Last updated: 2 October 2026. Written by Gary Grewal, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1684999), Grewal Migration, Point Cook VIC.
Short answer: From 2 October 2026, most people in Australia on a temporary visa can no longer apply for an Australian Student visa (subclass 500) while they are in Australia. This includes most current Student visa holders who want a new Student visa. They must apply from outside Australia and be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Most new students also can no longer bring family members.
Key facts at a glance
- Start date: 2 October 2026, for applications made on or after that date.
- Visas affected: Student visa (subclass 500) and Student Guardian visa (subclass 590).
- Who must now apply offshore: holders of 17 temporary visa types, including Visitor, Working Holiday, Work and Holiday, Temporary Graduate (485), 482 and 457 visas.
- Current students: must generally apply offshore for a new Student visa, unless an exception applies.
- Family members: most new applicants cannot include a partner or children, and current holders cannot add them after grant.
- Already lodged: applications made before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules.
- The law: Migration (Student Visa Applications to Be Made from outside Australia) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/102), alongside the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026.
FREE LIVE WEBINAR TONIGHT: Student visa changes explained. Friday 2 October, 7:00 pm Melbourne time, online via Microsoft Teams. Save my free place →
What changed on 2 October 2026? Before and after
| Situation | Before 2 October 2026 | From 2 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) holder wants to study | Could apply for a Student visa in Australia | Must apply from outside Australia |
| 482 or 457 holder wants to study | Some may already have been restricted under earlier rules | Must apply from outside Australia |
| Visitor (600, 601, 651) or Temporary Graduate (485) holder wants to study | Already had to apply offshore (since 1 July 2024) | Still must apply from outside Australia |
| Current Student visa holder wants a new Student visa | Could generally apply in Australia | Must generally apply offshore, unless an exception applies |
| New student wants to include partner or children | Could generally include family members | Only in limited cases (for example PhD, DFAT or Defence, scholarship, eligible Pacific and ASEAN students) |
| Student wants to add family after grant | Could apply to add family members | Not allowed, no exemptions |
| Application lodged before 2 October 2026 | Old rules | Still old rules |
Timeline of the student visa changes
- 1 July 2024: Visitor and Temporary Graduate (485) visa holders, among others, can no longer apply for a Student visa in Australia.
- 17 September 2026: The Australian Government announces a broad migration overhaul, including limits on students bringing family and a requirement that students progress up the qualification framework.
- 1 October 2026: The Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs signs LIN 26/102, setting the new list of visas that cannot apply for a Student visa onshore.
- 2 October 2026: The new rules start, for applications made on or after this date.
Which visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa in Australia?
If you hold one of these visas, you cannot make a valid Student visa application while you are in Australia:
- Subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist)
- Subclass 403 Temporary Work (International Relations), Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) stream only
- Subclass 407 Training
- Subclass 408 Temporary Activity
- Subclass 417 Working Holiday
- Subclass 457 Temporary Work (Skilled)
- Subclass 462 Work and Holiday
- Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage
- Subclass 482 Skills in Demand
- Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate
- Subclass 600 Visitor
- Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority
- Subclass 602 Medical Treatment
- Subclass 651 eVisitor
- Subclass 771 Transit
- Subclass 988 Maritime Crew
- Subclass 995 Diplomatic (Temporary)
Visitor and Temporary Graduate visa holders have been unable to apply onshore since 1 July 2024. Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visa holders were not affected then. They are now.
Can current students still apply for another Student visa in Australia?
Generally, no. From 2 October 2026, a Student visa holder who wants another Student visa must usually apply from outside Australia. You can still apply in Australia if you:
- need up to 12 more months after your original course end date to finish your studies
- are moving up to a higher level course under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), for example from a diploma to a bachelor degree
- are applying for a PhD, or for primary or secondary school studies
- are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence
- cannot continue your course because your education provider has defaulted
The government’s aim is to stop “visa hopping”, where students take one lower-level or unrelated course after another to stay in Australia longer.
Can I still bring my partner or children on a Student visa?
For most new applicants, no. Family members can now only be included in limited cases, such as PhD students, students sponsored by DFAT or Defence, foreign government scholarship holders, and eligible Pacific and ASEAN students. Family members must apply at the same time as the student.
If you already hold a Student visa, you can no longer add a partner or child after grant. There are no exemptions for this.
What if I lodged my Student visa application before 2 October 2026?
Your application will be assessed under the rules in place when you lodged it. That includes applications that included family members.
What the changes mean for you, by visa type
If you are on a Student visa (subclass 500)
If your course is ending and you want to keep studying, first check whether you fit an exception. Moving from a diploma to a bachelor degree, or from a bachelor degree to a master’s, is moving up the AQF and may let you apply in Australia. Enrolling in another course at the same or a lower level generally will not. If no exception applies, you would need to leave Australia, apply from overseas and wait outside Australia for the decision.
If you are on a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
Nothing new here. You already had to apply from outside Australia to return to study. Consider whether employer sponsorship or another visa pathway suits you better before your 485 ends.
If you are on a Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa
This is new for you. Until now, many working holiday makers moved onto a Student visa in Australia. From 2 October 2026 that is no longer possible. If you want to study, plan to apply from your home country or another country outside Australia.
If you are on a Visitor visa (600, 601 or 651)
You still cannot apply for a Student visa in Australia. Visitor visa holders can generally only do short study of up to three months. For longer study, apply for a Student visa from outside Australia.
If you are on a 482, 457 or other temporary work visa
If you were thinking of moving to a Student visa, for example after leaving a sponsoring employer, you must now apply from outside Australia. If you have lost your job, check how long you have to find a new sponsor or another visa.
If you are a parent or guardian of a student
The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) is also affected. Most temporary visa holders cannot lodge a 590 application while in Australia.
If you are the partner of a student
If you are not already included on the student’s visa, you generally cannot be added after grant. If you are already in Australia as a secondary applicant, the changes are not designed to remove existing family members.
How to apply for a Student visa from outside Australia
- Get your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from your Australian education provider. A CoE is required for a valid application.
- Prepare your evidence for the Genuine Student requirement, including why you chose the course and how it fits your study history and career plans.
- Gather financial and English evidence, and arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the length of your visa.
- Leave Australia before you lodge. You must be outside Australia when you lodge the application in ImmiAccount.
- Stay outside Australia until a decision is made. The visa must be granted while you are outside Australia, and offshore applicants do not get a Bridging visa.
- Plan your timing around your course start date and your current visa expiry, so you do not overstay or miss your intake.
The bigger picture: Australia’s 2026 migration overhaul
The student visa changes are part of a wider package announced on 17 September 2026. Other announced changes include “No Further Stay” style limits for future visitor visa holders, caps on second and third year Working Holiday visas, a redesigned points test for skilled migration, and tighter regulation of migration agents. Some of these changes do not yet have start dates. We will update this article as details are released. (summary of the 17 September announcement)
Glossary
- Onshore application: a visa application lodged while you are in Australia.
- Offshore application: a visa application lodged while you are outside Australia.
- AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework): the national system ranking qualifications, from certificates through diplomas, bachelor degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates.
- CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment): the document your provider issues to confirm your enrolment, needed for a Student visa application.
- Provider default: when an education provider cannot deliver a course it has enrolled you in, for example because it closes.
- Visa hopping: moving from visa to visa, or course to course, mainly to extend time in Australia.
What should I do now?
- Check your visa subclass and expiry date. These decide whether the new rules apply to you and how much time you have.
- Check whether an exception applies. Course progression and the 12-month completion exception will cover some students.
- Do not let your visa expire. Staying in Australia without a valid visa can seriously harm future applications.
- Get advice on your own situation. The answer depends on your visa, course level and dates.
Frequently asked questions
Only in limited cases. From 2 October 2026, holders of 17 temporary visa types, and most current Student visa holders, must apply for a Student visa from outside Australia and be outside Australia when it is granted. Exceptions for current students include finishing your course within 12 extra months, moving to a higher AQF level course, PhD or school studies, DFAT or Defence sponsorship, and provider default.
Yes, but you must apply for the Student visa from outside Australia. Temporary Graduate visa holders have been unable to apply for a Student visa onshore since 1 July 2024, and this continues under the new rules.
Not from 2 October 2026. Subclass 417 Working Holiday and subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa holders are now on the list of visas that cannot apply for a Student visa in Australia. They must apply from outside Australia.
No. Visitor (subclass 600), Electronic Travel Authority (601) and eVisitor (651) holders cannot make a valid Student visa application in Australia. You need to apply from outside Australia.
No. Both forms of the subclass 482 visa (Temporary Skill Shortage and Skills in Demand), and the older subclass 457, are on the list. Holders must apply for a Student visa from outside Australia.
Generally, yes, unless an exception applies. You can still apply in Australia if you need up to 12 more months to finish your current course, are moving up to a higher AQF level course, are applying for a PhD or school studies, are sponsored by DFAT or Defence, or your provider has defaulted.
If you need up to 12 more months after your original course end date to complete your studies, you can still apply for a new Student visa in Australia.
No. From 2 October 2026, family members cannot be added after a Student visa is granted, and there are no exemptions for this.
Only in limited cases, such as PhD students, DFAT or Defence sponsored students, foreign government scholarship holders, and eligible Pacific and ASEAN students. Family members must apply at the same time as the student.
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs says most temporary visa holders also cannot lodge a Student Guardian visa application while in Australia.
No. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the rules that applied when they were lodged, including applications that included family members.
You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted. Offshore Student visa applicants do not get a Bridging visa to stay in Australia while their application is processed.
To stop visa hopping. The government wants students to progress upwards through the qualification framework, rather than use successive lower-level or unrelated courses mainly to extend their stay.
Staying in Australia without a valid visa can lead to serious consequences, including problems with future visa applications. Check your expiry date now and get advice early.
Join our free live webinar tonight
Gary Grewal, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1684999), will explain the changes, who they affect and the exceptions, in plain English.
Tonight, Friday 2 October 2026, 7:00 pm Melbourne time (AEST). Online via Microsoft Teams. Free. Places are limited.
Questions? Call 03 9021 7777 or email hello@grewalmigration.com.au.
About the author: Gary Grewal is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1684999) and principal of Grewal Migration in Point Cook, Victoria. He advises on student, skilled, partner and parent visas.
This article is general information only, current as at 2 October 2026, and is not migration advice for your situation. Migration law changes often. For advice on your circumstances, book a consultation with a registered migration agent. No person can guarantee a visa outcome.
Sources: Migration (Student Visa Applications to Be Made from outside Australia) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/102); Department of Home Affairs, Changes to Student visa application rules; Study Australia, Changes to onshore Student visa applications.
