Student Visa Process

Almost every Nepali student who studies in Australia for more than three months applies for the Student visa (subclass 500). The application is made online through the Department of Home Affairs (ImmiAccount). Here is the path from offer to decision.

Step by step

1. Choose a CRICOS-registered course. Only courses on the CRICOS register can be used for a student visa.
2. Get an offer and accept it. Pay the deposit your university asks for. You then receive a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), which the visa application needs.
3. Buy Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the whole visa period.
4. Prepare the Genuine Student statement. Since 2024 the old GTE test has been replaced by the Genuine Student requirement. You answer questions about why this course, why Australia, your circumstances in Nepal and what the course does for your future.
5. Show financial capacity for tuition, living costs and travel (see the costs page).
6. Show English ability with IELTS, PTE, TOEFL or an accepted alternative.
7. Lodge the application online and pay the visa application charge. Provide biometrics and a health examination if the department asks.
8. Wait for the decision. Do not book flights until the visa is granted.

What officers look at

• Is the course sensible for your education and work history, and is the study gap explained?
• Are the funds genuine, available and from a clear source?
• Are your answers consistent across the form, the statement and the documents?
• Do you have real ties and a believable plan after the course?

Things that cause trouble

• Copy-pasted or generic statements. Write in your own words, specific to you.
• Large, recent, unexplained deposits in the bank account.
• Changing course or provider right after the visa is granted without a good reason.

Government limits on places

Australia now limits how many new international students each university and provider can enrol. Some courses fill early or stop making offers, so applying early matters more than it used to.

Check before you rely on it. The visa application charge and the living-cost figure have both risen sharply in the last two years, and the Genuine Student rules are still being refined. Rules, fees and dates are changed by governments often. We last reviewed this page in October 2026. Confirm the current position on the Home Affairs Student visa page or ask our counsellors, who check it again before your file is submitted.

Talk to WIEC about Australia

Our Lalitpur counsellors can review your marks, English score and finances and tell you honestly which courses and universities fit. Book a free appointment, start your file online at Apply Online, or practise for the English test with IELTSWIZZ.