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Guide · Student visa ending

Visa ending soon? Here's your plan.

Going home to apply again is not the end of the story. Work out how many weeks you have, how much you can save before you fly, and what to sort out before you leave.

OneCall Melbourne · Updated 12 October 2026 · Sources: Home Affairs, ATO, Fair Work, VicRoads

Make my planWhatsApp 0413 599 209Call
  • 48 hrsa fortnight while classes run. Unlimited in semester breaks and once your course is completed, while your visa is valid.
  • A$29,710living costs a year that Home Affairs asks you to show for your next Student visa.
  • About 65%of your super is what you keep after DASP tax, once you've left.

General information only, not migration advice. Only a registered migration agent or a lawyer can give that. OneCall Melbourne is not a migration agent.

How many weeks do you really have?

Put in the date your visa ends. It's on your visa grant letter, and in VEVO. Everything below uses it.

Has your course finished?

16weeks
0days

until your visa ends on 2 February 2027

Your timeline

  1. Tue, 13 Oct 2026TodayMake the plan. You have 16 weeks.
  2. Tue, 8 Dec 2026Got a car? List it for saleEight weeks out. Buyers offer less when they can see you have to sell this week. Selling a car (VicRoads)
  3. Tue, 5 Jan 2027Tell your landlord, in writingAt the end of a fixed-term lease you give at least 28 days' notice. Leaving before the lease ends breaks it, and that may cost you. Ending a lease (Consumer Affairs Victoria)
  4. Tue, 19 Jan 2027Book your flight. Collect your documentsTranscripts, CoE, references and payslips. Ask for them while you are still here.
  5. Tue, 2 Feb 2027Your visa endsPlan to fly out before this date.
  6. After you leaveAfter you leave: claim your superApply online for DASP. You can only claim once your visa has ended and you have left. DASP (ATO)
  7. Thu, 1 July 2027Lodge your tax returnOnline with myTax. You can do it from overseas. Tax return when leaving (ATO)
Visa ends before your graduation?
Home Affairs mentions two options to ask a registered migration agent about. A Visitor visa (subclass 600), with a letter from your provider showing your graduation date. Or a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), which you apply for within 6 months of completing certain courses. Student visa page (Home Affairs)
How your visa end date is usually set
Your courseVisa usually ends
10 months or longer, ending November or December15 March the next year
10 months or longer, ending January to October2 months after the course ends
Shorter than 10 months1 month after the course ends

Your own grant letter is what counts. Length of stay (Home Affairs)

The 2 October 2026 change

Do you have to apply from outside Australia?

Most people now have to apply for a Student visa from outside Australia, and be outside when it's granted. Applications sent before 2 October 2026 follow the old rules.

Some students can still apply here. For example: you need up to 12 more months to finish the same course with the same provider, you're applying for a PhD or for school, or you finished your course and are moving up an AQF level. Applying in Australia (Home Affairs)

Take the 2-minute check →

How much money can you save before you leave?

Change any number and the plan updates as you type. Nothing is saved or sent unless you ask us to email it.

Money you have now

Check your super fund's app.

Your job

Casual rate from the Fair Work pay guide. Your level and shifts can change it. Check your payslip.

While your course is in session the limit is 48 hours a fortnight (24 a week on average). Work conditions

Weekly costs

Starting numbers are our guesses. Put in yours.

Car and flight
Your goal

Ways to close the gap

  • Add your course end date above.Once your course is completed, the 48-hours-a-fortnight limit stops while your visa is valid. It also doesn't apply in scheduled course breaks. Ask your provider for your break dates.
  • A cheaper room saves A$800 by the time you leave.That's for every $50 a week less on rent. Read your lease before you move: leaving early can cost you.
  • $20 a week less on food is A$320.Insider Guides puts groceries in Melbourne at about A$80 to A$150 a week. Cooking with housemates helps.
  • Short of your goal?Plenty of people keep saving at home and apply for a later intake. An education consultant can go through intakes and course costs with you, free. Talk to an education consultant →

Should I buy a car and do Uber or delivery?

Half the group chat says it's the move. Maybe. Run your own numbers first, because the car takes its cut before you see a dollar.

What kind of driving?
Your numbers

From your visa date above.

Our assumption: 85% of the price. Change it.

Your estimate.

Your estimate.

Roadworthy, transfer and so on. Your estimate.

Capped at 24 a week on average: time online in the app counts as work for your 48 hours a fortnight.

Uber's own report (Sydney) says about $29.46 an hour before costs and about $21 after. Melbourne is often lower. Use your own number.

Check these before you buy anything

  • Uber needs a full licence held 6+ months. P plates don't count.
  • Driver accreditation: $76.30, at least 20 business days, and it can't be fast-tracked.
  • For UberX the car must be 15 years old or less, with 4 doors and a 5-star ANCAP rating. Uber's rules
  • CPV registration: $55.10, plus a roadworthy done within the last 12 months.
  • Time online in the app counts as work for your 48 hours a fortnight. Work conditions
  • With your job's 20 hours a week, you'd be over 48 hours a fortnight. Cut one of them.

Already have a car to sell, or need help buying one? Talk to us.

Before you fly: the checklist

Tick things off as you go. Super and tax are the two people forget, and they're your money.

0 of 8 done

  • DASP (ATO) ↗
  • Lodging before you leave (ATO) ↗
  • Selling a vehicle (VicRoads) ↗
  • If the tenant wants to leave (Consumer Affairs Victoria) ↗
  • Student visa (Home Affairs) ↗

Your ticks are saved in this browser only.

Going home is not the end

If it feels like the dream just ended, that's a normal thing to feel this week. But many people apply again from home, with better documents and more savings than they had the first time. Samsul, who runs OneCall, is an international student too. This page is written for students in exactly your spot.

Here's what your next application needs, according to the Home Affairs Student visa page:

A real study plan

A course that makes sense for you, and you can explain why.

Proof of money

For Australia: A$29,710 a year for living costs, plus tuition and travel.

A clean visa history

You followed your conditions, including your work hours. Keep it that way until the day you fly.

Want to talk it through?

An education consultant can look at your next course and intake with you. It's free. Or message us with what's on your mind.

Talk to an education consultantWhatsApp 0413 599 209Call 0413 599 209

More reading: OneCall Education · Student visa changes check · OneCall Jobs · Cars

Optional

Email me my plan

Your plan is already on this page. This just sends a copy with your numbers and dates. An education consultant may call you to help; it's free.

By sending, you agree that OneCall Melbourne may create a free account for you, contact you about this plan, and pass your details to its partner education consultant. We never sell your details. General information, not migration advice.

This page is general information. It is not migration advice, and it doesn't predict any visa outcome. Only a registered migration agent or a lawyer can advise on your case. OneCall Melbourne is not a migration agent.

Sources, read October 2026: Length of stay · Applying in Australia (2 Oct 2026 change) · Student visa 500 · Visa conditions · Visa pricing (Home Affairs) · Minimum wages, Hospitality, Storage and SCHADS pay guides (Fair Work) · Driver accreditation and CPV registration (Safe Transport Victoria) · Uber vehicle rules (Uber) · DASP and tax return before leaving (ATO) · Selling a vehicle (VicRoads) · Ending a lease (Consumer Affairs Victoria) · New Zealand · Canada · UK · Melbourne living costs: Insider Guides 2026 (not official).

Student visa ending: common questions

Can I work full time in my semester break or after my course ends?
Home Affairs says the 48-hours-a-fortnight limit applies while your course is in session. It doesn't apply in scheduled course breaks, or once you have completed your course, while your visa is still valid. Time signed in to a delivery or rideshare app counts as work. Check your own visa conditions in VEVO.
Should I buy a car to do Uber before I leave?
Do the maths first. Uber needs a full licence held for 6 months or more (P plates don't count). Driver accreditation costs $76.30 and takes at least 20 business days, and it can't be fast-tracked. The car must also be registered as a commercial passenger vehicle ($55.10) and have a roadworthy from the last 12 months. With only 2 or 3 months left, rego, insurance and the loss when you sell can eat most of what you earn. The calculator on this page shows your own numbers.
When can I claim my super?
After you leave. You apply for a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) once your visa has ended and you have left Australia. It is taxed at 35%, so you get about 65%. If you don't claim, your super is sent to the ATO 6 months or more after you leave.
Do I have to apply for my next student visa from outside Australia?
Since 2 October 2026, most people must apply for a Student visa from outside Australia and be outside when it is granted. Applications made before 2 October 2026 use the old rules. There are exceptions, for example needing up to 12 more months to finish the same course with the same provider, a PhD, school, or moving up an AQF level after finishing your course. Our free 2-minute check shows which rule fits your answers. It is general information, not migration advice.
How much money do I need to apply for an Australian student visa from home?
Home Affairs asks you to show A$29,710 for 12 months of living costs, plus your first-year tuition and A$2,000 for travel. The visa application fee is A$2,500. These figures are for one student with no family, and they can change, so check the Home Affairs pages before you apply.
My visa ends before my graduation. What can I do?
Home Affairs mentions two visas. A Visitor visa (subclass 600), with a letter from your provider that shows your graduation date. And a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), which you apply for within 6 months of completing certain courses. Ask a registered migration agent which one, if any, fits you. Only a registered migration agent or a lawyer can give migration advice.
How much can I save before my student visa ends?
Take your savings today. Add your weekly pay minus your weekly costs, times the weeks you have left. Add what you sell your car for, and take away your flight. The planner on this page does it for you, with the work-hours limit built in. Pay is before tax, and super is extra after you leave.
Can OneCall help me?
Yes, with the practical parts. We can introduce you to an education consultant to talk about your next application, free. We can help you sell or check a car. And OneCall Jobs helps students get ready for care work, free. OneCall Melbourne is not a migration agent, so for visa advice we point you to a registered migration agent or a lawyer.