Last updated 4 November 2026
If you’re planning to study in Australia, 2026 has brought some of the biggest Student visa changes in years. Some of them, like the higher visa fee, affect almost everyone. Others, like the new rules on bringing a partner or children, could change your whole plan.
We help students with visas, courses and health cover every day, so we’ve pulled the official updates together in one place and explained what each one means for you in plain English. Rules can change quickly, so always check the Department of Home Affairs before you apply. If you’d like a hand with your own plans, you can contact our team for free advice.
What changed and when
| Date | What changed | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| 14 November 2025 | New visa processing order (Ministerial Direction 115) for offshore Student visa applications | Students applying from outside Australia |
| 1 July 2026 | Student visa fee rose from $2,000 to $2,500 for most main applicants | Most new Student visa applicants |
| 1 July 2026 | Temporary Graduate (485) visa fee rose from $4,600 to $5,750 | Graduates applying for post-study work |
| 3 July 2026 | 2027 National Planning Level confirmed at 295,000, the same as 2026 | Students starting in 2027 |
| 2 October 2026 | Most students can no longer include a partner or children, and no one can add family after the visa is granted | New and further Student visa applicants |
| 2 October 2026 | Most people can no longer apply for a Student visa while in Australia | Student visa, Working Holiday and Skills in Demand visa holders, among others |
| 2 October 2026 | You must stay with your main course provider for 12 months (up from 6) before transferring | Students already in Australia |
| 1 July 2027 (planned) | A new Student visa transfer stream for students changing providers | Students who want to change provider after arriving |
Partners and children: the biggest change
From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applicants can no longer include their partner or dependent children in their application. This applies to first applications and to further Student visas. Source: Department of Home Affairs.
You may still be able to include family if you are:
- studying a PhD
- sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence
- receiving a fully funded foreign government scholarship
- an eligible national of a Pacific country or an ASEAN member country
There is also one rule with no exceptions at all: nobody can add family members after their Student visa has been granted. If an exemption applies to you, your family has to be in the same application, lodged from the same location, at the same time.
Already here with your family? Families already together in Australia won’t be split up. If your partner or children were included on your visa (or visa application) when the rules changed on 2 October 2026, and you’re eligible to apply for a further Student visa in Australia, you may be able to include the same family members again.
Applied before 2 October 2026? Your application will be assessed under the old rules, including any family members you listed.
What this means for you
If you’re planning to come to Australia with a partner or kids, check whether an exemption applies before you enrol or pay anything. If it doesn’t, your family would need to look at a different visa, and that’s a conversation worth having with a registered migration agent. Not sure where you stand? Talk to our team and we’ll help you work out your options.
Applying for a Student visa while in Australia
From 2 October 2026, most temporary visa holders can’t apply for a Student visa from inside Australia. This now includes Working Holiday Maker and Skills in Demand visa holders, on top of the Visitor and Temporary Graduate visa holders who were already blocked in 2024. If you have to apply from outside Australia, you must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Source: Study Australia.
Current Student visa holders are mostly affected too. According to Home Affairs, you can only apply for another Student visa in Australia if you:
- need up to 12 more months to finish your studies with the same provider
- have finished your main course and are moving up to a higher level course
- are affected by your provider closing down (provider default)
- are applying for a PhD, or primary or secondary school studies
- are sponsored by DFAT or the Department of Defence
If you use the course progression exemption, you can only be enrolled in one future course when you apply, so packaged courses (for example a Graduate Certificate followed by a Master’s) would need to be applied for from outside Australia.
What this means for you
If you’re in Australia now and your visa is ending, plan early. If you need to apply offshore, prepare your documents before you leave so your time away is as short as possible. Your current visa isn’t affected by these changes.
Changing providers and courses
As a transition measure from 2 October 2026 until 30 June 2027, students (other than school students) must stay in their principal course for 12 months before transferring to another provider. It used to be 6 months. Transfers are still possible in exceptional circumstances or if a provider or course stops being registered. Source: Minister for Immigration.
From 1 July 2027, the government plans a new Student visa transfer stream. Students changing providers would need a new visa before starting at the new provider, and transfers would only be allowed to the same level or a higher level of study. You’ll also no longer be able to come to Australia for higher education and then switch to a VET course. Details are still being developed, so watch for updates.
What this means for you
Choose your first course carefully, because switching to a cheaper or lower level course once you arrive is getting much harder. Our guide to the cheapest courses in Australia for international students is a good place to compare options before you commit.
Higher visa fees
From 1 July 2026, the Student visa fee for most main applicants went up from $2,000 to $2,500 (Study Australia). A lower charge (the previous fee plus a yearly CPI adjustment) still applies to:
- passport holders from ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam)
- passport holders from eligible Pacific countries and Timor-Leste
- students applying for standalone English (ELICOS) or non-award courses
The Temporary Graduate (485) visa fee also rose from $4,600 to $5,750. For the full breakdown, see our FAQ on how much a Student visa costs in Australia, or use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator.
How much money you need to show
Home Affairs currently lists 12 months of living costs as $29,710 for a student. If you are eligible to bring family, it’s $10,394 for a partner and $4,449 for each child, plus at least $13,502 a year for each school age child. You also add your first 12 months of course fees and travel costs. As an alternative, you can show that your parents or partner earned at least $87,856 in the 12 months before you apply ($102,500 if family members are coming).
Our FAQ on Student visa financial capacity walks through it step by step.
Student numbers: the National Planning Level
The government has set a National Planning Level of 295,000 new international student commencements for 2026, and confirmed the same level for 2027. It’s not a hard cap. It’s used to decide processing priority: applications for a provider are processed as high priority until that provider reaches 80% of its allocation, and more slowly after that. Any genuine student who meets the visa requirements can still apply and be granted a visa. TAFE students will be exempt from the planning level in 2027. Source: Study Australia.
In practice, this means processing times can depend on how busy your chosen provider is, so apply well before your course starts.
What hasn’t changed
- Work hours: you can still work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session (no limit for master’s by research and PhD students). See our work limits FAQ.
- Genuine Student requirement: you still need to show that studying is the main reason for your visa, answering questions of up to 150 words each in your application. More in our Genuine Student FAQ.
- Health insurance: you still need Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for your whole stay.
What the changes mean for your OSHC
Holding OSHC is a condition of every Student visa, and the new rules affect the kind of cover you’ll need.
- Coming on your own? Because most students can no longer include a partner or children, you’ll most likely need single OSHC rather than couple or family cover.
- Already here with family on your visa? If you’re applying again and your family is included, keep your couple or family cover going with no gaps. Our guide to OSHC for couples and families compares the options.
- Applying from outside Australia? Your cover must start on the day you arrive, not the day your course starts, and you can be refused entry if you can’t show it.
- Applying in Australia? Your new OSHC must follow your old cover with no gap.
- Need a few extra months to finish? If you’re using the 12 month extension exemption, extend your OSHC to match your new visa. For short programs, see OSHC for short courses.
Not sure which insurer to pick? Our checklist for comparing OSHC providers and our cheapest OSHC guide explain what to look for, or you can compare OSHC prices on our calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
For applications lodged from 2 October 2026, only if you meet an exemption: PhD students, DFAT or Defence sponsored students, fully funded foreign government scholarship holders, and eligible Pacific and ASEAN nationals. Families already in Australia on a Student visa may be able to stay together on a further visa.
No. From 2 October 2026, no student can add family members after their visa is granted, and there are no exceptions.
Only if you meet an exemption, such as moving up to a higher level course after finishing your main course, or needing up to 12 more months to finish with the same provider. Otherwise you’ll need to apply, and be, outside Australia.
For most main applicants it’s $2,500 for applications lodged from 1 July 2026. ASEAN and eligible Pacific and Timor-Leste passport holders, and ELICOS and non-award students, pay a lower charge.
Not a hard cap. The National Planning Level is 295,000 for both 2026 and 2027, and it affects how quickly visas are processed for each provider rather than whether you can apply.
Yes. You need OSHC from an approved insurer for your whole stay, starting from the day you arrive in Australia.
Need help with your plans?
These changes can feel like a lot, especially if you have family or you’re already in Australia. Study Anywhere offers free advice on courses, visas and OSHC, so get in touch with our team and we’ll help you work out your next step. For complex situations, especially anything involving family members or visa refusals, we recommend speaking to a registered migration agent.
This article is general information, not legal or migration advice. Rules change often, so please check the Department of Home Affairs for the latest requirements before you apply. Last updated 4 November 2026.
