From October 2, 2026, Australia officially applies a series of changes to regulations on Visa study abroad (Subclass 500). The new changes are especially notable for international students in Australia, temporary visa holders and accompanying family members.
On October 1, 2026, the Australian Government registered 3 new legal documents related to the Student Visa program:
- Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 – F2026L01347
- LIN 26/102 – Migration (Student Visa Applications to Be Made from outside Australia) Instrument 2026 – F2026L01348
- LIN 26/087 – Migration (LIN 20/158: Class of Persons for Student (Temporary) (Class TU) Visa Applications) Amendment Instrument 2026 – F2026L01349
These documents take effect from October 2, 2026 and the amendments apply to Visa applications submitted from this day onwards. Below are 4 main changes that international students and temporary visa holders in Australia need to pay attention to.
1. Currently Holding a Student Visa (Visa 500) and Want to Apply for a New Student Visa: Must Apply from Outside Australia
One of the most notable changes is for people who are holding a Student Visa (Student Visa) and want to continue applying for a new Student Visa as the main applicant. In principle, you must be outside Australia at the time of application. This regulation applies to people who are holding a Student Visa as the main applicant or dependent but want to submit a new application as the main applicant.
Cases allowed to continue applying for Visa 500 in Australia
Some main groups of applicants are exempted from the requirement to be outside Australia, including:
- Defense students
- Foreign Affairs Students
- School students as defined in clause 500.111.
- Doctoral student
- At time of application, enrolled in a course leading to a doctoral degree.
Learners affected by the educational institution’s inability to continue providing the course (Provider Default) may be eligible for an exception if all of the following conditions are met:
- Unable to complete the course due to the educational institution’s inability to continue providing the course (Provider Default).
- Enrolled in the course at the time of Provider Default.
- A new Student Visa is required to complete an alternative or subsequent course.
- Submit your Student Visa application within 12 months from the date of Provider Default.
- Have never submitted a Visa application based on the same Provider Default event before.
Need more time to complete core course. Holders of a Visa 500 may be allowed to apply in Australia if:
- is holding a Student Visa at the time of application.
- Have commenced the main course of study for which the current Visa was granted, or an alternative main course at the same educational institution and not inconsistent with the Visa conditions.
- Haven’t completed the course.
- The course can be completed within 12 months from the completion date shown on the CoE.
Studying for a higher level (Course Progression)
A person holding a Visa 500 may be eligible for studying for a higher level (Course Progression) if all of the following conditions are met:
- Holding a Visa 500 (Student Visa) at the time of application.
- Completed the main course (Principal Course) that the Visa was issued to study, or an alternative main course as prescribed.
- Enrolled in no more than one subsequent course.
- If the completed course is at an AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework) level, the next course must be at a higher AQF level. If the completed course is a Higher Education Course, then the next course must also be a Higher Education Course and taught by a Higher Education Provider.
- If the completed course does not have an AQF level, the next course must have an AQF level, or the person must be a School Student at the time of studying the previous course.
“Principal Course” is the course with the highest AQF level among the courses that Visa 500 is issued to study.
People holding a Dependent Subclass 500 Visa who want to self-submit a Subclass 500 Visa as the main applicant are NOT subject to the above exceptions, so must apply from outside Australia.
Where to receive Visa results: if the applicant must be outside of Australia when submitting (because of the above regulations, or because of ineligibility to submit in Australia), then he or she must also be outside of Australia when the Visa is issued. The remaining cases can be in or outside Australia when the Visa is issued, but must not be undergoing immigration clearance (Immigration Clearance).
2. Holders of Multiple Other Visas Are Not Allowed to Apply for a Student Visa in Australia
LIN 26/102 significantly expands the list of Visas that holders will not be able to apply for a Student Visa in Australia.
New list includes:
| Visa | Visa Type |
|---|---|
| Subclass 400 | Temporary Work – Short Stay Specialist Visa |
| Subclass 403 | Temporary Work – International Relations Visa Relations), Domestic Worker – Diplomatic or Consular category |
| Subclass 407 | Training Visa |
| Subclass 408 | Temporary Activity Visa |
| Subclass 417 | Working Holiday Visa |
| Subclass 457 | Temporary Work – Skilled Visa |
| Subclass 462 | Work and Holiday Visa |
| Subclass 482 | Skills in Demand Visa |
| Subclass 482 | Temporary Skill Shortage Visa |
| Subclass 485 | Temporary Graduate Visa |
| Subclass 600 | Visitor Visa |
| Subclass 601 | Electronic Travel Authority (Electronic Travel Authority) |
| Subclass 602 | Medical Treatment Visa |
| Subclass 651 | eVisitor Electronic Travel Visa (eVisitor) |
| Subclass 771 | Transit Visa |
| Subclass 988 | Maritime Crew Visa |
| Subclass 995 | Temporary Diplomatic Visa (Diplomatic – Temporary), in case it meets the prescribed criteria |
LIN 26/102 replaces and repeals the previous document Migration (Visas that Preclude a Person from Lodging a Student Visa Application in Australia) Instrument 2026.
This means that people holding one of the above Visa types need to specifically check the conditions before planning to switch to a Student Visa in Australia.
For example, cases holding:
- Visitor Visa;
- Temporary Graduate Visa;
- Working Holiday Visa;
- Training Visa;
- Temporary Activity Visa;
- Some types of Work Visa.;
cannot simply stay in Australia and apply for a Student Visa as before. According to LIN 26/102, they must make their application from outside Australia.
Some special cases related to Student Visa 500 being canceled
The new regulations also add a case for people who no longer hold a Substantive Visa but their most recent Substantive Visa is a Student Visa and this Visa has been canceled.
This person may be eligible to apply if they meet all of the following conditions:
- Not holding a Substantive Visa.
- The most recent Substantive Visa is the Student Visa and this Visa has been canceled.
- The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) has made a decision regarding Visa cancellation according to regulations.
- The decision of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (ART) was made after the previous Visa had expired.
- New application submitted within 28 days from the time it is considered to have received notice of ART’s decision.
- Previously, the applicant has never been granted a Visa based on an application submitted during the Substantive Visa period.
3. New Regulations Restricting Bringing Dependents Along with a Student Visa
From October 2, 2026, applying for a Student Visa as a Secondary Applicant, that is, a Dependent, is limited to a number of specific cases.
The primary applicant belongs to a special group
Dependents may be eligible to apply for a Visa if the Primary Applicant belongs to one of the following groups:
- Australian Defense Student;
- Australian Foreign Affairs Student;
- Passport holder of a Pacific-regional Country or country specified in regulation 1222(5A) (Subregulation 1222(5A)).
The student’s family is sponsored by a foreign government
Dependents of the student who is studying one or more courses whose entire program of study is fully funded by a foreign government (Fully Funded by a Foreign Government) are also in the prescribed group.
Family of PhD student
Dependents of the Primary Applicant who are enrolled in a course leading to a Doctoral Degree are also in the permitted group.
Some protected transition cases
The new regulations also have transitional arrangements for certain family members in Australia, including:
- Dependents who are in Australia and held the main applicant’s Subclass 500 as a Dependent Visa on 2 October 2026.
- The dependent has submitted the application before October 2, 2026 and the application will be granted a Visa from October 2, 2026 onwards.
- Child born in Australia (Child Born in Australia) from October 2, 2026 in case the visa conditions of the father or mother are met.
- The dependent is holding a 500 Visa (Student Visa) and the main applicant is affected by the educational institution being unable to continue to provide the course (Provider Default).
- The dependent is holding a 500 Visa (Student Visa) and the main applicant needs more time to complete the main course (Principal Course) under the conditions of the new regulations.
These transition cases have specific conditions and should not be interpreted as automatically allowing all family members in Australia to continue applying for a Subclass 500 as a Dependent visa.
4. Supplements and adjustments to some technical regulations
In addition to direct changes related to the place of application and dependents, the new regulatory system also supplements and adjusts a number of concepts, definitions and technical regulations.
Definition of the case where the educational institution cannot continue to provide the course (Provider Default)
Provider Default is determined when one of the following cases occurs:
- The course does not start on the agreed date;
- The course started but stopped being offered before the student completed it;
- The course is not fully available to students.
This definition also includes cases where the educational institution is subject to Sanction, Suspension or Cancellation of Registration under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000.
Supplements and clarifies some definitions
New documents supplement or clarify a number of concepts related to the Study Abroad Visa, including:
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF);
- Course or program of study (Course of Study);
- Main Course (Principal Course);
- Higher Education Course;
- Higher Education Provider;
- School Student;
- Visa application fee (Visa Application Charge – VAC).
In particular, the main course (Principal Course) is determined to be the course with the highest AQF level among the courses that Visa 500 is granted to study.
Changes related to Visa application fees
Some old regulations related to visa application fee exemption (Nil Visa Application Charge – Nil VAC) during the COVID-19 period are also abolished. These are mechanisms established in the context of the pandemic and are no longer maintained under the new regulatory system.
What should international students and temporary visa holders keep in mind?
Changes effective from October 2, 2026 make switching to or continuing to apply for a Student Visa in Australia subject to closer examination, especially for:
- People holding a Student Visa Subclass 500 and want to apply for a new 500 Visa;
- People holding a Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485) and planning to switch to a Student Visa;
- People holding Tourist Visa 600 (Visitor Visa Subclass 600) and want to switch to Student Visa;
- People holding Working Holiday Visa 417/462 (Working Holiday Visa / Work and Holiday Visa) and want to switch to study abroad;
- People holding Work Visa, Training Visa or Temporary Activity Visa and planning to apply for a Student Visa;
- The international student’s family is planning to accompany or apply for a Student Visa as a Dependent.
Most importantly, do not assume that just being in Australia can continue to apply for a Student Visa in Australia. From October 2, 2026, current Visa type, applicant status, course being studied and Visa History may affect where and how to apply.
Student Visa Reform from October 2, 2026
New regulations focus on better defining:
- Who is allowed to apply for a Student Visa while in Australia;
- Who must apply from outside Australia;
- In what cases is a family member allowed to accompany or apply for a Dependent Visa?
In particular, people holding Visas 500, 485, 600, 417, 462, 407, 408, 482 and temporary residence visas on the new list need to check the specific regulations before making changes or applying for a Student Visa.
The above regulations are issued through F2026L01347, F2026L01348 and F2026L01349, registered on the Australian Federal Register of Legislation on October 1, 2026 and applicable from October 2, 2026
Source: Federal Register of Legislation – Australian Government.
