Australia Student Visa Onshore Application Rules from 2 Oct 2026

From 2 October 2026, most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for an Australia student visa onshore, the Department of Home Affairs has confirmed. People who cannot apply in Australia must lodge their Student visa (subclass 500) or Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) application from outside the country, and be outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Key facts

• New rules apply from 2 October 2026.
• Most temporary visa holders in Australia can no longer lodge a Student or Student Guardian visa application while in Australia, Home Affairs says.
• Current Student visa holders can reapply onshore only in listed cases, such as needing up to 12 more months to finish with the same provider, or moving to a higher AQF level course.
• The supporting instrument, the Migration (Student Visa Applications to Be Made from outside Australia) Instrument 2026, was registered on 1 October 2026.
• A separate change to the National Code on student transfers was also registered on 1 October 2026.

What changed

Until now, many people already in Australia on a temporary visa could apply for a new Student visa without leaving. Home Affairs says that, from 2 October 2026, most temporary visa holders can no longer do this unless an exemption applies.

The government says the aim is to stop visa hopping, where people move from course to course to extend their stay. At the National Press Club on 17 September, Minister Tony Burke said: “You can go up the qualification scale, but only up the qualification scale.”

According to the Home Affairs factsheet, a current Student visa holder can still apply in Australia if they:

• need up to 12 more months after their original course end date to finish with the same provider
• are sponsored by DFAT or Defence
• are applying for PhD study
• are applying for primary or secondary school study
• are moving to a higher AQF level course (higher education to higher education)
• are moving from school to a non-AQF course, or from a non-AQF course to an AQF course
• cannot continue because their education provider has defaulted

Who is affected by the Australia student visa onshore rules

The change affects current Student visa holders who wanted to start a new course at the same or a lower level, and people on other temporary visas who planned to switch to a Student visa inside Australia.

The new instrument lists 16 visa types whose holders must apply for a Student visa from outside Australia. They include the Visitor visa (subclass 600), the Electronic Travel Authority (601), eVisitor (651), Temporary Graduate (485), Working Holiday (417), Work and Holiday (462), Training (407), Temporary Activity (408), Skills in Demand or Temporary Skill Shortage (482), Temporary Work (Skilled) (457), Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) (400), Temporary Work (International Relations) (403), Medical Treatment (602), Transit (771), Maritime Crew (988) and Diplomatic (Temporary) (995).

What it means for Nepali and Indian students

Some Nepali and Indian students finish a bachelor’s or master’s degree and then enrol in a vocational (VET) course to stay longer in Australia. Under the new Australia student visa onshore rules, moving down the qualification scale no longer allows an application in Australia.

Students moving up, for example from a bachelor’s to a master’s degree, can still apply onshore according to the factsheet.

Course transfers have also tightened. Under the National Code amendment registered on 1 October 2026, students outside the school sector must now complete at least 12 months of their principal course before another provider can enrol them, unless an exception applies. The 12-month rule runs until 30 June 2027; from 1 July 2027 it returns to 6 months. Exceptions include your provider or course losing registration, your provider agreeing to release you and recording it in PRISMS, or a government sponsor supporting the move in writing.

What to do now

1. Read the Home Affairs factsheet and check if your next course is at a higher AQF level than your current one.
2. If you need more time for your current course, check whether you are within the 12-month extension rule with the same provider.
3. Before changing provider, ask your current provider in writing how the transfer restriction applies to you.
4. If you hold a visitor, 485, working holiday or 482 visa and want to study, plan to apply from outside Australia.
5. Keep your current visa valid while you plan. See our Australia student visa checklist for Nepal.

What we don’t know yet

• Whether a 28-day onshore option after visa expiry has ended. Migration Alliance reported this, but we could not confirm it on an official page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make an Australia student visa onshore application after my master’s degree?

Only if your new course fits an exemption, such as a higher AQF level course or a PhD. A move to a lower level course generally means you must apply from outside Australia.

I am on a visitor visa in Australia. Can I switch to a student visa?

No. The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is on the list of visas whose holders must apply from outside Australia.

Does this affect applications already lodged?

Home Affairs says applications lodged before the new rules started will be assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged.

Sources

• Changes to Student visa application rules (subclasses 500 & 590) – Department of Home Affairs
• Changes to Student visa application rules factsheet – Department of Home Affairs
• Migration (Student Visa Applications to Be Made from outside Australia) Instrument 2026 – Federal Register of Legislation
• National Code Amendment (Overseas Student Transfers) Instrument 2026 – Federal Register of Legislation
• Speech to the National Press Club, 17 September 2026 – Minister for Home Affairs
• Student visa reforms commence on 2 October 2026 – Migration Alliance

Last checked: 2 October 2026. This is general information, not immigration advice.