Australian Student Visa Changes from 2 October 2026: What You Need to Know

On 2 October 2026, the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 came into effect. It is one of the biggest changes to the Australian Student visa program in years, and it affects international students already in Australia, people on other temporary visas who planned to switch to a Student visa, and students who hoped to bring their families.

1. What changed on 2 October 2026

The new rules change who can apply for and be granted a Student visa (subclass 500) or Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) while in Australia, and whether family members can be included. In short:

• Most Student visa applications must now be lodged outside Australia
• Most temporary visa holders in Australia can no longer lodge a Student or Student Guardian visa application onshore
• Current Student visa holders are also affected, unless an exemption applies
• People holding a Student visa as a dependant can no longer apply onshore as the primary applicant
• Most applicants can no longer include family members, and nobody can add them after the visa is granted

Importantly, the changes do not affect your current Student visa. They apply to new applications made on or after 2 October 2026.

2. Who can no longer apply for a Student visa in Australia

If you hold any of the following visas as a primary or secondary holder, you cannot apply for a Student visa in Australia. There are no exemptions to this rule, so you must apply from outside Australia and be outside Australia when the visa is granted:

This includes popular pathways that many people relied on, such as moving from a Visitor visa, Working Holiday visa or Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) onto a Student visa while in Australia.

3. The 6 exemptions to apply for another Student visa onshore

If you hold a Student visa as the primary applicant, you may still be able to apply for another Student visa in Australia if you:

• Need up to 12 more months after your original course end date to finish your studies with the same education provider (for packaged courses, it must be your main course)
• Are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence
• Are applying to study a PhD (a Master's by Research does not qualify)
• Are applying for primary or secondary school studies
• Have completed your main course and are progressing to a higher AQF level. If you completed a higher education course, your next course must also be higher education with a higher education provider
• Cannot continue your course because your education provider defaulted

The rules also cover students progressing from school to a course without an AQF level, and from a non-AQF course (such as ELICOS) to an AQF course. For example, a student who completed ELICOS can apply onshore to progress to a Bachelor degree, but not to another ELICOS course. A student who finished a Bachelor degree at a university cannot apply onshore for a Graduate Diploma at a VET provider.

4. Including family members: the new rules

Student visa applicants can no longer include family members (partner and dependent children) in their application unless an exemption applies. This also applies to people lodging a further Student visa. You may be able to include family members if you are:

• Studying a PhD
• Sponsored by DFAT or Defence
• Receiving a foreign government scholarship that fully funds your studies
• An eligible student from a Pacific Island country or an ASEAN member country

If you already have family members on your current Student visa and you apply in Australia, you may be able to include them in your next application. You may also include them if you need up to 12 more months to finish your main course, or your education provider defaulted. The primary applicant and all family members must be in the same location when the application is lodged.

5. Subsequent entrants: no longer possible

Previously, a partner or child could apply to join a Student visa holder later as a "subsequent entrant". From 2 October 2026, current Student visa holders can no longer add family members after their Student visa has been granted. There are no exemptions to this rule. If your family will need to be with you in Australia, plan this before you apply. Read our Student Dependant Visa 2026 update for more.

6. Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)

The onshore restrictions also apply to the Student Guardian visa. Most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student Guardian visa in Australia. Current Student Guardian visa holders can continue to lodge a further Student Guardian visa application in Australia while the student they care for keeps studying. See our Student Guardian visa guide.

7. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026

Student visa applications lodged before the new rules started, including applications that included family members, will continue to be assessed under the rules that were in place when they were lodged.

8. What happens if you apply from the wrong place

This is where students can get into real trouble. If you lodge an application in Australia when you are required to be offshore:

• Your application will be invalid
• An invalid outcome could affect your visa status, and you may not be able to apply for a further visa if your visa has already expired
• Invalid decisions cannot be reviewed at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)
• If you include a family member who is not eligible, their application will also be invalid

If you must apply from outside Australia, you must also be outside Australia when your Student visa is granted. You may return to Australia on another valid visa while it is processed, but you will not receive a Bridging visa linked to an application lodged outside Australia.

9. What international students should do now

• Check whether you must be outside Australia to apply, or whether an exemption applies, before making any plans
• Do not enrol, pay fees or book travel until you know where you can apply from
• If you cannot apply onshore, plan to leave Australia before lodging, and allow for processing times
• If you want your family with you, check whether you meet a family exemption before you apply
• Get advice from a registered migration agent if you are unsure, because an invalid application can have serious consequences

Based on Department of Home Affairs information (last updated October 2026) and the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026, which commenced on 2 October 2026. Fees, requirements and processing times can change. Always confirm current details with the Department of Home Affairs or ask our team. This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.