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Post-study work rights · Official source: Department of Home Affairs, subclass 500

Study in Australia

Strong graduate work rights, well-ranked universities and regional incentives for students who study outside the largest cities. The financial bar is high, and the Genuine Student assessment is where most applications are won or lost.

At a glance

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Calendar advisory

Australia runs on the southern-hemisphere calendar

The academic year starts in February, not September, and February is the main intake. Working back twelve months from a February start puts your shortlist stage in the February before that, roughly when northern-hemisphere students are only beginning to think about the following autumn. Students routinely miscalculate this by a full semester and end up on the smaller July intake by accident.

Map your intake against your current academic year →
Application timeline

Twelve months, five stages

Counted back from a February start. For a July start, shift every stage five months later.

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Cost breakdown

What a year in Australia actually costs

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Advisory

The visa application charge has changed more than once in recent years and is reported inconsistently by third-party sites. Confirm the current figure directly with the Department of Home Affairs before you budget for it. The living-costs requirement is indexed and also changes, so check both at the time you apply.

Funding

Four ways students cut the bill

Where you study matters as much as what you study. Regional campuses carry incentives the capital cities do not.

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Subclass 500

The visa process, step by step

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The Genuine Student assessment

Now assessed inside the application form

There is no separate statement to write any more. The questions sit within the subclass 500 form itself, and the answers are read against everything else you have submitted.

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Book a Genuine Student review

We work through the form's questions with you and check every answer against your transcripts, funds and stated career plan.

Reserve a slot

Common questions

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Work back from February, not September

Book a free 30-minute consultation. Bring your transcripts and we will place you on the right intake and set out what the financial requirement means for your family.