Australia’s student visa process changed meaningfully in recent years with the introduction of the Genuine Student requirement, replacing the older Genuine Temporary Entrant test — here’s what the process actually involves now.
Figures reflect general ranges based on current published guidance as of August 2026 and change with policy updates — confirm current amounts directly on the Department of Home Affairs website before applying.
The Genuine Student (GS) requirement
Australia now assesses applicants against a Genuine Student (GS) requirement, which replaced the previous Genuine Temporary Entrant test. It looks at your circumstances, your reasons for choosing this specific course and provider, your knowledge of the course and the institution, and your immigration history, to assess whether you’re genuinely coming to study rather than using the visa for another purpose. This is a holistic assessment, not a single checkbox — vague or generic answers about “wanting a better education” tend to weaken an application compared to specific, well-researched reasons tied to your actual course and career plans.
Financial requirement
You’ll need to show access to roughly AUD $29,710 in funds for a single applicant to cover one year of living costs, on top of your tuition fees (which vary significantly by institution and program) and estimated travel costs of around AUD $2,500–$3,000. If you have dependents joining you, additional funds are required per person. The Department of Home Affairs specifically checks that funds are genuinely accessible — held in a form you can actually use, properly documented, and without unexplained large deposits appearing suddenly before you apply, which is treated as a red flag rather than reassurance.
Additional costs to budget for
Beyond tuition and living-cost proof, factor in the visa application fee (this has risen in recent policy changes — confirm the current exact amount directly before budgeting, since older figures you may see referenced elsewhere are likely outdated) and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), mandatory health insurance for the length of your stay, which commonly runs somewhere in the range of a few hundred to just over a thousand Australian dollars per year for a single student depending on provider and coverage length.
Core documents
Expect to provide: a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from your Australian institution, evidence of financial capacity, English proficiency test results (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic, or Duolingo, depending on your institution’s accepted list), health insurance (OSHC), and — depending on your country and visa risk level — health examinations and character documents.
Why Australia is worth the paperwork
Beyond the visa process itself, Australia offers real tuition ranges and a distinctive regional-study funding incentive most guides don’t mention — see Studying in Australia for the full breakdown, and Post-Study Work Visas for how Australia’s post-study work options compare to the UK, Canada, and US.
Get your English test sorted early
Since your Confirmation of Enrolment depends on meeting your institution’s English requirement, settle this before you’re racing a visa deadline. See IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo and PTE Academic: Is It Worth Taking? to decide which test fits your situation.