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Showing you have genuine access to enough money for the first 12 months
Last updated Oct 28, 2026
Educational only — not legal advice.
Genuine access to enough money for the first 12 months of tuition, living costs and travel for the student and any family coming along, or an annual income above the set threshold, when the Document Checklist Tool says this evidence is needed. Money held by the student, a partner or parents counts.
When the Document Checklist Tool or the department asks, you show genuine access to enough money for your stay: tuition for the first 12 months (or the course if it is shorter), living costs of AUD29,710 a year for the student, AUD10,394 for a partner and AUD4,449 for each child, school costs for school-age children, and travel. These are the figures Home Affairs published when this guide was written (2026-10-28), so check the current ones.
The money can belong to the student, a partner or parents. It can be shown by deposits with a financial institution, loans from a financial institution or government, government loan schemes or scholarships. Instead, you can show an annual personal income of a parent or partner of at least AUD87,856 (AUD102,500 if family members come along), through official government documents such as a tax assessment. The officer may look at whether the money is genuinely available.
A record of money (a statement, a loan, a scholarship, a tax assessment) counts for more than a promise, and a relative's money needs the relationship to you to be shown. A large unexplained recent deposit is a warning sign. Family members can join most students only if they are exempt; where they do come, the funds evidence covers them.
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Typical uploads: bank or savings statements, an education loan letter, a scholarship letter, a parent's or partner's tax assessment, and proof of tuition already paid.