Information current as of 6 October 2026.

If you are planning an Australia student visa from India in 2026, the rules you read about six months ago are already out of date. The Student visa (subclass 500) fee rose to AUD 2,500 on 1 July 2026, India is now assessed at the highest evidence level for student visas, and from 2 October 2026 most new student visa applicants can no longer bring a partner or children with them. Visitors and most other temporary visa holders also lost the ability to apply for a student visa from inside Australia.

This guide sets out what an Indian applicant needs right now: eligibility, money, English, the Genuine Student test, the new family rules, a step-by-step application plan and the mistakes that lead to refusals. We have added notes for Malaysian applicants and for Indian nationals already in Australia, because the October changes treat them very differently.

Key facts: Australia student visa from India (October 2026)

• Visa: Student visa (subclass 500), for full-time study at a CRICOS-registered course.
• Application fee: AUD 2,500 for most applicants from 1 July 2026 (it was AUD 2,000).
• Living-cost funds: AUD 29,710 for 12 months for the main student, on top of tuition and travel.
• English: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall (or an accepted equivalent) for most courses; lower scores apply only when English classes are packaged with your main course.
• Evidence level: India now sits at the highest evidence level, so expect to provide full financial and English evidence with your application.
• Family: From 2 October 2026, partners and children can't be included unless you fall into an exemption (for example PhD students, or eligible students from ASEAN or Pacific countries).
• Where to apply from: Most applicants must now be outside Australia when they apply and when the visa is granted.
• Work rights: 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, unlimited during scheduled course breaks.

What changed for Indian students in 2026

1. The visa fee went up 25%

From 1 July 2026 the base application charge for most Student visa applicants rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500. The fee is non-refundable, so a refusal costs you the full amount. Use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator to confirm the exact charge for your situation before you pay, and our visa cost calculator to budget the full move. For a wider summary of the July changes, see our post on Australian visa changes from 1 July 2026.

2. India moved to the highest evidence level

Home Affairs gives every combination of passport country and education provider an "evidence level". The evidence level decides how much documentation you must provide up front. Under the update that took effect on 27 March 2026, India was moved to the highest level. In practice this means an Indian applicant should assume the case officer will want full, verifiable proof of funds and an English test result with the application, and that bank statements, loan letters and academic records will be checked closely. Always confirm your own requirements using the official Document Checklist Tool, because the result also depends on your provider.

3. Family members restricted from 2 October 2026

The Minister for Home Affairs announced the family restriction on 17 September 2026, and the changes to Student visa application rules took effect on 2 October 2026. New applicants can't include a partner or dependent children unless an exemption applies, and current student visa holders can no longer add family members after grant. The exemptions are:

• PhD students
• Students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence
• Foreign government scholarship recipients
• Eligible students from Pacific countries or ASEAN member countries

For most Indian students doing a bachelor's or a coursework master's, this means applying alone. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are still assessed under the old rules. Family members who already hold student visas as dependants may be able to be included when the main student applies for a further visa onshore. Read our earlier coverage of Australia's September 2026 migration announcements for the background.

4. Most onshore student visa applications are closed

Also from 2 October 2026, most temporary visa holders in Australia can't lodge a Student visa application while they are in Australia. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted. Current student visa holders can still apply onshore for another student visa only in set situations, including:

• needing up to 12 more months after the end of your course to finish with the same provider
• DFAT or Defence sponsorship
• PhD study
• enrolling in primary or secondary school
• moving up to a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level after completing your main course
• your education provider has defaulted

If you are an Indian national in Australia on a visitor visa or a graduate visa and you were hoping to switch to a student visa without leaving, that option is largely gone. Plan for an offshore application.

Australia student visa from India: eligibility checklist

To be granted a subclass 500 visa you generally need to show the following. Check each item against the official Student visa (subclass 500) page.

1. Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from a CRICOS-registered course. You can't lodge without it unless you fall into a narrow exemption.
2. Genuine Student (GS) requirement: you must show you genuinely intend to study, not use the visa mainly to work or stay.
3. Financial capacity to cover tuition, living costs and travel.
4. English proficiency evidence, if your evidence level or course requires it (assume it does from India).
5. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the full length of your stay.
6. Health and character: you may need a medical exam with a panel physician, and police certificates if requested.
7. Welfare arrangements if you will be under 18.

How much money you need to show

Home Affairs sets a minimum living-cost figure. For the main applicant it is AUD 29,710 for 12 months. You must also show the first year of tuition (less anything already paid) and return travel. The table below shows a realistic first-year budget for a single applicant. Tuition varies widely by provider and course, so plug in your own offer letter figure.

Item	Amount (AUD)	Notes
Visa application charge	2,500	Most applicants, from 1 July 2026; non-refundable
Living costs (12 months)	29,710	Minimum to be evidenced for the main applicant
First-year tuition	As per CoE / offer	Minus any amount already paid to the provider
OSHC	Varies by insurer	Must cover the full visa period, usually bought through your provider
Return airfare	Varies	Must be included in your financial evidence
Health exam, police certificate, English test	Varies	Paid separately to each provider in India

What counts as evidence: money deposits held by you, a parent, spouse or close relative, an education loan from a recognised financial institution, or government or scholarship funding. For Indian applicants the common pitfalls are funds that appeared recently without explanation, loan sanction letters with missing terms, and fixed deposits whose owner can't show where the money came from. Explain large deposits with sale deeds, salary records or ITRs. The case officer is checking that the money is genuinely available to you, not just that a balance existed on one day.

English requirements for Indian applicants

For most courses the benchmark is an IELTS Academic overall score of 6.0, or an equivalent score on another test Home Affairs accepts, such as PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT. Lower scores apply when your provider packages an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) before your main course, or when you go into a university foundation or pathway program. Exact equivalent scores for each test are published by Home Affairs, and providers often set higher entry scores than the visa minimum, so check both.

Two practical points for India-based applicants: book your test early because results in peak intake months take time to arrive, and make sure the test was taken within the validity window Home Affairs accepts. If your provider's entry requirement is higher than the visa minimum, the provider requirement is the one that decides whether you get a CoE.

The Genuine Student requirement: what case officers look for

The Genuine Student (GS) requirement replaced the old GTE statement in March 2024. Instead of a long essay, you answer targeted questions in the online application. Case officers look at:

• Your circumstances in India: family, employment, property and community ties.
• Your study history and how this course fits it. A BCom graduate choosing a master's in accounting makes sense; a jump into an unrelated diploma needs a clear reason.
• Why Australia and why this provider rather than an equivalent course in India.
• The value of the course to your future, backed by realistic career information.
• Your immigration history, including previous refusals for Australia or other countries.

Answer in your own words with specific facts. Templates copied from social media are easy to spot and are one of the most common reasons we see Indian applications refused.

Step-by-step: how to apply from India

1. Choose a course and provider. Check the course is CRICOS-registered and that it fits your past study and career plan.
2. Get your offer and accept it. Pay the deposit your provider asks for and arrange OSHC. Your provider will issue the CoE.
3. Take your English test if you don't already have a valid result.
4. Prepare financial evidence covering tuition, AUD 29,710 living costs and travel, with source-of-funds documents.
5. Collect identity and academic documents: passport, mark sheets, degree certificates, work experience letters and any gap explanations.
6. Create an ImmiAccount and lodge online from outside Australia. Answer the GS questions carefully and pay the AUD 2,500 fee.
7. Complete health checks and biometrics if requested. Use the HAP ID from your application when you book the medical.
8. Respond quickly to any request for information. Missing a deadline usually means the case is decided on what is already on file.
9. Receive your grant and read your visa conditions before you travel.

Processing times change month to month. Check the current figures on the Home Affairs global processing times page and apply well ahead of your course start date, especially for February and July intakes.

Common mistakes that get Indian student visas refused

• Unexplained funds. A large deposit a few weeks before lodging, with no paper trail, is a red flag.
• Course downgrade or mismatch. A master's graduate enrolling in a diploma, with no clear reason, struggles to meet the GS requirement.
• Generic GS answers. Copied text or vague answers about "world-class education" add nothing.
• Undisclosed refusals. Failing to declare a previous visa refusal, for any country, is treated far more seriously than the refusal itself.
• Planning to bring family later. From 2 October 2026 you generally can't add a partner or children after grant, unless you are exempt. Build your plans around that.
• Applying from inside Australia. If you are onshore on a visitor or other temporary visa, an onshore student visa application will usually be invalid under the new rules.
• Fake or altered documents. Apart from refusal, this can lead to a ban on future visas.

Notes for Malaysian applicants and Indians living in Malaysia

The family exemption covers eligible students from ASEAN member countries, and Malaysia is an ASEAN member. If you are a Malaysian citizen, you may still be able to include your partner and children in your application, provided you meet the other criteria. Indian citizens who live or study in Malaysia should not assume the exemption covers them, because it is framed around the student's country, not where they are living. If this applies to you, get advice on your specific facts before lodging.

Malaysian applicants should also check their own evidence level in the Document Checklist Tool. Your evidence requirements may be lighter than an Indian applicant's, depending on your provider.

Work rights and life after graduation

Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. After graduating, many students look at the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). Its base fee rose to AUD 5,750 on 1 July 2026, and the Government has announced that graduate visa holders will also face family restrictions. If you want to stay longer term, plan your course choice around skilled pathways from day one. Our guide to the Skills in Demand (482) visa and its PR pathway explains the employer-sponsored route many graduates move to.

How EazyViza can help

EazyViza is backed by Collins Quarters, a migration and commercial law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur. Our team works with Indian and Malaysian students every intake, and we can help you:

• check whether you are caught by the new family and onshore rules, or fall into an exemption
• review your financial evidence before you pay the AUD 2,500 fee
• prepare clear, honest Genuine Student answers that match your documents
• lodge and manage your offshore Student visa (subclass 500) application end to end

Not sure where you stand? Start with our free visa eligibility checker or book a migration consultation.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Australian visa law and policy change often, and several of the rules above changed in 2026. Figures are current as of 6 October 2026. Always check the Department of Home Affairs website or speak to a registered migration agent or lawyer about your circumstances before applying.