From 2 October 2026, most Student visa holders can no longer apply for another Student visa while they are in Australia. Three exemptions still let you lodge a further Student visa application onshore: progressing to a higher-level course, needing up to 12 extra months with the same provider, or your education provider being unable to deliver your course.
Why most onshore Student visa applications are now blocked
The Australian Government changed the Student visa program from 2 October 2026. The new rules limit who can apply for and be granted a Student visa (subclass 500) or Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) while in Australia. The changes aim to reduce misuse of the program and keep it aligned with its main purpose: temporary stays for study. Current Student visas are not affected.
If you already hold a Student visa, you generally cannot apply for another one in Australia unless an exemption applies. The same restriction now extends to most temporary visa holders, including Working Holiday Maker and Skills in Demand visa holders, who must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted.
The three onshore exemptions for a further Student visa
The exemptions below are the ones most relevant to students already holding a Student visa and needing to continue or extend study in Australia.
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| Higher-level course | You have completed the main course covered by your current visa and are progressing to a higher-level course. |
| Extra time | You need up to 12 additional months to complete your studies with the same education provider. |
| Provider default | Your education provider cannot deliver your course (provider default). |
The official guidance also names two other onshore exemptions for Student visa holders: students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence, and students applying to undertake a doctoral degree or primary or secondary school studies.
Changing providers: the Transfer stream is still being developed
If you are considering a change of education provider, further changes are still being developed. A new Transfer stream within the Student visa subclass is intended to be introduced, and Student visa holders who change providers will be required to apply through this stream. The Australian Government is still developing the details, and the rules and start date for the Transfer stream have not yet been announced.
Family members: no additions after grant
For any further Student visa application, you can no longer include family members unless an exemption applies (for example doctoral students, nationals of Pacific and ASEAN countries, fully-funded foreign government scholarship recipients, or DFAT/Defence-sponsored students). You also cannot add family members after a Student visa has been granted, and there are no exemptions to that rule. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 keep being assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged.
Separately, restrictions on Temporary Graduate visa applicants including family members will also be introduced, but the Australian Government has not yet published the details or a start date.
What this means for your plans
If you cannot apply onshore, you can still apply for a Student visa from outside Australia. You must also be outside Australia when that visa is granted.
These points are general. Individual cases are assessed under the latest requirements of the Department of Home Affairs. For advice about your own circumstances, contact a migration agent registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
Sources - Study Australia – Student visa application changes: October 2026 update - Department of Home Affairs – Student Visa Reforms - Study Australia – October 2026 Student visa changes for agents