06/10/2026
🚨 IMPORTANT AUSTRALIAN STUDENT VISA UPDATE 🇦🇺
Changes to Student Visa Application Rules – Subclass 500 & Student Guardian Visa 590
Effective from 2 October 2026, significant changes apply to Student visa (subclass 500) and Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) applications.
These changes affect where you can lodge a Student visa application, whether you can apply for another Student visa while in Australia, and whether family members can be included in your application.
📌 1. STAYING LONGER IN AUSTRALIA
If you are currently holding a Student visa and want to lodge another Student visa application in Australia:
⚠️ Most Student visa holders can no longer apply for a further Student visa while in Australia.
You can only apply in Australia if you:
✅ Hold an eligible visa; and
✅ Meet an applicable exemption category.
If you do not meet an exemption, you will need to apply for your next Student visa from outside Australia.
📌 Important: Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 will continue to be assessed under the rules that applied when the application was lodged, including applications that included family members.
🎓 If your Student visa expires before graduation
Depending on your circumstances, you may have other visa options.
🔹 Visitor visa (subclass 600) – If your Student visa expires before you complete your studies, you may be eligible to apply for a Visitor visa. You will generally need a letter from your education provider confirming your graduation date.
🔹 Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – If you hold or previously held a Student visa and completed an eligible qualification in Australia within the last six months, you may be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa.
🔹 If you want to remain in Australia for another reason, you must consider a visa that is appropriate for your circumstances.
👨👩👧 2. CHANGES TO INCLUDING FAMILY MEMBERS
From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applicants can no longer include family members in their Student visa application.
This also applies to people applying for a further Student visa.
❌ Family members generally cannot be included unless you meet an applicable exemption category.
❌ Family members also cannot apply as a subsequent entrant at a later time.
For Student visa purposes, family members generally include:
👫 Your partner
👶 Your or your partner's dependent child who is unmarried and under 18 years of age.
⚠️ A Student visa cannot be granted to a child who has turned 18 years of age at the time the visa is finalised. They will need to apply for their own visa.
👶 Newborn children
Different arrangements may apply if a child is born while you hold a Student visa or while your Student visa application is being processed.
🇦🇺 Child born in Australia: The child automatically holds the same visa as their parent.
Other arrangements may apply depending on whether the child is born in Australia or overseas and whether the parent's Student visa application is still being processed.
Family members must also meet applicable health and character requirements.
🌏 3. MOST STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS MUST BE LODGED OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA
From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia.
You can only apply in Australia if you:
✅ Hold an eligible visa; and
✅ Meet an applicable exemption.
If you do not meet the requirements to apply in Australia, you must lodge your application from outside Australia and be outside Australia when the visa is granted.
👉 See the official Student Visa (subclass 500) eligibility requirements for the current exemption categories.
📚 4. PACKAGED COURSES
Students applying with a package of courses must provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each course.
The final course in the package is considered the student's main course of study and is used to determine certain financial and English-language evidence requirements.
📌 Course gaps generally need to be less than two calendar months, unless the first course finishes at the end of the standard academic year and the next course starts at the beginning of the following academic year.
For example, a gap of three to four months may be acceptable when the first course finishes at the end of the academic year and the next course starts at the beginning of the following academic year.
⚠️ If you are a Student visa holder who qualifies for an exemption to lodge a further Student visa in Australia, there are also restrictions on packaging courses, except in specific circumstances such as:
• Primary or secondary school studies; or
• Applying for a further visa because your education provider has defaulted.
⚠️ WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CURRENT STUDENTS?
If you are currently studying in Australia, do not wait until your Student visa is close to expiry before checking your options.
Your options may depend on:
✔️ Your current visa
✔️ Your course and study progression
✔️ Your visa expiry date
✔️ Whether you qualify for an exemption
✔️ Your family circumstances
✔️ Your intended future course
✔️ Your eligibility for another visa pathway
🎓 Need assistance with your Student Visa?
AI Global Education & Migration can assist with:
✅ Student visa applications
✅ Student visa extensions
✅ Onshore and offshore visa assessment
✅ Course and study pathway planning
✅ Genuine Student (GS) preparation
✅ CoE and admission assistance
✅ Family/dependent visa considerations
✅ Temporary Graduate visa pathways
✅ Other visa and migration options
📞 +61 469 807 451
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.theaiglobal.com.au
📍 Level 7/276 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
👉 Contact AI Global Education & Migration for an individual assessment before making your next study or visa decision.
📌 Official source: Australian Department of Home Affairs – Changes to Student Visa Application Rules
This information is based on the Australian Department of Home Affairs information regarding changes effective from 2 October 2026. Visa eligibility and exemptions depend on individual circumstances. Always check the latest official requirements before lodging an application.
