The length of stay granted on a Student (Subclass 500) Visa varies depending on the course you are intending on studying.
General guide for the length of stay on a subclass 500 visa
Note: guide published by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA)
| Length of course | Length of stay |
| 10 months or longer, finishing at the end of the Australian academic year (November to December) | DHA will usually grant a visa stay period to 15 March of the following year |
| 10 months or longer, finishing from January until October | DHA will usually grant a visa stay period of 2 months longer than the course |
| Less than 10 months | DHA will usually grant a visa stay period 1 month longer than the course |
The maximum length of stay for a student visa will generally not exceed 5 years.
Overseas Student Health Cover
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) must cover at a minimum, the length of your course, the expiration of your OSHC may be considered when determining your length of stay. Your visa end date cannot be changed once granted so when you are deciding how much OSHC to get be mindful of the general guide above.
To be granted a student visa that covers to/past the end of your course you must have OSHC in place for the same period.
I.E., If your course is 3 years in length and is finishing at the end of an Australian academic year (November-December), you will most likely be granted a student visa to 15 March the following year, provided you have OSHC to that date.
Postgraduate research students
Length of stay for a Postgraduate Research student is 6 months longer than the period shown in the general guide above, to allow students to remain onshore during the time their thesis is being marked.
I.E., If a Postgraduate Research student is taking a course that is longer than 10 months, finishing at the end of an Australian academic year (November-December), they will most likely be granted a student visa that ceases on the 15th of September the following year, provided they have OSHC to that date. This is 6 additional months after the usual end of stay on the 15th of March.
Child student visas
To protect the vulnerability of younger children, the maximum period for a student visa for a child at primary school age (6-12) is generally 3 years. However, primary school aged children can apply for another student visa before the end of their stay to continue their schooling in Australia. This is so the Department of Home Affairs can re-assess if it is in the best interest of the child to be in Australia on a student visa.
If a child is applying to finish primary school/start high school their visa may be granted for 5 years if the time in primary school does not exceed the 3 years
I.E., if a student was to enrol in year 4, 5 and 6 in primary school and year 7 and 8 in high school, the length of stay would be granted until the end of year 8.
