New rules now limit many onshore Student visa applications, narrow when family members can be included and change how students may transfer providers.
Australia changed its Student visa framework on 2 October 2026. The changes are especially important for people already in Australia who planned to move from another temporary visa to a Student visa, current Student visa holders considering another course, and applicants hoping to add family members later.
The practical message is simple: check where the application must be lodged, whether an onshore exception applies and who can be included before paying for a course or submitting a visa application.
From 2 October 2026, many temporary visa holders must apply for a Student visa from outside Australia. Most current Student visa holders must also apply offshore for a further Student visa unless they fit a limited exception. Family-member rules are narrower, and a partner or child generally cannot be added later as a subsequent entrant. Separate provider-transfer restrictions also began on 2 October 2026, with a further transfer process announced for 1 July 2027.
The reforms affect four connected areas:
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 continue to be considered under the previous application rules. A current Student visa is not cancelled merely because the new rules have started. 1.
A person holding one of the temporary visas listed below cannot make a valid Student visa application in Australia. There is no general exception for holders of these visas. If the person wants to apply, they generally need to lodge outside Australia and remain outside Australia when the student visa Australia is granted.
A Student visa dependant who wants to become the primary Student visa applicant must also apply from outside Australia. Home Affairs states that there is no exception for this change of role.
Most people who already hold a Student visa cannot lodge another Student visa application in Australia unless their circumstances fit a specified exception. The new setting is intended to allow genuine study progression while limiting repeated onshore course changes.
An onshore application may be available to a current Student visa holder in the following situations:
Where a student has completed a higher education course, Home Affairs states that the next course must also be a higher education course delivered by a higher education provider.
Meeting one of these descriptions does not guarantee a valid application or a visa grant. The evidence, visa history, course sequence and location at lodgement still need to be checked.
A current Student Guardian visa holder may continue to apply in Australia for a further Student Guardian visa. Other temporary visa holders may need to lodge a Student Guardian application outside Australia, depending on the visa they hold and the application rules that apply.
For applications made from 2 October 2026, a Student visa applicant generally cannot include a partner or dependent child unless a limited exception applies. The principal exceptions identified by Home Affairs are:
A family member cannot apply later as a Student visa subsequent entrant. Home Affairs states that there are no exceptions to the removal of this later-entry pathway.
Family members who are already included in the current Student visa arrangement may be included in a further application in specified circumstances. This can cover a family applying together for the next Student visa, including certain applications involving up to 12 additional months to finish the main course or a provider default.
The primary applicant and every family member included in the application must be in the same location when the application is lodged — all in Australia or all outside Australia.
Do not assume an existing marriage, de facto relationship or birth of a child automatically creates a later Student visa pathway. Check the current family-member rules before the main applicant lodges.
From 2 October 2026, most non-school international students must remain enrolled in their principal course with their original provider for the first 12 months, increased from six months. The six-month period continues for school students. Exceptions may apply in limited circumstances, including where the original provider closes or where exceptional circumstances are accepted.
A move from higher education to vocational education and training is not permitted under the announced transfer settings. Transfers are limited to study at the same or a higher Australian Qualifications Framework level.
The Government has announced a new visa process for provider transfers from 1 July 2027. Under the announced settings, a student seeking to transfer would need the new visa outcome before starting with the new provider, and the original visa end date would not be extended. Operational details may be updated before commencement, so this part should be checked again closer to 1 July 2027.
Kritin Global’s registered migration agent can assess where an application must be lodged, check whether a limited exception may apply, review course progression and family-member settings, and prepare the visa application and supporting evidence.
If the 2 October changes affect your study, family or travel plan, arrange a consultation before enrolling, travelling or lodging a new application.
The new application and family-member rules apply to Student visa and Student Guardian visa applications made on or after 2 October 2026. Applications made before that date continue under the previous application rules.
No. The changes do not cancel a Student visa that has already been granted. Visa holders must continue to comply with the conditions attached to their current visa.
Only in limited circumstances. Examples include needing up to 12 more months to finish the same main course with the same provider, specified course progression, PhD or school study, government sponsorship, or provider default. The detailed requirements must be checked before lodgement.
No. A secondary Student visa holder who wants to become the primary Student visa applicant must apply from outside Australia. Home Affairs states that there is no exception to this rule.
The affected list includes holders of Subclasses 400, 407, 408, 417, 457, 462, 482, 485, 600, 601, 602, 651, 771 and 988, the specified Subclass 403 stream, and primary Subclass 995 holders. The exact visa and stream should be confirmed before lodgement.
Usually not under the rules applying from 2 October 2026, unless a limited exception applies. Exceptions include specified PhD, Australian Government-sponsored, foreign-government scholarship, and eligible Pacific or ASEAN arrangements, as well as certain families already holding Student visas together.
No. Family members cannot apply later as Student visa subsequent entrants, and Home Affairs states that there are no exceptions to this rule.
An application lodged before 2 October 2026 continues to be considered under the application rules that applied before the changes commenced.
The Government has announced a new visa process for provider transfers from 1 July 2027. Under the announced settings, the student would need the new visa outcome before starting with the new provider, and the original visa end date would not be extended. The operational details should be checked again before commencement.
This page provides general information about Australian Student visa changes and is current as at 5 October 2026. It does not constitute migration advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice about individual circumstances. Application validity, eligibility, family-member settings and visa outcomes depend on the law and policy applying at the relevant time. MARN: 2619385.
