Australia's New Student Visa Rules: What Changed on 2 October 2026

On 2 October 2026 Australia changed who can apply for a student visa, from where, and with whom. If you were planning to study there with a partner or children, this is the change to understand before you spend money on an application.

The rule that matters most for families

For a first or further Student visa (subclass 500), you generally cannot include family members in your application. The exceptions are limited to:

• Doctoral students
• Nationals of Pacific and ASEAN countries
• Recipients of a fully funded foreign government scholarship
• Students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence

The official guidance is blunt about one more point: you cannot add family members after your Student visa has been granted, and there are no exemptions to that rule. Families already in Australia can still be included in a new application only if they were part of your visa or application before 2 October 2026.

Applying from inside Australia is now restricted

Most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa while they are in Australia. This covers holders of visas such as the Working Holiday Maker visa and the Skills in Demand visa. Current Student visa holders generally cannot apply for another Student visa from inside the country either, unless an exemption applies. The exemptions include doctoral, primary and secondary studies, up to 12 additional months with the same provider, and progression to a higher-level course after finishing the main course.

If you apply from outside Australia, you must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Current Student Guardian (subclass 590) holders can still apply for another Guardian visa from inside Australia.

What this means if you are applying from Ghana

If you are applying from Ghana, you are already applying from outside Australia, so the onshore restrictions will not change much for you. The family rule is the one that can change your plan. If bringing a partner or children was part of the picture, decide that before you pay for an application, because the old route for it is largely closed.

What did not change

Existing Student visas are not affected, and applications lodged before 2 October 2026 continue to be assessed under the previous rules. The official announcement does not mention any change to the Student visa application fee or the financial capacity requirement. It does mention that the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa charge rose to A$5,750 on 1 July 2026, with eligible applicants from Pacific Island countries, Timor-Leste and ASEAN member states excluded from that increase. If you are planning around the graduate visa, include that figure in your budget.

Why it was done

The government's stated aim is to reduce misuse of the student visa system and so-called visa hopping, without stopping genuine students from studying in Australia. A planned Transfer stream for students changing education providers has been announced, but its details had not been released at the time of writing.