Subclass 500 Student Visa: Conditions and Work Rights

The Student visa (subclass 500) allows you to study in Australia, but it comes with conditions you must meet to maintain your visa. The most commonly discussed condition is work limitation — you can work while studying, but your hours are capped. The official guidance does not publish the specific work hour limit in the official guidance; you must check the subclass 500 visa page on the Home Affairs website for the exact condition. The subsequent temporary application charge (STAC) can apply when you apply for certain temporary visas while in Australia, including a further Student visa, so understanding your visa history matters if you plan to extend your stay.

What the Student Visa (Subclass 500) Allows

The Student visa (subclass 500) is a temporary visa that permits you to study in Australia. The official guidance confirms that the subclass 500 is included in Table 1 of the subsequent temporary application charge, which means it is one of the visas that can attract that charge when you apply for it while in Australia.

The visa is a substantive visa. The Home Affairs guidance defines a substantive visa as any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa, or an enforcement visa. This distinction matters because the subsequent temporary application charge applies to certain temporary visas, and the Student visa is among them.

Work Rights and Condition 8105

The official guidance provided does not specify the work hour limit under condition 8105. This is a critical piece of information for any student visa holder, and you should not rely on memory or estimates. The Home Affairs subclass 500 visa page sets out the conditions attached to the visa, including any work limitations.

What the official guidance does confirm is that the Student visa is a temporary visa that can attract the subsequent temporary application charge. It does not detail work rights. To verify your permitted work hours, check the subclass 500 page on the Home Affairs website and read the visa conditions carefully. If you are already a visa holder, your visa grant notice also lists the conditions attached to your specific visa.

Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC) and Student Visas

The subsequent temporary application charge is a charge that applies to certain temporary visas. It is payable by each person in the application and is based on their individual visa history. The charge is payable in addition to any other visa charges that apply at the time of lodgement.

The charge does not apply to bridging visas, criminal justice visas, enforcement visas, or permanent visas. It also does not apply in several situations, including:

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

For a Student visa holder, the key point is that the charge can apply if you apply for another temporary visa while in Australia and your visa history meets the criteria. The charge is calculated per applicant, not per application.

How the STAC Is Calculated

The Home Affairs guidance sets out a four-step calculation for the subsequent temporary application charge:

Step	Question	If Yes	If No
1	Are you in Australia applying for a visa specified in Table 1?	Go to step 2	Charge is $0
2	Do you hold, or was your last substantive visa, a visa specified in Table 2?	Go to step 3	Charge is $0
3	Did you apply for the Table 2 visa while you were in Australia?	Go to step 4	Charge is $0
4	Do any of the five exemption situations apply?	Charge is $0	Charge applies

The five exemption situations in step 4 are:

• The Table 2 visa was for a new-born child born after the primary applicant applied.
• The Table 2 visa was granted by operation of law.
• The Table 2 visa was granted as a result of ministerial intervention.
• The Table 2 visa was granted without the applicant making an application.
• The Table 2 visa was a student visa you were required to apply for because an education provider defaulted and could no longer deliver a course.

If none of these apply, the subsequent temporary application charge applies to that applicant.

Table 1 and Table 2 Visas

Table 1 lists the temporary visas being applied for that can attract the subsequent temporary application charge. It includes the Student visa (subclass 500), along with:

• Temporary Activity (408)
• Training (407)
• Skills in Demand (482)
• Student Guardian (590)
• Visitor (600)

Table 2 lists the previous visas that count toward the charge calculation. It includes the Student visa (subclass 500), Student Guardian (590), Visitor (600), and several other temporary visas including Working Holiday (417), Work and Holiday (462), and Temporary Skill Shortage (482).

The charge calculation requires that your current or last substantive visa is a Table 2 visa and that you applied for it while in Australia. If you applied for your Student visa outside Australia, the charge will not apply to a subsequent application made in Australia based on that visa history.

Example: Student Visa Holder Applying for Another Temporary Visa

The official guidance provides an example that illustrates how the charge works. In the example, a visitor applies for a Visitor visa outside Australia, then applies for another Visitor visa while in Australia, and then applies for a further Visitor visa while still in Australia. The third application attracts the subsequent temporary application charge because the applicant is in Australia, holds a Table 2 visa, and applied for that visa while in Australia.

The same logic applies to Student visa holders. If you applied for your Student visa outside Australia and then apply for another temporary visa in Australia, the charge may not apply because your Student visa was applied for outside Australia. If you applied for your Student visa in Australia and then apply for a further temporary visa in Australia, the charge may apply.

The guidance notes that the examples are a general illustration. There are variations in fees and charges, and you should consult the Visa Pricing Table to verify which charges apply to you.

What to Check Before You Rely on a Number

The official guidance does not publish the exact work hour limit for subclass 500 visa holders. It also does not publish the specific dollar amount of the subsequent temporary application charge for the Student visa. To verify these figures, you must check:

• The subclass 500 visa page on the Home Affairs website for visa conditions, including work limitations.
• The Visa Pricing Table for the current subsequent temporary application charge amount.
• Your visa grant notice for the conditions attached to your specific visa.

Do not rely on estimates or information from third parties for these figures. The official pages are the only reliable source.

Next Steps

If you are applying for a Student visa or planning to apply for another temporary visa while in Australia, review your visa history carefully. The subsequent temporary application charge depends on where you applied for your previous visa and whether that visa is listed in Table 2.

Check the subclass 500 visa page for the full list of conditions, including work rights. If you are already in Australia and considering a further application, use the Visa Pricing Table to confirm whether the subsequent temporary application charge applies to you and what amount it would be. The Home Affairs guidance is clear that the charge is calculated per applicant, so each person in your application must be assessed individually.