Effective 2 October 2026, Australia will restrict most temporary visa holders from applying for a subclass 500 student visa while they remain in the country.

The rule also bars many current international students from submitting a fresh student visa application without first leaving Australia.

Applicants who had planned to extend their stay through further study will now need to return home or travel elsewhere to lodge a new visa request.

Exemptions remain for students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence, doctoral candidates, school‑age pupils, and those whose providers cannot deliver their courses.

Applicants moving from one qualification level to a higher one are also covered by the exemption list.

Visas already granted are unaffected; holders must continue to meet the conditions of their existing visas.

Any applications lodged before 2 October 2026 will be assessed under the rules in force at the time of submission.

Alongside the status‑change limits, Australia is tightening rules on dependants, reducing the ability of international students to add spouses or children after arriving.

Exemptions to the stricter family provisions include doctoral candidates, nationals of Pacific and ASEAN countries, fully funded foreign‑government scholarship recipients, and those sponsored by DFAT or Defence.

Applicants outside these exemptions will need to plan family arrangements before submitting their visa applications, as opportunities to add dependants later will be limited.