02/10/2026
🇦🇺 MAJOR STUDENT VISA CHANGES FROM 2 OCTOBER 2026 🎓
Important changes to Australian Student visa (Subclass 500) applications have commenced from 2 October 2026, significantly restricting who can lodge a further Student visa while in Australia.
🚨 MORE TEMPORARY VISA HOLDERS MUST NOW APPLY OFFSHORE
Under LIN 26/102, a person in Australia holding certain visas cannot make a valid Student visa application while in Australia.
Affected visas include:
🔹 Subclass 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist)
🔹 Subclass 403 – certain Domestic Worker visa holders
🔹 Subclass 407 – Training
🔹 Subclass 408 – Temporary Activity
🔹 Subclass 417 – Working Holiday
🔹 Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled)
🔹 Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday
🔹 Subclass 482 – Skills in Demand / Temporary Skill Shortage
🔹 Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate
🔹 Subclass 600 – Visitor
🔹 Subclass 601 – Electronic Travel Authority
🔹 Subclass 602 – Medical Treatment
🔹 Subclass 651 – eVisitor
🔹 Subclass 771 – Transit
🔹 Subclass 988 – Maritime Crew
🔹 Subclass 995 – certain Diplomatic visa holders
For affected applicants, this generally means:
✈️ You must be outside Australia when the Student visa application is made; and
🌏 You must also be outside Australia when the Student visa is granted.
🎓 CURRENT STUDENT VISA HOLDERS
The rules have also changed for people who already hold a Subclass 500 Student visa and want to apply for another Student visa.
Generally, a further Student visa application must now be made from outside Australia.
However, specific exceptions apply, including certain:
✅ PHD students
✅ Students progressing to a higher-level course
✅ Students requiring additional time to complete their studies
✅ Students affected by an education provider default
✅ School students
✅ Foreign Affairs and Defence students
The precise requirements for each exception must be satisfied.
👨👩👧 FAMILY MEMBERS
The rules for including partners and dependent children in Student visa applications have also been restricted.
Family members can now be included only in specified circumstances, with exceptions applying to certain categories such as PHD students, eligible scholarship students and some existing Student visa families.
⚠️ WHY THIS MATTERS
These are visa application validity requirements.
If an applicant is required to be outside Australia but attempts to lodge the application while in Australia, the application may not constitute a valid visa application.
The changes apply to relevant Student visa applications made on or after 2 October 2026.
If you are currently in Australia on a 417, 462, 482, 485, 407, 408, Visitor visa or another temporary visa, or you already hold a Student visa and are planning further study, check your visa position before changing courses, travelling or making significant financial commitments.
📞 Future Migrations
(08) 6559 2442
📱 0431 314 600
📧 [email protected]
CHECK YOUR OPTIONS →
General information only. Individual circumstances and applicable visa requirements should be assessed before lodging an application.
