As of 2 October 2026, changes to student visa application rules came into effect. The changes affect who can apply for and be granted a Student (subclass 500) Visa or Student Guardian (subclass 590) Visa while in Australia and whether family members can be included.
These changes will affect applicants who are:
- Applying for a subclass 500 visa or subclass 590 visa in Australia
- A student visa holder applying for another student visa in Australia
- Including family members on a student visa application or considering if family members can join them later
What Are the New Rules?
Temporary visa holders in Australia will now no longer be able to lodge a student or student guardian visa application while in Australia. Current student visa holders wanting to apply for another student visa will also be affected, unless an exemption applies. This rule also applies to individuals holding a student visa as a dependent and wanting to apply for a student visa. Applicants affected by these new rules will need to be outside Australia when they lodge their application and when the visa is granted.
Current Student Guardian Visa holders can lodge a further Student Guardian Visa application while in Australia.
This rule also now applies to the following visa subclasses:
- Short Stay Specialist (subclass 400) Visa
- Training (subclass 407) Visa
- Temporary Activity (subclass 408) Visa
- Working Holiday (subclass 417) Visa
- Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) Visa
- Work and Holiday (subclass 462) Visa
- Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Visa
- Temporary Skills Shortage (subclass 482) Visa
In addition to student visa applicants needing to be offshore when they apply, applications can no longer include a partner or dependent children, unless an exemption applies. Family members cannot be added after the visa has been granted.
Student visa applications that were lodged prior to the new rules coming into effect including those that include family members will continue to be assessed under the rules that were in place when the application was lodged.
Exemptions to the New Student Visa Rules
Current student visa holders in Australia may be able to apply for another student visa in Australia if they:
- need up to 12 more months after their original course end date to complete their studies. They must be continuing to study with the same education provider. If they have a package of courses, the course they need more time to complete must be their main course
- are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence
- are applying to study for a PhD
- are applying to do primary or secondary school studies
- have completed their main course that has an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level and are progressing to a course at a higher AQF level*
- have completed their school studies and are progressing to a course that does not have an AQF level
- have completed a course that does not have an AQF level and they are progressing to a course that does have an AQF level
- cannot continue their course because their education provider has defaulted.
*Note: If an applicant has completed a higher education course, their next course must also be a higher education course delivered by a higher education provider.
The following exemptions apply for including family on student visa applications. If the applicant:
- is studying a PhD
- is sponsored by DFAT or Defence
- is receiving a foreign government scholarship
- is an eligible student from a Pacific country or an ASEAN member country
If the student visa applicant already has family members included in their current student visa and is applying in Australia, they may be able to add them to their next visa application.
Why Have These New Rules Come into Effect?
These reforms have been introduced to reduce visa hopping and strengthen and preserve the integrity of the student visa program.
These reforms will:
- Limit onshore student visa applications
- Remove the ability of most students to bring family members
- Extend transfer restrictions between education providers
- Remove the ability of students to come to Australia for higher education and transfer onshore to VET
The Effects of the New Student Visa Application Rules
While these new rules ensure the integrity of the student visa program, they ultimately limit the number of international students entering Australia. Limiting student visa numbers will have an economic impact on Australia.
Aside from studying in Australia, international students also form a crucial part of Australia’s workforce. Many student visa holders undertake jobs in hospitality, cleaning, warehousing and aged care. These industries are usually prone to labour shortages so reducing the number of international students could further impact the labour supply of these industries.
While the changes to the student visa application rules mark a significant shift for international students, Australia’s economy will also feel the impacts of these changes.
To learn more about the changes to student visas or any other aspect of migration, contact the team of registered migration agents at Visa Solutions Australia.
Book a consultationSources:
- Department of Home Affairs – Changes to student visa application rules (500 and 590)
- Department of Home Affairs – Changes to student visa applications fact sheet (PDF)
- Ministers’ Media Centre – Student visa integrity reforms take effect today
- Australian Financial Review – Industry alarmed over foreign student and backpacker curbs
