You might be halfway through a course in Australia, planning your next one. Or you might be overseas, hoping to bring your partner with you when you start your studies.
Then the news hits, and every post you read says something different. Some say students can’t stay in Australia anymore. Others say families are banned.
Here is the good news. Your current visa is not affected. If you lodged your application before 2 October 2026, the old rules still apply to it.
The student visa changes are real, but they are narrower than the headlines suggest. Two things changed:
- Most people must now apply for a Student visa (subclass 500) from outside Australia.
- Most students can no longer include their partner or children.
Below, we explain each change, who it affects, and what you can still do. If you’d like advice on your own situation, you can book a consultation with our MARA-registered team.
What changed for student visas on 2 October 2026?
From 2 October 2026, Home Affairs changed where you can apply for a Student visa and who you can include in it. The rules also cover the Student Guardian visa (subclass 590).
| Area | Before 2 October 2026 | From 2 October 2026 |
| Applying inside Australia | Most visa holders could apply onshore. | Only allowed with an eligible visa and an exemption. |
| Current students applying again | Could apply onshore for almost any new course. | Only under one of six exemptions. |
| Including partner or children | Open to most students. | Only four groups can include family. |
| Family joining later | Allowed as a subsequent entrant. | Not allowed, with no exemptions. |
| Dependants becoming the main student | Could apply onshore. | Must apply from outside Australia. |
Most questions are about the first row, so let’s start there.
Can you still apply for a student visa inside Australia?
Yes, but only if you hold an eligible visa and meet an exemption. If you don’t, you must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted.
If you have a home and a job here, this can feel like a lot. But the new rule does not cancel any visa you already hold.
Which visas can no longer apply onshore?
If you hold one of these visas, you cannot apply for a Student visa in Australia. This applies to main holders and family members:
- Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462).
- Skills in Demand / Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) and the older subclass 457.
- Temporary Graduate (subclass 485).
- Visitor (subclass 600), ETA (601) and eVisitor (651).
- Temporary Work (400), Training (407), and Temporary Activity (408).
- Medical Treatment (602), Transit (771), Maritime Crew (988) and Domestic Worker (403).
- Diplomatic (995), main holders only.
Visitor and 485 holders were already barred. The new names on the list are working holiday makers and 482, 457, and 400 visa holders.
What are the 6 exemptions for current student visa holders?
Main Student visa holders can still apply again in Australia if one of these six exemptions fits:
- You need up to 12 more months. You need extra time to finish your main course with the same education provider. You can have changed courses, but only to one at the same level or higher.
- DFAT or Defence sponsors you. This covers students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence.
- You’re starting a PhD. A Master’s by Research does not count.
- You’re studying at primary or secondary school.
- You’re moving up a level. You finished your main course, and your next course is at a higher AQF level. For example, you can move from an ELICOS (English) course to a Bachelor degree. If your finished course was higher education, the next one must be higher education too.
- Your provider closed. You can’t continue because your education provider defaulted.
Some plans no longer work onshore. You can’t move from one English course to another, or from a Bachelor degree to a VET Graduate Diploma. Under an exemption, you can usually apply for only one course, not a package. Our page on student visa extensions covers the “more time” option.
Can you still bring your partner or children on a student visa?
Only if you belong to one of four groups. For everyone else, partners and children can no longer be included in a Student visa application.
This is the change that worries families most. At our Harris Park office, many questions come from couples who planned to study here together.
Who can still include family members?
- Students studying a PhD.
- Students sponsored by DFAT or Defence.
- Students with a foreign government scholarship that fully funds their studies.
- Citizens of eligible Pacific Island or ASEAN countries, such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The scholarship and Pacific/ASEAN groups face extra limits when they apply inside Australia. Your partner and children must also apply at the same time and from the same place as you.
What about family already on my visa?
- Family already on your Student visa may be able to stay on your next one.
- This applies if you need up to 12 more months, your provider defaulted, or you’re moving to a higher-level course.
- Family members can no longer join you later as “subsequent entrants”. There are no exemptions to this rule.
A baby born in Australia automatically gets the same visa as their parent. Our guide on the subclass 500 dependent visa has more background.
Who is affected by the new rules?
You’re most likely affected if you planned to apply from inside Australia or to bring family with you.
- Working holiday, 485, and 482 visa holders must apply from overseas.
- Current students moving to a same-level or lower-level course must apply from overseas.
- Dependants who want to become the main student must apply from overseas.
- Students with families can’t include them unless they fit one of the four groups.
Moving from a diploma to a bachelor’s degree? Need a little more time? You are likely still fine.
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Book ConsultationWhat if you applied before 2 October 2026?
Your application will be assessed under the old rules. This includes applications that listed a partner or children.
You don’t need to withdraw or lodge again. Just keep your ImmiAccount details up to date.
What stays the same under the new rules?
Most other Student visa requirements did not change:
- Living costs: AUD29,710 for the student, AUD10,394 for a partner and AUD4,449 per child.
- Work rights: up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session.
- Genuine Student: you still answer questions in your application, each up to 150 words.
- Health insurance: you still need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
Use our student visa document checklist to get these parts ready.
What mistakes should you avoid now?
The biggest mistake is applying in Australia when you’re not eligible to. Home Affairs will treat the application as invalid.
- An invalid application won’t grant you a bridging visa.
- If your current visa has expired, you may not be able to apply for another visa.
- Invalid decisions cannot be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).
The fix is simple: check your visa and your exemption before you lodge. If you’re unsure, our MARA-registered agent (MARN 2518738) can review your situation first.
How The Migration Helps
The Migration is an Australian migration consultancy based in Harris Park, Sydney, with more than 7 years of experience. Our MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) can help you:
- Check whether you can apply in Australia or need to apply from overseas.
- Confirm whether you meet one of the six exemptions.
- Work out whether your partner or children can be included.
- Look at other visas if a Student visa no longer suits your plans.
You can check our agent’s registration on the MARA public register.
Conclusion: What should you do next?
The student visa changes from 2 October 2026 come down to two rules. Most people must apply from outside Australia, and most students can no longer bring family.
Your current visa is safe. Six exemptions still let many students apply onshore, and four groups can still include family.
Read the full rules on the Home Affairs Student visa page and the official changes to Student visa application rules. For advice on your own plans, book a consultation with our MARA-registered agent (MARN 2518738).
