Most Australian Student Visa Applications Must Now Be Lodged Offshore

What happened

From 2 October 2026, most people in Australia on a temporary visa can no longer apply for a Student visa (subclass 500) while they are in the country. The government says the aim is to stop “visa hopping”, where people move from one temporary visa to the next without leaving. Assistant Minister Julian Hill announced the change on 2 October.

The rules are set by the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 and by a separate instrument that lists the visas whose holders must apply offshore (F2026L01348).

Who is affected

Holders of these visas cannot apply for a Student visa in Australia: subclass 400, 403 (Domestic Worker, Diplomatic or Consular stream), 407, 408, 417 (Working Holiday), 457, 462 (Work and Holiday), 482 (Skills in Demand and the older Temporary Skill Shortage), 485 (Temporary Graduate), 600 (Visitor), 601 (ETA), 602, 651 (eVisitor), 771, 988 and some 995 holders.

Current Student visa holders must also apply from outside Australia, unless an exemption applies. This includes people who hold a Student visa as a family member and now want their own. Home Affairs lists these exemptions:

• you need up to 12 more months after your original course end date to finish, with the same provider
• you are sponsored by DFAT or Defence
• you are applying to study a PhD
• you are applying for primary or secondary school study
• you have finished your main course and are moving to a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level. After a higher education course, the next course must also be higher education
• your provider has defaulted and you cannot continue your course.

If the rules require you to apply from outside Australia, you must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) holders can still lodge a further 590 application onshore.

What it means for your move

Changing course in Australia is now harder. A working holiday maker or graduate visa holder who wanted to study their way to a skilled visa will need to leave Australia, apply, and wait offshore for the grant. Students who want to switch to a course at the same or a lower level will generally need to apply from overseas too. Your current visa is not affected.

What to do now

• Check your current visa against the list above before you enrol in a new course.
• If you are a student, work out now whether your next course moves up the AQF scale.
• Budget for travel and time outside Australia while your application is decided.
• Speak to a registered migration agent if your visa expires soon or you are unsure whether an exemption applies.

See our October 2026 student visa changes guide and the working holiday visa guide.

What happens next

A new Student visa transfer stream for students who change providers starts on 1 July 2027. Until then, a 12-month transfer restriction applies. Both instruments are disallowable, so Parliament can still move against them. Follow the Australia hub and updates page for changes.