Australia Bars Most Onshore Student Visa Applications From 2 October

Australia tightened its student visa rules on 2 October 2026, shutting off in-country applications for most temporary visa holders and restricting who can bring family members. The changes affect anyone planning to study in Australia as well as partners and dependants they hoped to travel with.

Key facts

• New student visa restrictions commenced 2 October 2026.
• Most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a student visa while in Australia, subject to specified exemptions.
• Most new student visa applicants cannot include family members; exemptions cover certain groups.
• Family members generally cannot be added once a student visa has been granted.
• A transfer stream for students changing education providers is in development, with details not yet finalised.

What is changing?

The Australian Government has barred most temporary visa holders from applying for a student visa while they are inside the country, though specified exemptions apply. The announcement does not itemise those exemptions.

The Government is also developing a new student visa transfer stream for students who change education providers. Its detailed arrangements have not yet been finalised.

Who can still include family members?

Most new student visa applicants are prevented from including family members in their application. Exemptions exist for certain groups, including doctoral students and eligible government-sponsored applicants. Beyond that, family members generally cannot be added after a student visa has been granted, so the timing of an application matters.

What is the Opposition proposing?

Four days after the reforms began, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced Coalition migration proposals that would cut net overseas migration to 100,000 a year for two years, cap international student commencements at 240,000 and largely abolish Temporary Graduate visas.

These are opposition proposals and not government policy. Current rules and political proposals should not be treated as the same thing.

What else is happening in the sector?

In July, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) warned education providers about arrangements that could get around the ban on commissions for onshore student transfers.

What this means for travellers

Temporary visa holders who planned to switch to a student visa after arriving in Australia need to check whether an exemption applies before making plans. Families and couples intending to travel together should confirm early whether the applicant falls within an exempt group, since family members generally cannot be added after the visa is granted.

No final details have been published for the student visa transfer stream. Applicants changing education providers will need to wait for those arrangements to be confirmed.