An agency that places students and also handles their visas runs two connected jobs: the course application with the provider, and the subclass 500 application with Home Affairs. Each depends on the other. The visa needs a Confirmation of Enrolment, and the enrolment is only useful if the visa is granted in time for the course to start. This guide sets out the stages, the documents and dates to track, and how to set the workflow up in AgentDS.
It describes how an agency organises its work. It is not advice to students. This is general information, not legal advice.
Who does what inside the agency
Course counselling and visa work often sit with different people. OMARA's notice on the Migration Agents Regulations 2026 refers to the offence under section 280(1) of the Migration Act of providing immigration assistance when not registered as a migration agent (OMARA legislative changes). Decide which stages belong to education staff and which belong to a registered migration agent, and make that visible in your system through assignments and access.
The stages, from enquiry to visa expiry
- Enquiry. Record the student's details, location, current visa if they are in Australia, study history and preferred courses.
- Course counselling and offer. Track provider applications, offers and acceptance. Study Australia says a student enrols first and applies for the visa after the provider issues a CoE.
- Visa engagement. Before the registered migration agent gives immigration assistance, a signed service agreement must be in place and the consumer guide given. See the client service agreement guide.
- CoE received. Home Affairs asks applicants to upload a current CoE, and Study Australia says an application made in Australia without a CoE is invalid.
- Genuine Student evidence. Prepare the GS responses and supporting documents (below).
- Health cover. Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover for the period required.
- Document check and lodgement. Use the Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool for the student's circumstances, including whether English or financial evidence is needed at lodgement.
- Post-lodgement. Respond quickly to requests for more information, which the Home Affairs "check twice, submit once" page stresses.
- Grant and conditions. Record the grant, the visa expiry and the conditions that apply.
- While the student studies. Track course changes, new CoEs, health cover renewals and the visa expiry.
The Genuine Student requirement
The GS requirement applies to applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024. Home Affairs says every applicant must be a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student and must show they understand that studying in Australia is the main reason for the visa. The application form asks questions about the applicant's circumstances, why this course and provider, how the course will benefit them, and other relevant information. Home Affairs prefers answers in the form rather than a separate statement, with a limit of 150 words per response, in English, and gives more weight to statements backed by evidence (GS requirement).
The evidence Home Affairs suggests is a good base for your checklist: previous study and transcripts, study history in Australia and reasons for any course change, current employment, ties to the home country, and economic circumstances such as tax returns or bank statements.
Conditions and dates to track after grant
Condition 8202 (meet course requirements). The Home Affairs student visa page describes this as maintaining enrolment and meeting course requirements, and the conditions list includes remaining enrolled in a registered course. Record every course change and new CoE. Study Australia notes that a new CoE at a lower AQF level may need a new visa.
Condition 8501 (maintain adequate health insurance). Record the OSHC policy's end date so a renewal is prompted before cover lapses.
Work limits (condition 8105). Home Affairs and Study Australia say student visa holders can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session, with different rules for some research degrees. Check the student's actual conditions in VEVO.
Visa expiry. Home Affairs says the student can stay until the date in the visa grant letter, that the length of stay depends on the course, and that the visa can't be extended: to keep studying, the student needs a new visa. Record the expiry on day one. (Government pages differ on the maximum length, so quote the grant letter, not a general figure.)
Also record passport expiry, course start and end dates, and any gap between packaged courses, which Study Australia says must usually be less than two calendar months. For fees and processing times, link students to the Home Affairs student visa page rather than quoting a figure.
Setting it up in AgentDS
Leads first. Track enquiries as leads with stages, assign a counsellor, and convert the lead to a client without re-entering details when they sign. The activity timeline of calls, emails, follow-ups and notes carries over.
One application, clear stages. Create the subclass 500 application on the client with the stages above, recorded deadlines and private notes. See visa application tracking. If you also track the provider application, add it as its own application on the same client.
Reusable checklists. Build a "Student visa 500" template with CoE, GS evidence, OSHC, passport, English and financial evidence where needed, and translations. Assign it, review the dates, and attach files to each document record. See document checklists.
Access by role. Staff roles and case assignments control who sees which records, so education staff and the registered migration agent each work on the records assigned to them. Give each stage's tasks to the right person.
Deadline reminders. Record the visa expiry, passport expiry, OSHC end date (as a document date) and course end date. AgentDS emails the owner and the responsible person each morning when a recorded date reaches 90, 60, 30 or 7 days, or falls due. See visa expiry tracking.
Appointments. Book counselling sessions, select the responsible person, and check students in when they arrive. See appointments and office check-in.
Fees. Keep invoice records for visa fees and record payments received. See invoices and recorded payments.
Coming from Agentcis? Many education agencies do. Import your export and check duplicates before saving: moving from Agentcis.
Frequently asked questions
Can a student visa application be lodged before the CoE is issued?
Study Australia says students apply after the provider issues a CoE, and that applications from students already in Australia without a CoE are invalid.
Does the GS requirement need a separate statement?
Home Affairs says it prefers answers in the application form, up to 150 words each, supported by evidence.
How do I stop OSHC lapsing for a current student?
Record the policy end date against the client. AgentDS sends your team reminder emails at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before it, and on the day.
Can education staff and migration agents share one system?
Yes. Individual accounts, staff roles and case assignments control access, so each person works on the records assigned to them.
Can I bring student records over from my current system?
Yes. Upload a CSV, Excel, TSV, JSON or supported ZIP export (including from Agentcis), match fields and check duplicates before import.