Which Courses Count as Full-Time Study for Australia's Child Visa 802 in 2026?

A course counts as full-time study for the Child visa (Subclass 802) only when it leads to a professional, trade or vocational qualification and the student is actually attending classes. The qualification level, the study load and the status of the education provider are all part of the same test, not separate optional checks. This reading comes from the Department of Home Affairs’ official Child visa (Subclass 802) eligibility page as of the August 2026 version, with clause 802.214 of the Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department’s PAM3 guidance describing the same requirement in operational detail; where wording differs, the Department’s current published page governs.

What does Subclass 802 mean by a “full-time course”?

The official page sets the test in two short limbs: the child must be enrolled in a full-time course that leads to a professional, trade or vocational qualification, and must be attending classes. Enrolment on its own is not enough, and neither is attendance at something that never leads to a qualification.

That two-limb structure is why the question “which qualification level counts?” has a real answer rather than a shrug. The course has to have an employment-related outcome — a professional, trade or vocational qualification — and the child has to be carrying a genuine full-time load through it.

The requirement only bites for children in the middle age branch of the visa: over 18 and under 25 and studying full time. Children under 18, and children over 18 who cannot work full time because of a disability, are assessed on different criteria.

Which qualification levels clear the bar?

The official page does not publish a list of qualification names, so the practical question is what “professional, trade or vocational” covers in a normal Australian education setting.

Course outcome	Usual qualification type	Fit with the test
University degree or higher education award	Professional qualification	Sits at the clearly qualifying end of the range
Diploma / advanced diploma	Professional or vocational qualification	Qualifies where the award is a recognised vocational or professional outcome
TAFE certificate-level course	Trade or vocational qualification	The level PAM3 guidance treats as the floor
Short recreational or hobby course	No qualification outcome	Does not meet the test

The floor matters more than the ceiling. PAM3 guidance describes the full-time course as needing to be at least equivalent to a TAFE certificate-level course, with the qualification being professional, trade or vocational in character. Below that level, or outside those three categories, the course stops being study that supports dependency.

Assume a 20-year-old applicant enrolled in a Certificate III apprenticeship trade course: the outcome is a trade qualification, so the nature of the course fits. Assume instead the same applicant enrolled in a short weekend photography course that awards nothing: there is no professional, trade or vocational qualification at the end of it, so the course fails the first limb regardless of how many hours it takes up.

Because the Migration Regulations 1994 and PAM3 guidance can be updated, the level floor and related wording should be confirmed against the Department’s current published guidance before relying on it.

How much study counts as “full-time”?

The official page uses the phrase “full-time course” without publishing a percentage. PAM3 guidance puts a number on it in the Australian context: a load of at least roughly 75% of a normal full-time study load, with study expected to be continuous and active, evidenced through enrolment and participation records such as results or transcripts.

Two consequences follow. A part-time enrolment does not become full-time because the subject list is long. And a full-time enrolment does not survive if the student stops turning up, because the official page requires attendance at classes as a separate condition.

Does the education provider have to be registered?

Yes, on the PAM3 reading: the education institution must be properly registered. That is the third element of the qualification-level question — a course leading to the right kind of qualification, delivered by an institution that is not operating as a legitimate registered provider, is not study that the visa recognises.

Practically, this means the check runs in order:

1. Does the course award a professional, trade or vocational qualification?
2. Is the child enrolled full time and actually attending?
3. Is the institution a properly registered education provider?

A “no” at any step ends the analysis for that course.

Which courses fail the test?

Common failure patterns follow directly from the wording:

• Hobby, recreational or personal-interest courses — no professional, trade or vocational outcome.
• Short courses with no award — no qualification is conferred.
• Part-time study — the official page requires a full-time course.
• Enrolment without attendance — classes must be attended.
• Unregistered providers — the institution must be properly registered.

The exclusion of hobby-type short courses is stated in PAM3 guidance; the other four follow from the wording on the official page.

When does the study have to start, and what about gaps after school?

Timing is part of the same requirement. The official page states the child should have started study since turning 18 years of age, or within 6 months (or a reasonable time) of finishing school, and that any gap of more than 6 months between the final year of school and the start of further studies must be explained.

The guidance also distinguishes between kinds of gaps. PAM3 treats the interval between finishing Year 12 and starting higher education as a period where a longer delay can be accepted as “reasonable time”, while a gap that opens after higher education has already begun is not treated the same way and is escalated rather than accepted at the decision-maker’s discretion.

Does paid work knock the application out?

Not automatically, but the boundary is fixed. The official page says a child over 18 and under 25 can’t work full time. PAM3 guidance treats full-time work as 35 hours or more per week of paid work; unpaid full-time work is not disqualifying on that limb alone, though the study requirement still has to be met independently.

Working is therefore mostly a separate failure risk from the course question. A child can be in a qualifying course and still fail if the paid work crosses into full time.

How long does full-time study have to be maintained?

For the whole period that matters. The official page states the child must be a full-time student when they apply and when the visa application is decided, must not work full time, and must be financially dependent on their parent more than on any other person.

Clause 802.221 of the Migration Regulations 1994 matches this from the regulation side: an applicant who was 18 or over at the time of application must continue to satisfy the study, work and relationship conditions at the time of decision, and turning 25 after applying does not of itself remove that ongoing obligation. This is general information about how the published rules read and is not personalised advice for a particular child’s situation; the Department’s current published wording remains the reference point for any actual application, alongside qualified professional advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a university bachelor’s degree count as full-time study for Subclass 802?

Yes, provided the child is enrolled full time and attending classes, since a degree leads to a professional qualification. The Department of Home Affairs’ official Child visa (Subclass 802) page requires a full-time course leading to a professional, trade or vocational qualification plus class attendance.

Is a TAFE certificate enough, or does the course have to be a diploma or degree?

A TAFE certificate-level course is at the floor of what qualifies. PAM3 guidance describes the course as needing to be at least equivalent to TAFE certificate level and to lead to a professional, trade or vocational qualification, so certificates are not excluded.

Can my child study part-time and still be a full-time student for this visa?

No. The official page requires enrolment in a full-time course, and PAM3 guidance puts the Australian benchmark at around 75% or more of a normal full-time study load. A part-time load does not satisfy the requirement even if the course itself leads to a qualification.

Do short hobby or personal-interest courses count?

No. PAM3 guidance expressly excludes hobby-type short courses, and the reason is structural: the course must lead to a professional, trade or vocational qualification, and recreational courses award none. Attendance at such a course does not make a child a full-time student for this visa.

Does the course have to be delivered by a registered education provider?

Yes, on the PAM3 reading, the education institution must be properly registered. This sits alongside the qualification-outcome and full-time-load requirements, so an otherwise suitable qualification delivered by an unregistered provider does not meet the test.

What if there was more than a 6-month gap after school before further study began?

The gap must be explained. The official page allows study to begin within 6 months, or a reasonable time, of finishing school, and PAM3 guidance treats the Year 12 to higher education interval as the one where a longer delay may be accepted; gaps opening after higher education has started are handled more strictly.

Does working part-time affect the full-time study requirement?

Part-time paid work does not by itself break the rule, because the official page prohibits full-time work rather than all work. PAM3 guidance treats full-time work as 35 hours or more per week of paid work, so the risk arises when hours cross that line.

References

• Department of Home Affairs — Child visa (Subclass 802)
• Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation — Migration Regulations 1994