The Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 amend the Migration Regulations 1994 to restrict further onshore Student visa applications and the inclusion of family members.
\nThe amendments apply to visa applications made on or after 2 October 2026.
\nFurther Student visa applications
\nExisting Subclass 500 visa holders seeking a further Student visa as a primary applicant generally must apply outside Australia. This includes secondary Student visa holders seeking to become primary applicants.
\nExemptions apply to eligible primary Student visa holders who are Defence students, Foreign Affairs students, school students or members of a class specified by legislative instrument.
\nApplicants required to lodge offshore under the relevant provisions must also be outside Australia when their Student visa is granted.
\nRestrictions on family members
\nSecondary applicants may only apply where an applicable exception is satisfied. These include:
\n\u2022 The primary applicant is a Defence or Foreign Affairs student.\u2022 The primary applicant holds a passport from a Pacific regional country or an ASEAN member country.\u2022 Specified transitional arrangements apply to existing secondary visa holders or applicants making a further onshore application.\u2022 Specified arrangements apply to children born in Australia after commencement.\u2022 The secondary applicant belongs to a class specified by legislative instrument.
\nEligible secondary applicants must apply at the same time and place as the primary applicant. Separate subsequent entrant applications are no longer available under these amendments.
\nWhere the combined application requirements necessitate offshore lodgement, all applicants must apply outside Australia.
\nApplications following visa expiry
\nThe amendments remove the onshore application pathway based on having held a Student visa that expired within the previous 28 days.
\nA limited pathway remains for certain applicants following an Administrative Review Tribunal decision revoking a Student visa cancellation where the original visa period has already expired, subject to the relevant criteria.
\nApplication and practical implications
\nThe Government\u2019s stated purpose is to strengthen Student visa program integrity and reduce the use of successive temporary visa applications to prolong stays in Australia.
\nRegistered migration agents and migration lawyers should review the amended application validity requirements, grant criteria, transitional provisions and accompanying legislative instruments before advising clients.
\nApplications made before 2 October 2026 are not subject to these amendments.
\nSource:\u00a0Migration-Amendment-Student-Visa-Reform-Regulations-2026.pdf\u00a0 and
\nMigration-Amendment-Student-Visa-Reform-Regulations-2026-Explanatory-Statement.pdf
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The Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 amend the Migration Regulations 1994 to restrict further onshore Student visa applications and the inclusion of family members. The amendments apply to visa applications made on or after 2 October 2026. Further Student visa applications Existing Subclass 500 visa holders seeking a further Student visa as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2128","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n