As early as October 2, 2026, new restrictions for international students came into force in Australia. We've highlighted the main changes for you.
Students can no longer bring their family with them
A student visa application (including the Temporary Graduate visa) can no longer include a partner or children, and a visa can no longer be arranged for them later as subsequent entrants. There are exceptions:
- Students from ASEAN and Pacific region countries,
- Scholarship holders (Australian or foreign government scholarships),
- Postgraduate students, doctoral candidates (PhD applicants).
For families who already managed to enter Australia under the previous rules, a transitional arrangement has been worked out: no one will be deporting them right now, but they will no longer be able to stay for the full term either.
The option to change your study program has narrowed considerably
If you have already started studying (in the course you planned to take at the time of your visa application), you now have only three options for change left:
- Visa extension, if additional time was needed to complete your studies (the duration of study does not fit within the visa term),
- Transfer to another education sector/institution. From 01.07.2027, if you want to change education provider, you will need to obtain a visa again (though a special process is being set up for this). In addition, you must have studied with your primary provider for at least 12 months, and with the second one for at least 6 months.
- Upon completing the course, if further study is planned — applying for a new visa (in this case, a mandatory rule applies: the new program must be at a higher level under the Australian Qualifications Framework).
Previously it was possible, for example, to move from a higher education course (bachelor's degree) to VET (Vocational Education and Training), but now this kind of move is prohibited.
Switching from a temporary visa to a student visa is prohibited
This applies to holders of temporary visas for study, work, and the Working Holiday Maker visa. Most student visa applications must now be submitted from outside Australia, that is, arranged in advance.
In the government's view, this change should reduce migration overall.
Student exchanges are also being tightened
In particular, the changes will affect the Working Holiday Maker program: almost 215,000 people currently hold this status in Australia, and the government wants to reduce the number of participants to 200,000 and limit the program's status to a "short-term cultural and work exchange."
Not all experts in the education sector support these changes. Instability and tighter visa rules make student migration to Australia more difficult and reduce the number of international students. Vocational education in particular is affected (the VET sector, the Working Holiday Maker program): if the trend continues, in the long run this could have consequences for the country's economy as a whole.
