The length of stay is based on the course you intend to study. Additional time may be granted at the end of the course depending on its length. The 'expiry date' of your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) (and any welfare arrangements, where relevant) will also be taken into account. At minimum OSHC must cover the course length.
To be granted a student visa to cover the additional time students must have OSHC in place for the same period. For example, if your course is a year in length ending 30 August, you will be eligible for a student visa to 30 October, provided you have OSHC to that date.
You should consider this when deciding how much OSHC to purchase, as your visa end date cannot be changed once granted.
Subject to the ‘expiry date’ of your OSHC and any welfare arrangements (where relevant), your length of stay will generally be as follows:
Length of course
| Length of stay |
|---|
| 10 months or longer, finishing at the end of the Australian academic year (November to December) | We will usually grant a visa stay period to 15 March of the following year |
| 10 months or longer, finishing from January until October | We will usually grant a visa stay period of 2 months longer than the course |
| Less than 10 months | We 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.
Postgraduate research students
The length of stay for Postgraduate Research students is generally 6 months longer than the usual relevant period set out in the table above. This additional time allows these students to remain in Australia during the interactive marking of their thesis.
For example, Postgraduate Research students who are undertaking a course of more than 10 months duration finishing in November-December, we will generally grant a visa that ceases 15 September (an additional 6 months from 15 March) of the year following course completion.
Primary school-aged students
The maximum period for a student visa for primary school aged students is generally 3 years. This acts as an important safeguard for younger and more vulnerable students.
Primary school aged students can apply for another student visa to continue studying.
In circumstances where a student packages primary and high school study, a visa can still be granted for up to five years, provided the primary school component of the package does not exceed three years. For example, a student who wants to enrol in Year 4, 5 and 6 could be granted a Student visa until the end of Year 8.
High school-aged students
High school students enrolled in years 7-12 may be granted a visa for a maximum period of 6 years.
