Australian student visa changes: the rules from 2 October 2026
Settledin Team4 min readFrom 2 October 2026, most Student visa (subclass 500) applications must be lodged outside Australia. Holders of visas such as the Working Holiday, Skills in Demand, Temporary Graduate and Visitor visas can no longer apply in Australia, and student visa holders need an exemption. Most applicants also can't include a partner or children.
Rules checked against Home Affairs on 6 October 2026.
What changed for student visas on 2 October 2026?
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 (Home Affairs). In short, from Home Affairs' fact sheet:
| Rule | From 2 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Applying in Australia | Most temporary visa holders can no longer lodge a Student or Student Guardian visa application in Australia |
| A further student visa in Australia | Only with an exemption |
| Family members in the application | Not allowed, unless an exemption applies |
| Adding family members after grant | Not allowed, with no exemptions |
| Applications lodged before 2 October | Assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged |
| Current visas | Not affected |
Someone who can't apply in Australia under the new rules has to be outside Australia both when the application is lodged and when the visa is granted. How the Student visa works is on Settledin's Student visa page.
Who can still apply for a student visa in Australia?
It depends on the visa you hold now. The Student visa page lists the visas whose holders, primary or secondary, cannot apply for a student visa in Australia, with no exemptions:
| Visa held | Subclass |
|---|---|
| Temporary Work, Training, Temporary Activity | 400, 407, 408 |
| Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular stream) | 403 |
| Working Holiday, Work and Holiday | 417, 462 |
| Temporary Work, Skills in Demand or Temporary Skill Shortage | 457, 482 |
| Temporary Graduate | 485 |
| Visitor, ETA, eVisitor | 600, 601, 651 |
| Medical Treatment, Transit, Maritime Crew | 602, 771, 988 |
| Diplomatic (Temporary), main visa holder only | 995 |
Student visa holders
A student visa holder applying for another student visa in Australia needs an exemption. Someone who holds a student visa as a dependant can't apply in Australia as the main applicant. The exemptions in Home Affairs' fact sheet:
- needing up to 12 more months after the original course end date, continuing with the same education provider
- sponsorship by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence
- applying to study a PhD (not a Masters by research)
- applying for primary or secondary school studies
- having completed the main course and moving to a course at a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level, with higher education leading on to higher education
- having completed school and moving to a course without an AQF level, or completing a course without an AQF level and moving to one with an AQF level
- being unable to continue because the education provider defaulted
Student Guardian visa holders
Current Student Guardian (subclass 590) visa holders can still lodge a further Student Guardian visa application in Australia.
Can I include family members in a student visa?
Not in most cases. From 2 October 2026, student visa applicants can no longer include a partner or dependent children, including in an application for a further student visa (fact sheet). The exemptions are for applicants who are:
- studying a PhD
- sponsored by DFAT or Defence
- receiving a foreign government scholarship
- an eligible student from a Pacific country or an ASEAN member country
Family members already on a current student visa may be included in the next student visa application, when it is lodged in Australia. The main applicant and every family member in the application have to be in the same location when it is lodged.
Family members can no longer be added after a student visa is granted. Home Affairs says there are no exemptions to this rule.
What happens to applications lodged before 2 October 2026?
They continue to be assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged, including applications that included family members (fact sheet). The new rules do not affect a student visa someone already holds.
What if I apply in Australia without an exemption?
Home Affairs says it will not accept the application (Student visa page). It warns that an invalid application can affect your visa status, that you may not be able to apply for a further visa if your current visa has already expired, and that invalid decisions can't be reviewed at the Administrative Review Tribunal.
For a valid application lodged in Australia, the same page says the applicant is granted a Bridging visa A, which starts if the current visa expires before a decision. It also warns not to cancel the current visa, because that leaves the person unlawful and unable to get the Bridging visa A.
What else changed for students in 2026–27?
The Student visa charge for the main applicant is $2,500 from 1 July 2026 (visa pricing), and the national planning level for international students in 2027 is 295,000 (Department of Education). Both are in the 2026–27 visa changes, by date, which also covers the skilled visa changes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a student visa in Australia on a visitor visa?
No. Visitor (600), ETA (601) and eVisitor (651) holders are on Home Affairs' list of visas that can't apply for a student visa in Australia, with no exemptions.
Can a Temporary Graduate (485) holder apply for a student visa in Australia?
No. The 485 is on the same list.
Can I extend my student visa in Australia?
Only with an exemption, for example needing up to 12 more months to finish with the same education provider.
Can my partner come with me on a student visa?
From 2 October 2026, only if an exemption applies, such as studying a PhD or holding a foreign government scholarship.
Does the change affect my current student visa?
No. Home Affairs says current visas are not affected, and applications lodged before 2 October 2026 follow the earlier rules.
For the first weeks after arriving, see the moving to Australia checklist: your first 30 days.
Settledin helps people moving to Australia with jobs, settling in and visa information in one place.
This article describes published Department of Home Affairs information, checked on 6 October 2026. It is general information, not migration advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a registered migration agent. Check the register.