Student visa length of stay

Standard periods

These apply subject to the end date of your OSHC and any welfare arrangements. Example: a one-year course ending 30 August can lead to a visa to 30 October, if you hold OSHC to that date.

OSHC controls the end date

OSHC must at least cover the course length. To receive the extra time you must have OSHC for the same period. Your visa end date cannot be changed once granted, so think about how much OSHC to buy. See the OSHC guide.

Maximum periods

• Generally no more than 6 years.
• Tertiary students: generally up to 5 years. If you package two or more courses with clear, logical progression, the visa can run to the end of the last course, up to 6 years.
• Postgraduate research students: usually 6 months longer than the table above, for marking of the thesis. For example, a course finishing in November or December usually gives a visa to 15 September of the next year.
• Primary school students: generally up to 3 years, and they can apply again. If you package primary and high school, a visa up to 6 years is possible provided the primary part is not more than 3 years.
• High school students in Years 7 to 12: up to 6 years.

Thesis marking

In exceptional circumstances a postgraduate research student can apply for a further Student visa for 6 months for thesis marking, with a letter from the provider saying you must stay in Australia.