This is one of the most common worries international students bring to me: the course finishes after the current visa expires, a new student visa application has been lodged, and now the waiting begins. In this article, Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian migration lawyer and registered migration agent with MARA number 0854826, sets out in full the legal framework, the realistic processing times, and exactly where you stand legally during the waiting period. What follows is the same practical, well-documented guidance he gives students in this situation.
The Short Answer
A Student visa (subclass 500) application — commonly called an “extension” — is usually decided in weeks rather than months: the Department of Home Affairs’ monthly indicators show a median of roughly 28 to 33 days, with about 29 days for 75% of cases and 42 days for 90% of cases. Incomplete or complex applications take longer. Until a decision is made, a Bridging visa A keeps your stay lawful. The authoritative, up-to-date sources are the Global visa processing times tool and your own ImmiAccount.
What the Law Says
The legal basis for the student visa is the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994, with the subclass 500 criteria set out in Schedule 2, Part 500 of the Regulations. One point deserves careful attention: Australian law contains no concept of “extending” a student visa. What you are actually lodging is an application for a brand-new subclass 500 visa, and that application is assessed independently against the same grant criteria (Genuine Student, financial capacity, a valid CoE, OSHC, health and character).
Processing time is likewise not fixed by any provision of the law. Under sections 56, 58 and 59 of the Migration Act, the Department may request further documents, and every such request effectively resets the clock on your file. What the Department does provide is monthly statistical processing data through its “Global visa processing times” tool; that data reflects the 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles of cases decided in the preceding period and creates no legal obligation on the Department. Prioritisation of student applications is also governed by the current Ministerial Direction in the international education sector, and the priority level of your education provider can affect how quickly your case moves.
During the waiting period, because your application was lodged onshore while your current visa was still valid, a Bridging visa A (subclass 010) is normally granted at the same time. Three important legal rules apply to it: (1) a bridging visa only comes into existence if your application is valid — since 1 January 2025 a CoE must be provided at the time of lodging an onshore application, and without it the application is invalid and no bridging visa is granted; (2) a Bridging visa A only comes into effect at the moment your current subclass 500 visa ceases, and until then the conditions of that student visa continue to govern you; (3) a Bridging visa A gives no right of return to Australia and ceases if you depart — to travel, you must obtain a Bridging visa B (subclass 020) before you leave.
The significant regulatory development every subclass 500 holder should know about is the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01347), together with the legislative instruments LIN 26/102 and LIN 26/087. Under this amendment, from 2 October 2026 a subclass 500 holder who seeks another subclass 500 visa as the primary applicant must, as a general rule, lodge the application outside Australia and be granted the visa offshore (new item 1222(3)(aa) in Schedule 1). The former concession allowing lodgement within 28 days after a student visa expires is also removed from that same date. The key point for you: applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are decided under the previous regulations, so a file lodged about a month ago remains protected by the earlier rules.
There are also remaining exceptions permitting onshore lodgement, and one of them maps closely onto your situation: a student who needs up to 12 additional months to complete the same principal course with the same provider. The other exceptions cover PhD students, DFAT and Defence scholarship holders, foreign government scholarship holders, the schools sector, and provider default cases.
And one legal distinction that is frequently confused with “extension”: the six-month deadline in the student visa system has nothing to do with extending a subclass 500 visa. It belongs to the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), which must be lodged in ImmiAccount no later than six months after the official course completion date — the date confirmed by your education provider, not your graduation ceremony date.
Key Timeframes and Requirements at a Glance
| Issue | Figure / Rule | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Median subclass 500 processing time | Approximately 28 to 33 days | Based on the Department of Home Affairs’ monthly data; updated each month |
| 75% of cases | Approximately 29 days | Three-quarters of applications are decided within this period |
| 90% of cases | Approximately 42 days | The longer tail is mostly incomplete or complex applications |
| Authoritative source for processing times | Global visa processing times + ImmiAccount | The only reliable source for the status of your own file |
| Legal status while waiting | Bridging visa A (010) | Conditional on a valid application; takes effect the moment the subclass 500 visa ceases |
| Travelling outside Australia while waiting | Bridging visa B (020) | Obtain it before you leave; a Bridging visa A gives no right of return |
| CoE at the time of onshore lodgement | Mandatory from 1 January 2025 | Without it the application is invalid and no bridging visa is granted |
| Requirement to lodge from outside Australia | From 2 October 2026 — item 1222(3)(aa) | F2026L01347 with LIN 26/102 and LIN 26/087; applications lodged before that date fall under the previous rules |
| The onshore exception relevant to you | Up to 12 additional months | To complete the same principal course with the same provider |
| Other exceptions | PhD, DFAT/Defence, foreign government scholarship, schools sector, provider default | Each has its own documentary requirements |
| Subclass 485 deadline | Six months | From the course completion date confirmed by the provider; cannot be extended |
| 28-day post-expiry concession | Removed from 2 October 2026 | Do not count on any grace period after expiry |
What This Means for You
As a Master of IT student at Deakin University who lodged a new subclass 500 application about a month ago, your position is favourable in two respects. First, you are roughly in the middle of the statistical processing range, so receiving a decision in the coming weeks is entirely normal — there is no need to brace yourself for a wait of several months. Second, because your application was lodged before 2 October 2026, it will be assessed under the previous rules, and the new requirement to lodge from outside Australia does not apply to it.
As Dr Sirous Ahmadi explains, your focus at this stage should be on three things. First, respond promptly and completely to any request for documents the case officer posts in ImmiAccount — delayed responses are the single most common reason a file falls outside the normal processing range. Second, comply strictly with your visa conditions: condition 8202 (satisfactory course progress and active enrolment), work-hour limits, and continuous OSHC cover — because a Bridging visa A carries over the conditions of your previous visa. Third, if you intend to travel outside Australia, obtain a Bridging visa B before you depart.
And a look ahead to the next stage: if your current application covers you to the end of your course, the logical step after completing your Master of IT is a subclass 485 visa, which must be lodged within the six-month window after the course completion date confirmed by Deakin. If, however, you later need more time to finish the same course, the applicable test is the exception for “up to 12 additional months with the same provider and the same principal course”, which must be substantiated with documentation from the university. Planning for both of these pathways today is what separates a smooth transition from a stressful one.
Sources
- Global visa processing times — Department of Home Affairs (data updated monthly)
- Student visa (subclass 500) — Department of Home Affairs
- Bridging visa A (subclass 010) — Department of Home Affairs
- Bridging visa B (subclass 020) — Department of Home Affairs
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) — Department of Home Affairs
- Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 — F2026L01347, Federal Register of Legislation
- Migration Act 1958 — Federal Register of Legislation
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Schedule 1 item 1222; Schedule 2 Part 500) — Federal Register of Legislation
- Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA)
Move Your Application Forward with Confidence
Waiting for a visa decision is hardest when you don’t know exactly where you stand. If you would like your student visa file, your bridging visa conditions, your travel options while waiting, and your pathway through to a subclass 485 visa reviewed personally and against your own documents, you are welcome to book a dedicated consultation with Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian migration lawyer and registered migration agent, MARA number 0854826. Before the meeting, have a copy of your CoE, your current visa, your ImmiAccount lodgement confirmation, and Deakin University’s estimated course completion date ready, so that we can arrive at a clear, scheduled plan in that first session.
Frequently asked questions
How many days does a Student visa (subclass 500) application take to process?
Based on the Department of Home Affairs’ monthly data, the median processing time is around 28 to 33 days: about 29 days for 75% of applications and 42 days for 90%. Incomplete or complex applications take longer. For live information, the Global visa processing times tool and your own ImmiAccount are the authoritative sources.
If my current visa expires before a decision is made, does my stay become unlawful?
No. If your application was validly lodged onshore while your visa was still in effect, a Bridging visa A (subclass 010) is granted. It comes into effect the moment your subclass 500 visa ceases and keeps your stay lawful until a decision is made. Note that providing a CoE at the time of onshore lodgement has been mandatory since 1 January 2025; without it, the application is not valid.
Can I leave Australia while I am waiting?
A Bridging visa A gives no right of return to Australia and ceases once you depart. If you need to travel, you must obtain a Bridging visa B (subclass 020) before you leave.
Does the 2 October 2026 change affect my application?
No — if your application was lodged before 2 October 2026, it will be assessed under the previous regulations. From that date, under the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01347) and the new item 1222(3)(aa), a subclass 500 holder applying as the primary applicant for another subclass 500 visa must, as a general rule, apply from outside Australia.
Can I apply again from within Australia to finish the same course?
Yes — one of the remaining exceptions covers precisely this situation: a student who needs up to 12 additional months to complete the same principal course with the same provider. The other exceptions cover PhD students, DFAT and Defence scholarship holders, foreign government scholarship holders, the schools sector, and provider default cases.
What does the six-month deadline in the student visa system relate to?
It has nothing to do with extending a subclass 500 visa. It applies to the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), which must be lodged in ImmiAccount no later than six months after the official course completion date confirmed by your education provider. The graduation ceremony date is irrelevant, and this deadline cannot be extended.
Does the 28-day concession after a student visa expires still exist?
No. The 28-day grace period following the expiry of a student visa was removed from 2 October 2026, so any application must be lodged before your current visa ceases and in accordance with the rules then in force.
This answer reflects the law and policy as verified on October 8, 2026. Immigration rules change frequently — confirm the current position before acting.
Dr. Sirous Ahmadi Registered Migration Agent 0854826
This article is general information only, current at the date shown, and is not legal advice. Do not rely on it for your own situation — immigration law and policy change frequently. Seek advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer about your circumstances.