3 Key Changes to Student Visa Rules 2026

For two weeks, everyone has been asking the same question: are the Student visa changes real yet?

The answer is yes. The changes announced in September became law on 2 October 2026, and they are now in force.

The main change is made by a regulation called the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026, supported by three further legal instruments published on the Federal Register of Legislation.

That detail matters, because for two weeks, social media has been full of guesses.

Now there is an actual law, with actual words in it.

We have read all of them, and this is what they say in plain English.

From 2 October 2026, Australia’s new Student visa rules restrict most applicants from including family members, limit who can apply for a Student visa from inside Australia, and change when students can transfer to another education provider. Exemptions apply in some situations. 

Important: Your current Student visa is not affected by these changes. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 will also continue to be assessed under the rules that applied when they were lodged.

From 2 October 2026, most new Student visa applications can no longer include family members, such as a partner or dependent child, unless they fall within an exemption category.

In visa terms, these family members are known as secondary applicants. Previously, eligible family members could generally be included as part of the student’s visa application.

Who is exempt from the new family member rules?

You can still include your partner and children if you:

• are studying a PhD

• are sponsored by DFAT or Defence

• hold a foreign government scholarship

• are an eligible student from a Pacific country or an ASEAN member country.

There is also protection for families who are already here together. 

If your family members are already included in your current Student visa, they can generally be included again when you apply for your next Student visa in Australia.

One practical detail from the new rules: the student and the family members must be in the same location when the application is lodged.

One part of the change is also stricter than everything else. A current Student visa holder can no longer add family members after the visa has been granted.

That process, called a subsequent entrant application, has closed, and the Department’s own fact sheet says there are no exemptions to this rule.

If your partner or children were planning to join you later on your current visa, get advice now, because that pathway has changed. 

The new rules also change where you apply from. From 2 October, most people who hold a temporary visa in Australia can no longer lodge a Student visa application while they are in the country. The list of affected visas is long.

Affected visas include:

• visitor visas

• working holiday visas

• most temporary work visas, including the 482 Skills in Demand Visa

• and the 485 Graduate Visa.

For students already in Australia on a Student visa: 

They can still apply for their next Student visa onshore in defined situations: 

• when you need up to 12 more months to finish your current course with the same provider

• when you are moving up to a higher-level qualification

• when you are starting a PhD

• when you are at school, or when your education provider has closed. 

Outside situations like these, the application now has to be made from outside Australia. 

In simple terms: the days of arriving on one visa and switching to a Student visa from inside Australia are mostly over. Study plans now need to be made before you travel, not after.

The rules for changing education providers have also changed under an update to the National Code, which sets the requirements registered education providers must follow. While the rules apply to education providers, they directly affect students because they determine when you can transfer to a new provider.

From now until 30 June 2027, you generally need to complete at least 12 months of your main course before a new provider can enrol you as a transferring student.

From 1 July 2027: This will reduce to six months. For school students, the six-month requirement remains unchanged.

Previously, the restricted transfer period was six months. This means students wanting to change providers before 1 July 2027 will face a longer 12-month restriction period.

Can you transfer before completing 12 months with your provider?

If you have not reached the twelve-month mark, a transfer is still possible, but only in specific situations.

These include when:

• Your current provider formally agrees to release you and records the release, with the date and the reason, in PRISMS, the government's enrolment system. A friendly email from your provider is not enough. The release has to be in the system, because that is what your new provider must check before enrolling you.

• Your provider or your course has lost its registration (which is what happened to students in the cancelled Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning)).

• A government sanction stops you from continuing your course, or your government sponsor supports the move in writing.

If you are thinking about transferring, remember these two things:

1. Start with your current provider. Follow their formal transfer-request process and ask for the release in writing. Every provider is required to have a documented policy for assessing these requests.

2. Think about your visa before committing to a new course. If the course you are moving to would need a new Student visa, for example because the level of study changes, the new application rules in this article apply to that visa application too. A transfer decision and a visa decision are now more connected than they used to be. 

Three important things stayed the same: 

• Your current visa is not affected; these rules are about new applications. 

• Applications lodged before 2 October 2026, including applications with family members, will be assessed under the rules that applied when they were lodged. 

• And the Student visa itself did not change this week: the course requirements, the financial requirements and the fees are the same as they were in September. 

485 Graduate Visa: no change yet

So far, nothing has changed for the 485 Graduate Visa itself. Who can apply, the ability to include your partner and children, the visa length, and the age limit are all the same today as they were last month.

Many readers will remember that the September speech also mentioned extending the family-member restriction to the 485 Graduate Visa. So we checked every instrument published this week, specifically for the 485.

The idea of restricting family members on the 485 is still only a statement of intention. There is no law behind it and no start date.

If the law on 485 family members ever changes, there will be an instrument, and we will tell you about it the day it appears.

What you need to do depends on your situation:

• If you lodged before 2 October: your application is assessed under the old rules. You do not need to do anything. 

• If you were planning to include your partner or children in a new Student visa application: check the exemptions above before you pay for anything, and get advice if your situation is not clearly covered. 

• If you are in Australia on a visitor, working holiday, work or 485 visa and planning to study: your Student visa application will now likely need to be lodged from outside Australia. Build that into your course dates and travel plans. 

• If you are thinking of changing education providers: check with your education provider about their transfer policy before you apply anywhere new.

Rules that arrive this quickly are easier on people who plan than on people who guess. If any of this touches your situation, get advice that is based on the law, from someone who has read it.

 _{This article is general information, current as of 2 October 2026. It is not immigration advice for your circumstances. The new rules include detailed definitions and exemptions; speak to a registered professional about your own situation before acting.}

These changes can feel worrying, especially when your visa, studies and plans for your family in Australia are connected. With the new rules now in effect, making the wrong move could affect your next visa application, your course plans or whether your family can be included.

You don't have to figure it out alone. Book a consultation with a Registered Migration Agent at Bravo Migration, IDP's onshore migration provider, to understand how the new rules apply to your situation before making your next move.

What are the new Student visa rules in Australia from 2 October 2026?

From 2 October 2026, new rules restrict most applicants from including family members in Student visa applications, limit who can apply for a Student visa from inside Australia, and change when students can transfer education providers. Some exemptions apply.

Can you still include family members in Student visa applications in Australia from 2 October 2026?

Most new Student visa applicants can no longer include their partner or dependent children unless an exemption applies.

Exemptions include certain PhD students, DFAT or Defence-sponsored students, foreign government scholarship recipients, and eligible students from Pacific countries or ASEAN member countries.

What changed in the Student visa secondary applicant rules?

Partners and dependent children are considered secondary applicants. From 2 October 2026, most new Student visa applicants can no longer include secondary applicants unless an exemption applies.

Current Student visa holders also cannot add family members as subsequent entrants after their visa has been granted. There are no exemptions to this rule.

Can my partner or children join me after my Student visa has been granted?

No. Current Student visa holders can no longer add family members through a subsequent entrant application after their Student visa has been granted. There are no exemptions to this rule.

If your family planned to join you later, book a consultation with a Registered Migration Agent at Bravo Migration to understand what the change means for your circumstances.

Can I apply for a Student visa while I am already in Australia on a temporary visa?

Most people holding affected temporary visas can no longer lodge a Student visa application from inside Australia. This includes people on visitor visas, Working Holiday visas, most temporary work visas and the 485 Graduate Visa.

Current Student visa holders may still be able to apply onshore in defined situations.

Which temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa onshore?

The affected visas include visitor visas, Working Holiday visas, most temporary work visas including the 482 Skills in Demand Visa, and the 485 Graduate Visa.

If you currently hold a temporary visa and plan to study, speak with a Registered Migration Agent at Bravo Migration to check how the new rules apply to your visa and circumstances.

Can I switch from a Working Holiday visa to a Student visa while in Australia?

Working Holiday visas are among the temporary visas affected by the new restriction. This means you cannot remain in Australia and lodge a Student visa application while holding an affected Working Holiday visa.

Can current Student visa holders apply for another Student visa in Australia?

Yes, in defined situations. This can include needing up to 12 more months to finish your current course with the same provider, progressing to a higher-level qualification, starting a PhD, studying at school, or being unable to continue because your education provider has closed.

The exemptions are detailed, so speak with a Registered Migration Agent at Bravo Migration if you are unsure whether you can apply onshore.

Do I have to leave Australia to apply for a Student visa under the new rules?

If the new rules prevent you from applying in Australia, you need to be outside Australia when you lodge your Student visa application and when the visa is granted.

Whether this applies to you depends on your current visa and circumstances. Consider getting migration advice before making travel or study plans.

What are the new rules for transferring education providers in Australia?

Until 30 June 2027, a new provider generally cannot enrol you as a transferring student until you have completed at least 12 months of your main course with your current provider. From 1 July 2027, this period drops to six months.

There are specific situations where a transfer may still be possible earlier.

Can I change education providers before completing 12 months of study?

A transfer may still be possible in specific situations. One is when your current provider formally agrees to release you and records the release in PRISMS.

Other situations include your provider or course losing its registration, a government sanction preventing you from continuing, or your government sponsor supporting the transfer in writing.

What happens if I applied for a Student visa before 2 October 2026?

Student visa applications lodged before 2 October 2026 will be assessed under the rules that applied when they were lodged. This includes applications that included family members.

Do the new Student visa rules affect my current Student visa?

No. The changes do not affect your current Student visa. They apply to new applications and the situations covered by the new rules.

Have the 485 Graduate Visa rules in Australia changed?

As of 2 October 2026, there are no new changes to the 485 Graduate Visa. The proposed restriction on including family members has not become law, and there is currently no start date.

If the rules change in the future, we will update this article with the latest information.