Australia Student visa and OSHC costs: build your budget
A visa charge and an insurance premium do different jobs. Keep their amounts, dates and refund terms separate.
An Australian Student visa budget needs more than a visa-charge line. The general main-applicant subclass 500 reference currently starts at AUD2,500; concessions apply to some applicants. This website’s route note explains its scope and the nationality/course assumptions. It does not decide whether you qualify for a concession.
OSHC is a separate supplier expense
Australian government information describes Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) as cover maintained for the student-visa period, subject to exemptions. The premium is a payment to the insurance provider, not part of the government visa application charge. Use the government’s provider information and an actual quote rather than treating one example price as a universal fee.
Compare the same period and household
When comparing quotes, record the same start and end dates and who is covered. A single-person quote and family cover are different budgets. Check included benefits, exclusions, waiting periods, excesses, payment charges and cancellation terms with the provider. A low premium alone does not establish that a policy is suitable or meets your particular requirements.
A budgeting example, not an insurance quotation
Suppose your own written quotes show AUD900 for the relevant insurance period and AUD150 for documents. With the standard AUD2,500 visa-charge assumption, those three payments total AUD3,550. The AUD900 and AUD150 figures are invented examples. They are not market averages, insurer offers or a complete study budget.
Add tuition without counting a deposit twice
A school payment and an insurance payment may appear together on an invoice. Split the invoice into distinct rows where the payers, payment dates or refund terms differ. If an earlier deposit reduces the outstanding tuition balance, do not count that same deposit again inside a later full invoice amount.
Model what happens after refusal
Ask the insurer and education provider how they calculate refunds and whether processing charges are deducted. Record applicable written terms rather than assuming the visa charge and every supplier payment share a refund rule. Keep financial evidence separate: money held in an account is not automatically paid away or lost after a refusal. Open the Australia study calculator to enter your actual quotes and compare the selected refusal stage.
Use the calculator or continue reading
Sources checked for this guide
Check the authority’s current page before paying. Supplier examples in this guide are illustrative unless explicitly identified as a published charge.