Australia Student Visa Rules Change for Onshore Applicants and Families

Australia’s Student visa rules changed on 2 October 2026, with important consequences for applicants already in the country and those planning to bring family members. The Department of Home Affairs now says most Student visa applications must be made outside Australia, while partners and children cannot accompany Student visa applicants unless an exemption applies.

What changed

Home Affairs identifies new rules for both the Student visa (subclass 500) and Student Guardian visa (subclass 590). These affect who can apply for and receive a visa while in Australia, as well as whether family members can be included in a Student visa application.

For subclass 500 applicants, the official guidance sets out two conditions for applying within Australia. You must:

• Hold a visa that is eligible for this purpose; and
• Qualify under an exemption category.

These are combined requirements, not alternatives. Simply holding a visa in Australia does not establish that you can lodge a Student visa application there.

If you do not meet both conditions, Home Affairs says you must apply outside Australia and also be outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Who should review their plans

Applicants already in Australia

If you are in Australia and considering a course of study, check your application eligibility before assuming you can move to a Student visa without leaving the country.

The key question is not just whether you have secured a place in a course. It is also whether your current visa is eligible and whether a relevant exemption permits an onshore application. Confirm both points against the current Home Affairs guidance before organising your application around remaining in Australia.

Students planning to bring a partner or children

The subclass 500 guidance now states that applicants cannot bring partners and children unless exempt. A family application should therefore begin with checking whether an exemption applies, rather than assuming dependants can be added as part of the usual application process.

Home Affairs also states that a child cannot receive a Student visa through your application if they have turned 18 by the time your visa is finalised. They would need to apply for a visa of their own. For families with an older teenager, age at finalisation is therefore an important planning consideration.

Student Guardian applicants

Home Affairs expressly includes subclass 590 in the announcement about changes to applying for and receiving visas within Australia. Prospective guardians should check the current subclass 590 requirements separately rather than assuming the detailed Student visa criteria apply identically to them.

Study requirements still need attention

Application location and family eligibility are only part of preparing a Student visa application. The subclass 500 guidance also requires applicants to:

• Submit their application online.
• Provide the appropriate evidence of enrolment with the application.
• Be enrolled in an Australian course and have a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) when the visa decision is made.
• Have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) unless covered by an exemption.
• Be at least six years old.
• Demonstrate suitable welfare arrangements if under 18.

Home Affairs warns that an application without the required enrolment evidence is not valid and cannot be processed. Checking the evidence needed at lodgement is therefore just as important as ensuring your CoE remains valid for the decision.

For school students outside a secondary school exchange program, additional age limits apply when beginning Years 9 to 12. Families should check the relevant year-level requirement before finalising their study plans.

What the visa allows

The Student visa allows participation in an eligible Australian course and travel into and out of Australia. The published work allowance is up to 48 hours per fortnight while the course or training is in session.

This remains a temporary study visa. Home Affairs lists a possible stay of up to six years, with the actual period determined by the course type and duration. Primary school children starting in Years 1 to 4 are generally granted no more than three years.

Neither the maximum stay nor the work allowance should be treated as a promised outcome for an individual application. Plan around the conditions and duration that apply to your own visa.

What applicants should do next

Before lodging, organise your checks in this order:

1. Confirm where you may apply. If you intend to apply in Australia, verify both eligible-visa status and the relevant exemption.
2. Check family eligibility separately. Establish whether an exemption permits your partner or children to accompany you.
3. Review enrolment evidence. Ensure you have the correct evidence for lodgement and a valid CoE for the decision stage.
4. Check health cover and welfare requirements. Confirm OSHC arrangements or an applicable exemption, plus welfare arrangements for applicants under 18.
5. Align travel and study plans with the rules. Where an offshore application is required, account for the requirement to be outside Australia at grant as well.

Verify current requirements and exemption categories directly with the Department of Home Affairs before applying. DF Booking is a private immigration advisory and recruitment service, not a government authority; visa decisions rest with the official authority.