Australia, UK or US: Comparing Financial Evidence Requirements for Indonesian and Thai Applicants
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 07, 2026 • Study Abroad, Study in Southeast Asia
Australia asks for a fixed AUD $29,710 a year in living costs. The UK asks for up to £1,529 a month held for a straight 28 days. The US sets no fixed number, it needs your I-20 cost of attendance covered through cash, sponsor letters, or scholarship award letters. Each country checks your money differently, so build proof around the one you are applying to.
💰 Australia: AUD $29,710/year fixed figure, effective from 10 May 2024
💰 UK: £1,529/month in London or £1,171/month elsewhere, held 28 days
📩 US: no fixed number, tied to your school's I-20 estimate
🏠 US accepts a parent's bank letter or an I-134 sponsor affidavit
⏰ UK proof must stay current within 31 days of your application date
Australia: a fixed living cost figure
Australia sets one number for your Student visa (subclass 500) application: AUD $29,710 a year in living costs, a threshold the Department of Home Affairs updated on 10 May 2024. This sits on top of tuition costs and return airfare, and it applies to the main applicant, with separate amounts required if you bring a partner or children.
You do not hold this money for a set period the way UK applicants do. You show it is genuinely available: bank statements, a scholarship letter, a loan approval, or a sponsor's statement. Home Affairs also runs your application through the Genuine Student requirement, in place since 23 March 2024, which asks you a set list of questions about your study plans, your ties at home, and your understanding of the visa conditions, replacing the old 300-word personal statement.
UK: a monthly figure held for 28 days
The UK ties your funds to where you study. You need £1,529 a month if your course is in London, or £1,171 a month outside London , for up to 9 months of your course, which adds up to £13,761 in London or £10,539 outside it. On top of this you show your first year of tuition fees, either already paid or held alongside your living costs.
Timing matters more here than in Australia or the US. The full amount sits in your account, or a parent's or guardian's account with proof of the relationship and their written consent, for 28 consecutive days, and the last day of that period falls within 31 days of when you submit your application. Apply too soon after the money lands and UK Visas and Immigration refuses on documentation grounds, regardless of your actual balance.
US: no fixed number, tied to your I-20
The US does not publish a single savings figure for F-1 applicants. Your school sets its own cost of attendance, tuition plus estimated living costs for one year, and prints that figure on your Form I-20. At your visa interview, you show funds that cover it, through any combination of your own bank statements, a parent's bank letter, an official scholarship award letter, or an I-134 Affidavit of Support from a US-based sponsor.
A consular officer decides at interview whether your evidence is credible and sufficient. From June 2025, officers also review your public social media activity as part of screening for F, M, and J visa applicants, so keep your profiles set to public and list every platform you used in the last 5 years on your DS-160 form .
Comparing the three side by side
| Australia | UK | US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed amount | AUD $29,710/year | £1,529 or £1,171/month | No fixed figure, tied to your I-20 |
| Holding period | None fixed, must be genuine | 28 days straight | None fixed |
| Sponsor allowed | Yes, with evidence | Yes, named relative with consent letter | Yes, via I-134 affidavit |
Currency and timing traps to avoid
Your bank statement almost never shows the same currency the visa rules quote. Convert using the exchange rate the visa authority specifies rather than whatever rate your bank branch quotes you that day. Build in a buffer above the minimum figure, since a small currency swing between the day you check your balance and the day a case officer reviews your file pushes you under the line if you calculated to the exact minimum.
Keep your evidence consistent across every document. A sponsor's name on a bank statement matches the name on their consent letter and on your acceptance letter exactly, spelling included. Mismatched names and last-minute large deposits without an explained source are the two most common reasons financial evidence gets challenged, wherever you apply. If your funds sit in Indonesian rupiah or Thai baht, ask your bank for an English-language statement or certified translation before you submit anything, since visa officers in all three countries reject documents they cannot read.
What this means for your application
Build your paperwork around the destination you apply to, not a generic savings target. Applying to Australia, work toward the AUD $29,710 figure and document every source of that money. Choosing the UK, work backward from your course start date, land the full amount 28 days before you plan to apply, and leave it untouched. Heading to the US, ask your school's international office for your exact I-20 figure early, since it changes by program and by campus. Whichever country you choose, gather your evidence weeks ahead of your deadline rather than the night before, so a rejected bank letter or a missing translation does not cost you your intake.