On 2 October 2026, important changes to how student visa applications work in Australia took effect, as part of the government’s broader migration reset to limit visa hopping. From that date, many temporary visa holders can no longer lodge a Student or Student Guardian visa application while they are in Australia. If you are affected, you now have to apply from outside Australia, and be outside Australia when the visa is granted.
The change is about location, not eligibility. It does not alter the student visa criteria or your chances of a grant, only where the application can be made. The reforms also limit who can be included in an application and when a current student can apply for a further visa onshore.
Who is affected
The restriction applies to holders of seventeen temporary visa types. If you hold one of these, a student visa application now has to be lodged from offshore:
- 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist)
- 403 Temporary Work (International Relations)
- 407 Training
- 408 Temporary Activity
- 417 Working Holiday
- 457 Temporary Work (Skilled)
- 462 Work and Holiday
- 482 Skills in Demand
- 482 Temporary Skill Shortage
- 485 Temporary Graduate
- 600 Visitor
- 601 Electronic Travel Authority
- 602 Medical Treatment
- 651 eVisitor
- 771 Transit
- 988 Maritime Crew
- 995 Diplomatic (Temporary)
You can check the full list and how it applies on the Department of Home Affairs changes to student visa application rules page.
Current students applying for a further student visa
The change reaches current student visa holders too. If you are already on a Student visa and want to apply for another one, you generally need to do so from outside Australia unless an exemption applies. One common exemption is progression: if you have finished your course and are moving up to a course at a higher level, you can generally still apply onshore. The restriction also covers a dependant on a student visa who wants to become the main applicant on their own student visa.
Family members can no longer be included by default
Alongside the location change, student visa applicants can no longer include family members in their student visa application unless an exemption applies. Current student visa holders are also limited in adding family members later. If your plans involve family joining you, check whether you fall within one of the exemptions below before you lodge.
Who is still exempt
The reforms keep a set of exemptions, and it helps to see them as two groups, one for where you apply from and one for including family.
You may still apply for a student visa from inside Australia if you are sponsored by Defence or Foreign Affairs, are a school-age student, are a doctoral (PhD) student, need up to twelve more months to finish your current course with your current provider, are progressing to a higher-level course, or are affected by an education provider default.
You may still include family members in your application if you are a doctoral (PhD) student, are sponsored by Defence or Foreign Affairs, hold a foreign government scholarship, or are an eligible student from certain Pacific and ASEAN countries.
The carve-outs are specific, and whether one fits your situation turns on the detail, so it is worth confirming rather than assuming. You can check how the rules and exemptions apply to you on the Department of Home Affairs Student visa (subclass 500) page.
Applications already lodged
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the previous rules. The new requirements apply to applications made from that date onward, so where you were when you lodged is what matters.
What to do now
If study in Australia is part of your plan, the first step is to work out whether you are affected, whether an exemption applies, and how the timing fits around your current visa. Getting that sequence right protects your status and avoids a last-minute scramble as a visa runs down.
With over 25 years of experience, Aspire Australia can look at your visa, your timing and your study plans, then map out the right way forward without putting your status at risk. Book an appointment to talk through your options.
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