Student Visa Evidence Level Changes from 8 January 2026
- Angie Lam
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
From 8 January 2026, the Department of Home Affairs updated the Student visa (subclass 500) Evidence Level settings. These changes affect how much financial and English evidence students may need to provide when lodging a student visa application.
Understanding these settings is important, as Evidence Level impacts document requirements, but does not reduce the actual visa criteria.
What are Evidence Levels?
Evidence Levels are part of the Department’s student visa risk framework. They are used to decide what documents must be provided at lodgement, based on:
The applicant’s nationality, and
The education provider and sector (Higher Education, VET, or ELICOS).
Each application is automatically assigned Evidence Level 1, 2, or 3 by the Department’s system.
What changed from 8 January 2026?
The Department has updated its Evidence Level matrix, which may result in:
Some nationalities moving to a different Evidence Level
Changes in document requirements for certain sectors
Closer alignment with the Genuine Student (GS) assessment
These settings can change at any time and are applied automatically at lodgement.
Evidence Levels explained
Evidence Level 1
Financial and English evidence are not mandatory at lodgement
Applicants must still genuinely meet all requirements
Case officers can request documents at any stage
This is a document concession only, not an exemption.
Evidence Level 2
Some evidence may be required upfront
Additional documents are commonly requested during processing
Overall credibility and study history are important
Evidence Level 3
Full financial and English evidence is usually required at lodgement
Applications are assessed more closely
Strong GS explanations are essential
Indicative Evidence Levels by country
Evidence Levels vary by provider and sector. The list below is a general guide only.
Commonly Evidence Level 1 (especially for universities):
Singapore
Hong Kong (SAR)
Malaysia
Japan
South Korea
United Kingdom
United States
Canada
New Zealand
Commonly Evidence Level 2 (depending on provider):
China
Thailand
Vietnam
Indonesia
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Commonly Evidence Level 3 (most sectors):
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Nepal (particularly VET and ELICOS)
Nigeria
The final Evidence Level is determined by the Department at the time of application.
A common misunderstanding
Many students think Evidence Level 1 means documents are not needed at all. This is not correct.
Even at Evidence Level 1:
You must still have sufficient funds
You must still meet English requirements
Your study plan must make sense
Refusals often happen because of weak study rationale or credibility, not missing documents.
Genuine Student requirement still applies
All student visa applicants must satisfy the Genuine Student (GS) requirement, regardless of Evidence Level. This includes:
Clear study and career plans
Logical course progression
Consistency with previous study and visa history
Evidence Level does not replace the GS assessment.
How we can help
At Get Visa Migration Services, we assess:
Your actual Evidence Level under current settings
Whether additional documents should be provided voluntarily
Your GS position before lodging
A well-prepared application reduces delays and refusal risk.
