Australia tightens student visa rules, narrowing pathways for course changes and family entry

​Canberra, Australia, October 5, 2026 — Australia has introduced stricter rules for international students, making it more difficult for many temporary visa holders to apply for a student visa from within the country and narrowing some pathways for changing courses, extending stays and bringing family members.

The new rules, which came into effect on October 2, require most temporary visa holders seeking a student visa while in Australia to apply from outside the country. In most cases, applicants must also remain outside Australia when the visa is granted.

The same requirement generally applies to people already holding a student visa who want to apply for another student visa. As a result, many students who change their level or study plans after arriving in Australia can no longer simply remain in the country and apply for another student visa.

Exceptions apply to some students, including those who need an additional 12 months to complete their studies, PhD students, students sponsored by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or defence organisations, school students and certain other special cases. Some students affected by problems with their education provider or institutional circumstances that disrupt their studies may also qualify for exemptions.

The changes also affect students planning to bring family members to Australia.

In most cases, students can no longer include a spouse, partner or dependent child in a new student visa application, and the previous pathway of bringing family members later as subsequent entrants has been removed. Exceptions include PhD students, students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or defence organisations, recipients of foreign government scholarships, and eligible students from Pacific and ASEAN countries.

Some students whose family members are already in Australia may still be able to include them in another student visa application, depending on their circumstances. However, the new rules close the usual pathway of adding family members later through a separate application.