visa duration: the subclass 500 visa is a separate immigration permission (see below).
Tuition and living costs
Tuition fees for international students vary by education provider, program and city. Study Australia states that the cost of studying depends on the education provider and other factors, and that students can search courses and tuition through the official Study Australia course search; no single national tuition figure is given in the current official guidance. For course and tuition information, use the official course search on the Study Australia website and the provider’s own published fees.
For living costs, Study Australia provides a living-cost tool designed to help estimate the cost of a chosen lifestyle, allowing comparison of accommodation, transport and other choices. The tool states that the costs provided are an approximate guide only and that the displayed figures were last updated November 2023. Because the estimates are broad and dated, readers should use them only as a general indication and verify current costs from official and provider sources. This article does not restate the old budget amounts.
Student visa (subclass 500)
The main student visa is the Subclass 500 Student visa, issued by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. At a high level, the visa allows the holder to participate in an eligible course of study in Australia, travel in and out of Australia, and work up to 48 hours a fortnight while the course of study or training is in session. Students who have started a master’s degree by research or a doctoral degree have no work-hour limit.
Fee: From 1 July 2026, student visa fees are from AUD 2,500 per visa application, unless the applicant is exempt.
Duration: Home Affairs states the visa stay is up to six years and in line with the enrolment. This is the visa permission period, not the indicative course duration listed above.
Conditions and requirements include being enrolled in a course of study in Australia and holding a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) when the visa is decided; holding Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) or falling in one of the exemption categories; being 6 years or older; and, if under 18, having a welfare arrangement. Applicants must also meet the genuine student requirement — Home Affairs describes this as being a genuine student for entry and showing that studying in Australia is the primary reason for the Student visa (see the Genuine Student requirement). Visa processing times vary from person to person and are published by Home Affairs; this article does not state a fixed processing time.
Home Affairs also states that from 2 October 2026, new rules apply to current Student visa holders who want to lodge another Student visa application while in Australia: most Student visa holders can no longer apply for a further Student visa in Australia and can only apply in Australia if they meet an exemption.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
OSHC is health cover for international students in Australia. For subclass 500, Home Affairs requires applicants to hold OSHC or fall in one of the exemption categories. The exemption categories and current rules are set by Home Affairs; readers should check the current Home Affairs subclass 500 page for the exact exemption categories. This article does not state OSHC premiums.
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
The Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa is a temporary visa that allows eligible international students to live, study and work in Australia after finishing their studies. Study Australia lists the following streams and indicative stay periods:
- Post-Vocational Education Work stream: for students who have recently graduated with qualifications relevant to specific occupations Australia needs. Stay: up to 18 months.
- Post-Higher Education Work stream: for students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution. Stay: usually between 2 and 3 years, depending on the qualification.
- For current details on any additional subclass 485 stream, see the official Study Australia and Department of Home Affairs pages linked above.
Hong Kong and British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders may stay for 5 years. All of the above stay periods are indicative policy settings, not guarantees of a grant or of the period granted; the actual visa decision and duration are made by Home Affairs.
Eligibility is set by Home Affairs and includes being aged 35 years or under when applying (exceptions apply), holding an eligible visa, having held a Student visa in the last 6 months, having a recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered course, applying for the eligible stream (streams cannot be changed after applying), and attaching required evidence. For the full and current eligibility rules, including age exceptions and evidence, readers should use the Department of Home Affairs subclass 485 page; this article does not restate application fees, processing times or financial-proof amounts.
Skilled migration and permanent residence
Skilled migration to Australia is subclass-specific. Eligibility depends on the visa program, the applicant’s occupation and qualifications, and the current legislative instruments, which can change. Home Affairs states that individuals with qualifications to work or train in an eligible skilled occupation who meet all other requirements may apply for skilled visas, and that a current list of eligible skilled occupations is found in the relevant visa program’s legislative instrument.
For points-tested independent skilled migration, the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) has an official points table published by Home Affairs. For occupation eligibility, see Home Affairs’ skilled occupation list. This article does not state points values, age points, invitation cutoffs or similar figures, and it does not promise permanent residence or a migration timeline. Subclass 485 does not itself confer permanent residence, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Sources
- Study Australia — Understanding Australian Qualifications — AQF qualification levels and indicative full-time durations for bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.
- Study Australia — Living and education costs — tuition variation by provider, program and city; living-cost tool and its November 2023 update note.
- Study Australia — Student visa (subclass 500) — subclass 500 fee from 1 July 2026 and 48-hour-per-fortnight in-session work limit, with the master-by-research/doctoral exception.
- Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500) — visa conditions, OSHC requirement and exemptions, genuine student requirement, up-to-six-years stay, and the 2 October 2026 further-application rules.
- Study Australia — Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) — stream names, indicative stay periods and the Hong Kong/BNO 5-year exception.
- Department of Home Affairs — Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) — subclass 485 eligibility criteria, including age, recent Student visa, CRICOS qualification and stream rules.
- Department of Home Affairs — Points table for Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — official subclass 189 points table.
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled occupation list — current eligible skilled occupations and legislative instrument guidance.
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