Australia Student Visa Processing Times and Fees in 2026

The median processing time for Australian Student visa (subclass 500) applications was 21 days in July 2026, according to the Department of Home Affairs. This figure applies to applications lodged both inside and outside Australia, but it is a median across all Student visa applications and does not predict your individual outcome. The same source notes that applications lodged outside Australia are processed in accordance with a Ministerial Direction, and that you should lodge well in advance of course commencement. The Department also states that the subsequent temporary application charge may apply to certain Student visa applications lodged in Australia, so the total cost of a second or later onshore application can be higher than the base application charge alone.

Where the 21-Day Median Comes From

The Department of Home Affairs publishes median processing times for key visa categories, updated regularly as new data becomes available. For the Temporary Visa Program, the Student category showed a median processing time of 21 days for July 2026. This is the most recent figure published in the official guidance.

It is important to understand what a median means in this context. A median is the middle value — half of the applications finalised in that month took less than 21 days, and half took longer. It is not a guarantee, and it is not a maximum. The Department states that processing times vary for many reasons, and that some applications may take considerably longer than the published median.

The Department also publishes a visa processing times guide tool, which shows processing times for recently decided applications. That tool is described as a guide only and not specific to your application. If you have already lodged, you can check your own status through ImmiAccount.

What Affects Student Visa Processing Time

The Department lists several factors that cause processing times to vary. These are worth knowing before you apply, because some of them are within your control.

• Whether you have submitted all necessary supporting documents.
• Whether your application is lodged online or on paper. The Department states that applying online helps streamline processing.
• How quickly you respond to any request for further information.
• How long it takes to receive information from external agencies, particularly relating to health, character and national security requirements.
• The complexity of the visa application.
• Changes in the volume of applications received.
• Changes to Ministerial Directions.
• The time taken to decide older applications, which can increase processing times for newer ones.

For Student visa applications lodged outside Australia, the Department states that processing is carried out in accordance with a Ministerial Direction. Applications lodged before 14 November 2025 are processed according to Ministerial Direction 111, and applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are processed according to Ministerial Direction 115. The Department recommends that applications be lodged well in advance of course commencement and with all supporting documentation.

How the Subsequent Temporary Application Charge Affects Cost

The subsequent temporary application charge is a separate charge that applies to certain temporary visa applications, including Student visa (subclass 500) applications, when lodged in Australia. It is payable by each person in the application and is based on their individual visa history. It is payable in addition to any other visa charges that apply at the time of lodgement.

The charge does not apply to bridging, criminal justice, enforcement or permanent visa applications. It also does not apply if any of the following applies:

• The base application charge for your application is nil.
• The visa pricing table does not show a subsequent temporary application charge for your visa.
• The visa pricing table shows the charge as nil or as N/A.
• You are outside Australia when you make your substantive temporary visa application.
• You are making your first substantive temporary visa application in Australia.
• The subsequent temporary application charge formula evaluates the charge to nil.

The Department provides a four-step calculation to determine whether the charge applies to you. The charge applies only if all four conditions are met: you are in Australia applying for a visa specified in Table 1 (which includes the Student visa subclass 500); you hold, or last held, a visa specified in Table 2 (which includes the Student visa subclass 500); you applied for that Table 2 visa while you were in Australia; and none of the listed exceptions apply. The exceptions include situations where the previous visa was granted by operation of law, granted to a new-born child, granted without an application, or granted as a result of ministerial intervention, or where it was a student visa required because an education provider defaulted.

What the Charge Means for a Second Onshore Application

The Department gives a worked example that illustrates how the charge operates for a Visitor visa applicant, and the same logic applies to the Student visa. In the example, an applicant who applied for and was granted a Visitor visa outside Australia, then applied for a further Visitor visa while in Australia, did not have to pay the subsequent temporary application charge because the visa they held had been applied for outside Australia. However, when that same applicant applied for a third Visitor visa while in Australia — their second temporary visa application made in Australia — the subsequent temporary application charge of AUD700 applied on top of the base application charge.

The key point is that the charge is triggered by your history of applying for temporary visas while in Australia, not merely by holding a temporary visa. If you are applying for a Student visa from outside Australia, the charge does not apply. If you are applying for your first substantive temporary visa in Australia, the charge does not apply. But if you have previously applied for and been granted a temporary visa while in Australia, and you now apply for a Student visa while still in Australia, the charge may be payable. The Department states that you should consult the Visa Pricing Table to verify which charges apply to you.

What You Must Verify Before Applying

The official guidance does not give a fixed Student visa application fee. It gives an example of a Visitor visa base application charge of AUD380, and a subsequent temporary application charge of AUD700, but these are illustrative figures for specific scenarios and are not the Student visa fee. The Department states that you should consult the Visa Pricing Table to verify which charges apply to your application.

The same discipline applies to processing times. The 21-day median for July 2026 is the only figure the official guidance provides, and it is a category-level median, not a subclass-specific figure. The Department states that processing times vary between different visas within each category, and that in some cases it may take longer for those visas to be finalised. It also states that some processing locations are currently experiencing delays, so your application may take longer to be finalised than the published times.

Before you apply, you should check the following on the official pages:

• The current base application charge for the Student visa (subclass 500) on the Visa Pricing Table.
• Whether a subsequent temporary application charge is shown for your circumstances.
• The current processing time for the Student visa using the visa processing times guide tool.
• The step-by-step requirements for the Student visa, including the documents you need to attach.

What to Do Next

If you are applying from outside Australia, the subsequent temporary application charge will not apply to you, and your cost will be limited to the base application charge and any other charges shown in the Visa Pricing Table. If you are applying from inside Australia and you have previously applied for a temporary visa in Australia, you need to work through the four-step calculation to determine whether the charge applies to you.

Lodge your application online through ImmiAccount, and submit all supporting documents at the time of applying. The Department states that lodging a complete application helps avoid delays, and that you should apply well in advance of course commencement. Check the Student visa processing priorities information for applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025, which are processed according to Ministerial Direction 115.

Finally, do not rely on the median processing time as a personal estimate. Use the visa processing times guide tool for a more specific indication, and check your application status through ImmiAccount once you have lodged. The Department states that processing times are updated regularly as new data is available, so the figures you see today may change before you apply.