Student visa changes from 2 October 2026: who can still apply in Australia?

Major changes to Australia's Student visa rules came into effect on 2 October 2026. Many temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa while they are in Australia, and new restrictions apply to partners and dependent children.

Home Affairs lists progression from a completed main course to a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level as one of several exemptions (Home Affairs). The new rules started on 2 October 2026, after the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 were registered on 1 October 2026.

01What changed on 2 October 2026?

The changes affect three areas:

• who can apply for a Student visa while already in Australia;
• when current Student visa holders can apply for another Student visa onshore; and
• whether partners and dependent children can be included in a Student visa application.

For many applicants, the next Student visa application will now have to be lodged from outside Australia. That does not mean every current international student has to leave Australia to apply again.

02Already on a Student visa? You may still be able to apply in Australia

Current Student visa holders are generally affected by the new offshore requirement unless they meet one of the exemptions. One of them is progression to a higher AQF level: Home Affairs states that you may be able to apply for another Student visa in Australia if you have completed your main course that has an AQF level and are progressing to a course at a higher AQF level.

03What does a “higher AQF level” mean?

Every nationally recognised qualification in Australia has an AQF level:

Depending on your circumstances, examples of progression could include:

The key point: you must have completed your main course, and the new course must be at a higher AQF level.

Special rule if you completed a higher education course

If your completed course was a higher education course, your next course must also be a higher education course delivered by a higher education provider to use this exemption (Home Affairs fact sheet). Check the type of course and provider, not only the AQF number, before assuming you can apply onshore.

04Other situations where you may still apply onshore

According to Home Affairs, a Student visa holder may also be able to apply for another Student visa in Australia if they:

• need up to 12 more months after the original course end date to finish their studies, continuing with the same provider;
• are sponsored by DFAT or Defence;
• are applying to study a PhD;
• are applying for primary or secondary school studies;
• have completed school studies and are progressing to a course that does not have an AQF level;
• have completed a course without an AQF level and are progressing to a course that has one; or
• cannot continue their course because their education provider has defaulted.

If you study a package of courses and need extra time, the course that needs the extra time must be your main course.

05So do current students need to leave Australia?

Not necessarily. If you are on a Student visa, have completed your main course and your next course meets one of the exemptions - including progression to a higher AQF level - you may still be able to lodge your next application from Australia. For example, a student who completes a Diploma and moves on to an eligible Bachelor Degree may remain eligible to apply onshore.

Moving to another course at the same or a lower AQF level does not meet the higher-AQF exemption on its own. Check each case before enrolling in your next course or making travel plans.

06Working Holiday, Graduate and Visitor visa holders

Here the changes are much more restrictive. The new rules list visas whose holders cannot lodge a Student visa application while in Australia. They include:

Working Holiday to Student visa

This is one of the biggest practical changes. Until now, many people came on a Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa, worked and travelled, then enrolled in a course and applied for a Student visa from Australia. From 2 October 2026, holders of both visas must lodge their Student visa application from outside Australia.

You can still study in Australia after a Working Holiday - the Student visa application just has to be made after you leave.

07Apply offshore? You must also be offshore when the visa is granted

If the new rules require you to apply from outside Australia, you generally must be outside Australia when you lodge the application and when the visa is granted.

08What changed for partners and children?

From 2 October 2026, Student visa applicants generally can no longer include a partner or dependent children in their application unless an exemption applies. This also applies to further Student visa applications. Family members may still be included where the main applicant is:

• studying a PhD;
• sponsored by DFAT or Defence;
• receiving a foreign government scholarship; or
• an eligible student from a Pacific country or ASEAN member country.

Already have your partner or children on your current Student visa?

If your family members are already included in your current Student visa and you are eligible to apply for your next Student visa in Australia, you may be able to include them again. For example: you hold a Student visa, your partner holds one as your dependant, you complete your course, your next course meets an onshore exemption such as higher-AQF progression, and you apply together.

The explanatory statement to the regulations says this is meant to stop families already in Australia from being separated. The main applicant and family members must be in the same location when the application is lodged.

Can you add your partner later?

No. Current Student visa holders can no longer add a partner or child as a subsequent entrant after the visa has been granted, and Home Affairs states there are no exemptions to this rule. Eligible family members now have to apply at the same time and in the same location as the main applicant. This makes planning especially important for couples and families.

09Lodged your Student visa before 2 October 2026?

The new rules do not apply retrospectively. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 - including those with family members - continue to be assessed under the rules that applied when they were lodged. Your current Student visa also stays valid. If your application is still being processed, get advice before you withdraw it or change anything.

10Already in Australia? Check this before choosing your next course

1. 1What course are you completing now?Its AQF level, and whether it is your main course.
2. 2What do you plan to study next?Is the new qualification at a higher AQF level?
3. 3Have you completed your current main course?Completion matters for the higher-AQF exemption.
4. 4Moving from higher education to higher education?The next course must also be delivered by a higher education provider.
5. 5Are a partner or children on your current Student visa?Existing dependants are treated differently from family members you want to add for the first time.

On a Working Holiday, Work and Holiday, Temporary Graduate, Visitor or another affected visa? Check whether you need to leave Australia before lodging your Student visa application.

11The key takeaway

The 2 October changes are significant, but they do not mean every international student must leave Australia to apply for another Student visa. If you are on a Student visa and progressing academically - for example Certificate IV → Diploma, Diploma → Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Degree → Master Degree - you may still be able to apply onshore, provided the requirements are met.

The rules now hit people on Working Holiday, Work and Holiday, Temporary Graduate and Visitor visas much harder, as well as students planning to bring a partner or children. Because so much depends on your current visa, completed course, next course and family situation, check your circumstances before you pay a course deposit or book travel.

Information current as at 2 October 2026. This article provides general information about Australian education and Student visa settings and does not constitute migration or legal advice. Edvise Education Agency, Sydney.