If the document checklist requires you to provide evidence of your financial capacity, you must attach evidence with your visa application. If you don’t provide this evidence, we may refuse your application without asking you for more information.
If the document checklist does not require you to provide evidence of your financial capacity, we may still ask you to provide this evidence while we are processing your application.
The living cost we ask you to declare and provide with your visa application is the minimum amount of money you need for the purpose of the visa. Actual living costs vary throughout Australia and may be much higher than what you need for the visa. We recommend you research the area you intend to live in, including the cost of living in that area.
For more information on evidence of financial capacity, see the Federal Register of Legislation - Migration (LIN 19/198: Evidence of financial capacity—Subclass 500 Visa and Subclass 590 Visa) Instrument 2019.
Evidence that you have enough money for your stay can include:
- deposits of money from a financial institution
- a government loan or loans from a financial institution
- scholarships or similar financial support.
Annual income
Alternatively, you can provide evidence that your parents or your partner had a personal annual income of at least AUD87,856 in the 12 months immediately before you apply. If you bring family members, your parents’ or partner’s income must be at least AUD102,500 in the 12 months immediately before you apply.
If both your parents are working we can consider their combined income. Provide evidence of your parents’ or partner’s income in the form of official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. We won’t accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer.
Work out how much money you need for the visa
At a minimum, you must have enough money to pay for:
- your travel
- 12 months of your course fees (or pro rata fees, if your course is less than 12 months)
- 12 months of living costs for you and any family members who come with you to Australia (or pro rata fees, if you are staying less than 12 months)
- school fees for any school-age children who accompany you (or pro rata fees, if the child will be at school for less than 12 months).
Use the following information to work out how much money you need for the visa. To calculate pro rata costs, divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.
Living costs
12-month living costs are for:
- students - AUD29,710
- partners coming with you - AUD10,394
- a child coming with you - AUD4,449.
Course fees
Use the first 12 months of your course fees. If your course is 12 months or less, use the total cost. Deduct any costs you have already paid – you must provide evidence you have paid them, such as a receipt or Confirmation of Enrolment.
If you are in Australia and your course has already started, calculate the course fee for 12 months starting on the date you lodge your application.
- Example 1: your course fee is AUD50,000 for 3 years. The fee for 12 months is the total course cost divided by the number of years you will be studying. AUD50,000 divided by 3 years = AUD16,666, less any amount you have already paid if relevant.
- Example 2: your course fee is AUD15,000 for 10 months and you have already paid AUD5,000. Deduct the amount you have already paid from the total amount. AUD15,000 - AUD5,000 = AUD10,000.
- Example 3: your course fee is AUD20,000 for 18 months. The fee for 12 months is the total divided by the total number of months, then multiplied by 12. (AUD20,000/18) x 12 = AUD13,333. Deduct any costs you have already paid.
Schooling costs
If you are including any school-age children in your application, add schooling costs of at least AUD13,502 per year for each child. Costs vary between states, territories and schools in Australia. You are responsible for finding out how much the child’s schooling will cost.
You don’t have to provide evidence of schooling costs if you:
- are a PhD student and have enrolled your child in an Australian government school where the fees have been waived, or
- have received an Australian Commonwealth Government scholarship, including Foreign Affairs and Defence sponsored students, and have enrolled your child in an Australian government school where the fees have been waived.
You must provide evidence the child is enrolled.
Travel costs
As a guide, when you calculate how much money you need, include:
- AUD2,500 for travel costs if you are applying from East or Southern Africa
- AUD3,000 for travel costs if you are applying from West Africa
- AUD2,000 for travel costs if you are applying from anywhere else outside Australia
- AUD1,000 for travel costs if you are applying in Australia. If you will be returning to Africa include AUD1,500.
For combined applications
Include the costs and expenses of the primary applicant. For family members also applying for the visa, include:
- 12 months living costs (or pro rata)
- any school fees
- travel expenses.
Other options
Secondary exchange students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a completed Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students (AASES) form.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a letter of support from DFAT. They must also provide proof of the financial capacity of any family members travelling with them.
Department of Defence students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a letter of support from the Department of Defence. They must also provide proof of the financial capacity of any family members travelling with them.
Family members who apply after we have granted you a visa (subsequent entrants)
Family members who apply to join you later must also, at a minimum, show us they have enough money to cover:
- the costs and expenses of the Student visa holder, including any remaining portion of the 12 months school fees minus any amount already paid
- 12 months living costs of all secondary applicants, including school fees
- travel costs for all secondary applicants.
Evidence you have genuine access to the money
If we ask you to provide evidence of financial capacity you must also prove you have access to it.
If someone else is providing you funds, give us:
- evidence of your relationship with them
- their identity documents
- evidence of any financial support they have given you or another Student visa holder in the past.
If the financial support provided involves a business, show us proof the business is operating.
If you are providing evidence of deposits of money, explain their source.
This could include supporting financial evidence, for example:
- recent bank transaction statements showing the history of funds
- any regular payments or growth patterns, such as from salary income.
Providing a bank balance certificate across a single day does not show us how you increased your funds.
Any education loan to cover your tuition or living costs should be paid out according to the agreement between you, the bank and the education provider. If you receive any payments before we make a decision on your application, give us evidence including the terms of the loan and the full amount you will be paid.
If you are relying on another kind of loan, provide:
- evidence of the security you used
- the terms of the loan
- evidence you can cover ongoing costs.
The best evidence you can provide of genuine access to funds if you are relying on a loan is evidence of disbursement.
Let your provider know of any conditions on your education loan. Some loans offer deferred repayment against your future earnings. These loans can be conditional on you studying only a specified course with a certain provider.
