Australia Student Visa Rule Changes from 2 October 2026: Dependants and Onshore Applications

If you are planning to study in Australia, or you are already there and thinking about changing courses or bringing your family, these changes affect you directly. The summary below is based on the Department of Home Affairs announcement as shown in its student visa fact sheet and as reported by Australian migration lawyers. We could not open the Home Affairs page itself while writing this, so read the official text before you act.

Change 1: Family Members and Dependants

From 2 October 2026, Student visa applicants can no longer include their partner or dependent children in the application, unless an exemption applies. The exemptions are:

• PhD students.
• Foreign government scholarship recipients.
• Students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence.
• Eligible nationals of Pacific countries and ASEAN member countries.

• Where family members are eligible to be included, the main applicant and every family member must be in the same location when the application is lodged.
• Once a Student visa has been granted, family members cannot be added later as subsequent entrants. Reports of the change say there are no exemptions to this rule.
• One migration law firm reports that applicants already in Australia may be able to include family members who are already named in their current visa. Check this point with Home Affairs.

Change 2: Applying for a Student Visa While in Australia

Most temporary visa holders in Australia can no longer lodge a Student visa application while in Australia. Current Student visa holders will also generally need to apply for their next Student visa from outside Australia, unless an exemption applies.

The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) is covered by the same restriction for most applicants. One migration law firm reports that current Student Guardian visa holders can still lodge a further Student Guardian application in Australia, but treat that as a detail to confirm with Home Affairs.

Who Can Still Apply From Inside Australia?

• Students who need up to 12 months to complete the study they have already started.
• Students sponsored by DFAT or the Department of Defence.
• Students applying to start a PhD. The PhD exemption is reported not to cover a master's by research.
• Students who have completed their main course and are applying for a course at a higher AQF level.
• Students applying for primary or secondary school studies.
• Certain progression cases involving courses that have no AQF level.
• Students who cannot continue their course because their education provider has defaulted.

The exact conditions attached to each exemption, such as which provider you must stay with or how soon you must apply, are set by Home Affairs. Do not assume you qualify from this list alone.

What About Applications Already Lodged?

Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 continue to be assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged. The new rules apply to applications lodged from 2 October 2026.

What This Means for Indian Students

• Planning to study in Australia with a spouse or children: unless you are a PhD student, a foreign government scholarship recipient or fall into another exemption, you will probably need to plan to study alone. Decide this before you pay a deposit.
• Already in Australia on another visa, such as a visitor or work visa: you generally cannot switch to a Student visa from inside the country, so you would need to apply from outside Australia.
• Already on a Student visa and planning to change level or provider: check whether an exemption applies before you enrol, because you may otherwise need to leave Australia to apply for your next visa.
• Choosing between countries: if bringing family is important to your plan, compare the dependant rules of other destinations before you commit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Relying on advice or a blog written before 2 October 2026. The rules on dependants and onshore applications have changed.
• Paying course fees or a deposit before checking whether your visa plan is still possible.
• Assuming the PhD exemption covers every research degree.
• Planning to bring family later. Reports say there is no exemption for adding family after the visa is granted.

IMA (International Multilingual Academy) in Faridabad counsels students on Australia and other destinations. Our counsellors can help you check which rules apply to your situation, compare countries, and prepare your documents for the student visa. We cannot guarantee a visa, because the decision belongs to the Australian Government.