Information checked on 10 October 2026. General information only, not migration advice.
At Sydney School of Business and Technology (SSBT), many of our students are planning their next course or their next visa. This guide explains the October 2026 Student visa changes in plain English, so you know what to check before you make a plan.
What has changed
From 2 October 2026, new rules apply to Student visa (subclass 500) applications. They affect three areas:
- Further Student visa applications, when you already hold a Student visa.
- Application location, meaning where you are when you apply and when the visa is granted.
- Family inclusion, meaning whether a partner or children can join your application.
Onshore means in Australia. Offshore means outside Australia.
If the new rules mean you cannot apply onshore, you need to be outside Australia when you lodge your application and also when the visa is granted.
Some limits on applying in Australia already applied to certain visa holders before this date. The new rules extend and replace them.
Who may be affected
- Current Student visa holders who want to apply for another Student visa.
- Holders of certain temporary visas who want to study, such as Working Holiday, Visitor and Temporary Graduate visa holders.
- Applicants who want to include a partner or dependent children.
Holding a temporary visa? Check the affected visa categories and planning steps.
If you hold a Student visa now
Your current Student visa is not affected. The new rules apply when you make a future application.
To get another Student visa, you will generally need to apply from outside Australia unless an exemption applies. Exemptions cover, for example, some students who need more time to finish their main course, some who are moving to a higher level course, and students whose provider stopped delivering their course. Each has conditions.
Need more time to finish, or planning another qualification? Read our guide to the exemptions.
Family members
Separate rules apply to family members.
Most Student visa applicants can no longer include a partner or dependent children. Exemptions exist for some groups, including doctoral (PhD) students, students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence, students with a fully funded foreign government scholarship, and eligible students from Pacific or ASEAN countries.
If your family members were already included in your visa or application before 2 October 2026, they may be included in a new application made in Australia, but only if you are eligible to apply in Australia. Family members cannot be added after a Student visa is granted. Home Affairs states there are no exemptions to this rule.
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged, including those that included family members.
Before you lodge a new application, check whether you can apply in Australia. Home Affairs advises that a decision that an application is invalid cannot be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal.
Your checklist
- Your current visa subclass and expiry date.
- Your principal course, which is the highest AQF level course in your visa. AQF means the Australian Qualifications Framework, the national system of qualification levels.
- The dates on your CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment), the document your provider issues for each course.
- The next qualification you are considering.
- Your family circumstances.
- Individual advice from a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.
Talk to us
Not sure where your studies are up to? SSBT’s student support team can help you check your course dates and plan your next qualification. Contact 02 9249 7800 or info@ssbt.edu.au or visit ssbt.edu.au.
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs, Changes to Student visa applications factsheet: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Department of Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500) page: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01347)
- Migration (Student Visa Applications to Be Made from outside Australia) Instrument 2026, LIN 26/102 (F2026L01348)
- Exemptions amendment instrument, LIN 26/087 (F2026L01349)
Legislation is published on the Federal Register of Legislation at legislation.gov.au.
This article is general information, checked on 10 October 2026. It is not migration or legal advice. Rules can change, so check the official sources above before you act. For advice about your own situation, speak to a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.
Sydney School of Business and Technology (SSBT) · ssbt.edu.au · info@ssbt.edu.au · 02 9249 7800
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