Australian Student Visa Changes from 2 October 2026: What International Students Need to Know
From 2 October 2026, most student visa holders must apply for their next student visa from outside Australia, family members can only be included in limited circumstances, and students generally need 12 months of their principal course before transferring provider. The Government registered four new instruments on 1 October 2026, and the changes apply to applications lodged on or after 2 October 2026.
Most of these rules turn on the student's principal course. This is the main course listed on the student's Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), and its start and end dates decide whether a student can still apply onshore, whether family members can be included, and when a provider transfer is allowed.
These Australian student visa changes affect current Subclass 500 holders, people on other visas who planned to switch to a student visa in Australia, and students thinking about changing education provider. Here is what has changed at a glance.
Not sure which of these changes applies to you? Speak to a RegisteredMigration Agent before you lodge, enrol or transfer.
Do Student Visa Holders Now Have to Apply from Outside Australia?
Yes, in most cases. Under the MigrationAmendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01347), a person who already holds a Student visa (subclass 500) and applies for a new one as the main applicant must generally lodge from outside Australia. Where the applicant had to apply offshore, they must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. For most students, this means a student visa extension can no longer be lodged in Australia.
Lodging from overseas is therefore only half of the requirement. An applicant who applies offshore and then returns to Australia before a decision cannot be granted the visa while in Australia.
Defence students, Foreign Affairs students and school students are not affected, along with the exempt groups below. Other applicants in Australia must hold a substantive visa that is not on the excluded list, and a limited exception related to the Administrative ReviewTribunal (ART) exists for cancelled student visas.
Who Can Still Apply for a Student Visa Onshore in Australia?
Four groups of student visa holders can still apply onshore, under the Migration (LIN 20/158: Class of Persons forStudent (Temporary) (Class TU) Visa Applications) Amendment Instrument 2026(F2026L01349). Each group has its own conditions, and an applicant must meet all of the conditions for their group.
Completing a course and progressing from one are separate exceptions. A student who has already finished their principal course falls under course progression, which allows no more than one further course, and only at a higher AQF level.
Which Visa Holders Cannot Apply for a Student Visa in Australia?
Holders of the visas below must lodge a student visa application from outside Australia, under the Migration (StudentVisa Applications to Be Made from outside Australia) Instrument 2026(F2026L01348). This instrument replaces the earlier 2026 "visas that preclude" instrument.
The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) andTemporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) visas are now on this list. Holding one of these two work visas therefore does not allow a switch to a student visa onshore, and holders of any listed visa who want to study in Australia need to apply from outside Australia.
Can Family Members (Dependants) Still Be Included in a Student Visa?
Only in limited circumstances. UnderF2026L01347 and F2026L01349, a family member, or student visa dependant, can apply as a secondary applicant only in situations such as these:
• the main student is a Defence or Foreign Affairs student, or holds certain Pacific passports
• the family member already holds a secondary Subclass 500 visa
• the family member is a child born in Australia to the main student
• the family member falls within one of the matching family classes
The matching family classes cover the families of foreign-government-scholarship students, doctoral students, provider default cases and students completing their course. Being related to a student visa holder is no longer enough on its own. The main student's situation, or the family member's existing visa, decides whether a secondary application is possible.
When Can Students Change Education Provider?
Students generally need to complete 12 months of their principal course, not 6, before transferring provider without are lease. This comes from the National Code of Practice Amendment (OverseasStudent Transfers) Instrument 2026 (F2026L01351), so it applies separately from the student visa changes above.
The effect depends on how far into their principal course a student was on 2 October 2026:
• Under 6 months: must now complete 12months (not 6) before transferring without a release.
• Between 6 and 12 months: restricted again until 12 months in total, even if previously free to transfer.
• 12 months or more: not affected.
Being free to transfer before 2 October does not mean a student is free now. Take Priya, who started her principal course in February 2026. On 2 October she was about 8 months in and could transfer under the 6-month rule, but she is now restricted again until she reaches 12 months in February 2027, unless an exception applies.
The existing exceptions continue: a release approved by the current provider, a provider or course that is no longer registered, an ESOS sanction preventing study, or written support from a government sponsor. Transfers from school providers are not affected. The12-month rule is a temporary measure until 30 June 2027, and is scheduled to return to 6 months from 1 July 2027.
What Should Students Do Now?
If you are planning a course change, a provider transfer or a new student visa, check your plans against these rules before taking any further step.
1. Before lodging a student visa application in Australia, confirm that you hold a substantive visa that is not on the excluded list, and that you fit one of the onshore exceptions.
2. Before accepting an offer from a new provider, confirm how long you have studied in your principal course, or have a release letter from your current provider in place.
3. Get advice on any unclear situation before you act. No outcome is guaranteed, and every application is subject to meeting requirements.
Further guidance from Home Affairs and the Department of Education is expected. If you are unsure where you stand, speak to a Registered MigrationAgent at Knowbal before you lodge, enrol or transfer.
What Do the Australian Student Visa Changes Mean for Students?
From 2 October 2026, most Subclass 500 holders must apply for their next student visa from outside Australia, and must be outside Australia when it is granted. Onshore applications remain open only to doctoral students, provider default cases, students completing their current course, and students progressing to one higher AQF course. Holders of the listed visas, including the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) and Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) visas, must also apply from outside Australia.
Family members can now be included only in limited circumstances, and most students need 12 months of their principal course before transferring provider without a release. The transfer restriction is temporary until 30 June 2027 and is scheduled to return to 6 months from 1 July 2027. Further guidance from Home Affairs and the Department of Education is expected.
The right next step depends on your principal course dates, your current visa and your family situation. Use the Student Visa Checker for a quick first answer, then speak to a Registered Migration Agent at Knowbal before you lodge, enrol or transfer.
I lodged my student visa application before 2 October 2026. Do the new rules apply to me?
The changes apply to applications lodged on or after 2 October 2026.
I hold a visa that is not on the excluded list. Can I apply for a student visa onshore?
Possibly. Applicants in Australia must hold a substantive visa that is not on the excluded list. If that visa is a Subclass 500, you must also fit one of the onshore exceptions, such as completing your current course or progressing to one higher AQF course.
My provider defaulted and I couldn't finish my course. Can I still apply in Australia?
Yes, if you were enrolled on the day of the default, you apply within 12 months of it, and you have not already made an application because of the same default.
I have finished my course and want to study another course at the same level. Can I apply onshore?
Not under the course progression exception. It covers no more than one further course at a higher AQF level, and higher education graduates must progress to a higher education course.
My partner already holds a secondary student visa. Can they still apply with me?
Yes. This is one of the limited circumstances. A family member who already holds a secondary Subclass 500 visa can still apply as a secondary applicant.
My current provider has agreed to release me. Do I still have to wait 12 months to transfer?
No. A release approved by your current provider is one of the exceptions that continue under the new transfer rule.
I am moving from a school to a university or college. Does the 12-month rule apply?
No. Transfers from school providers are not affected by the restriction.
I am a PhD student. Can my family still be included?
Yes. Doctoral students can still apply onshore if enrolled in a course leading to a doctoral degree at the time of application, and a matching family class covers their family members.
