Australia Student Visa Changes in October 2026

What the new rules mean for students and families

Updated 7 October 2026

From 2 October 2026, Australia introduced new rules for Student visa applications. They mainly affect people applying from within Australia and students who want to include a partner or children. A related change also makes transferring between education providers more restricted. [1, 6]

You can still apply to study in Australia if you meet the requirements. Before choosing your next course or making family travel plans, check how the changes affect your situation.

Your current Student visa is not changed by these reforms

If you already hold a valid Student visa, these changes do not cancel it or change its existing conditions. Continue following your visa conditions and attending your course. The new rules matter when you apply for another visa or plan to bring family members. [2]

Many applicants now need to apply from outside Australia

Most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa while they are in Australia. The restrictions now include Working Holiday and Skills in Demand visa holders. Current Student visa holders also generally need to apply from outside Australia unless an exemption applies. [2]

If the rules require you to apply from outside Australia, you must also be outside Australia when the new visa is granted. An application made outside Australia does not provide a Bridging visa to let you stay in Australia while you wait. [3]

Someone currently included as a dependant on a Student visa who wants to become the main student applicant must also apply from outside Australia and be outside when the visa is granted. There are no exemptions to that rule. [2]

The changes also affect some Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) applications. Current Student Guardian visa holders can still apply for another Student Guardian visa while in Australia. [2]

Some current students may still apply within Australia

An exemption may apply if you are the main Student visa holder and:

Need up to 12 additional months after your original course end date to finish your studies with the same provider. For a package of courses, this must relate to your main course.

Have completed your main qualification and are moving to a course at a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level.

Have completed your main course without an AQF level, such as English, and are progressing to a course with an AQF level.

Have completed school studies and are progressing to a course without an AQF level.

Are applying for doctoral studies, such as a PhD, or primary or secondary school studies.

Are sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Defence.

Cannot complete your course because your education provider cannot deliver it, known as provider default.

The AQF is the system that ranks Australian qualifications. To use the progression exemption after completing a higher education course, your next course must also be higher education, at a higher AQF level, and delivered by a higher education provider. Each exemption has conditions; meeting one does not guarantee visa approval. [2, 4]

For example: finishing English and progressing to a diploma may qualify if English was the main course covered by your visa. Completing a diploma and enrolling in another diploma at the same level does not meet the higher-level progression requirement. Another exemption would need to apply for an application within Australia. [4]

Bringing your partner or children is more restricted

For new Student visa applications, including applications for another Student visa, most students can no longer include a partner or dependent children unless an exemption applies. This affects applications made from Paraguay as well as those made from within Australia. [5]

Exceptions may allow family members to be included when the student is:

Enrolled in doctoral studies, such as a PhD.

Sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Defence.

Enrolled in studies fully funded by a foreign government.

An eligible passport holder from a specified Pacific or ASEAN country.

Paraguay is not covered by the Pacific or ASEAN exception. Studying a master's degree, by itself, also does not provide an exemption. [4, 5]

You can no longer add a partner or children later as dependants after your Student visa has been granted. Home Affairs states there are no exemptions to this later-entry rule. If you qualify to include family members, plan to include them when you apply. [5]

There are arrangements for some families already in Australia. If the same family members were included in your visa or application before 2 October 2026 and you are eligible to apply for another Student visa within Australia, you may be able to include them again. Under this arrangement, you and the included family members must be in Australia when you apply. Check the conditions before making plans. [5, 7]

Applications submitted before 2 October follow the earlier rules

Student visa applications submitted before 2 October 2026 continue to be assessed under the rules that applied when they were submitted. This includes applications that already included family members. The application date matters, rather than the date you paid a course deposit or received an offer. [3]

Changing colleges now has a longer restriction period

From 2 October 2026 until 30 June 2027, the usual restriction on transfers between education providers has increased from six to twelve months of your main course for students outside the school sector. This refers to study completed in that course, rather than time since your arrival in Australia. [6]

This can affect students who have already completed six months but have not yet completed twelve. Earlier transfers may still be possible through an approved release or another permitted exception. School students retain the six-month restriction for their first registered school course. Check with your provider before accepting a transfer offer. [6]

The twelve-month period is temporary and is scheduled to return to six months from 1 July 2027. Separately, the government is developing a new Student visa transfer process for 2027. That future visa process is not in operation yet. [5, 6]

What this means if you are applying from Paraguay

Studying in Australia remains an option. If you are applying from Paraguay, the new restrictions on applying from within Australia do not prevent you from submitting your application from overseas. However, the family rules still matter, and your choice of course will affect your options for further study later. [1, 5]

Choose a course that suits your education and career goals, and plan your budget and family arrangements around the current rules.

Plan your next steps with EduWork

EduWork can help you compare courses, understand enrolment requirements and organise your study plans. If your situation requires personal migration advice, consult a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.

To get started, send us your current location, visa type and expiry date if you are already in Australia, the course you are studying or considering, and whether you intend to travel with a partner or children.

Contact EduWork before committing to a new course or family travel arrangements, so you can plan with clear information.

General information checked on 7 October 2026. Individual eligibility depends on your circumstances and the applicable requirements. This article does not replace personal migration advice.