Australia: some visa applications must be lodged from abroad

From 2 October 2026, certain visa applications can no longer be lodged from Australia. The Department of Home Affairs has changed the lodgement rules for 17 subclasses: the student visa (subclass 500) first, but also several work visas.

Family inclusion conditions have also been tightened. For Mobility teams, these changes affect any employee already in Australia planning further study or a change of status.

Australia student visa: three constraints since 2 October

✅ Applications from outside Australia by default : A subclass 500 holder applying for a new visa as a primary student must generally be outside the country when lodging the application. The same applies to a dependant who wants to become a primary student, with no exemption.

✅ 17 visa subclasses affected : Instrument LIN 26/102 lists the visas whose holders can no longer apply onshore, including working holiday (417, 462), and Visas Skills in Demand 482 and 485. An employee on a work visa is therefore affected.

✅ Family: limited inclusion, no additions : Partners and children are included only in listed cases, and must apply at the same time and in the same place as the student. Additions after grant no longer exist.

The base text is regulation F2026L01347, published on the federal register. It retains onshore applications only for Defence, Foreign Affairs and school students, and for the categories set by instrument LIN 26/087. These rules apply to applications lodged from 2 October 2026: earlier cases remain subject to the previous regime.

The table below summarises the cases.

An exemption generally covers only one additional onshore application, except for school studies and education provider default. A move from one bachelor’s degree to another, or from a master’s to a diploma, falls outside these exceptions and requires an application from outside Australia.

For family members, the exceptions cover doctoral students, students sponsored by DFAT or Defence, foreign government scholarship holders and certain nationals of the Pacific or ASEAN. However, no additions after grant are possible, even in these cases.

For an employee already in Australia, this enforced departure raises the question of continuity of stay, covered in our article on the Bridging Visa in Australia. If the studies lead to employment, then compare the options for an Australian work visa, bearing in mind the work visa processing times revised since 25 July 2026.

Before sending an employee to study in Australia: three checks

• Identify employees already in Australia on a 417, 462, 482 or 485 visa, as a study project now requires an application from outside the country, with no return before the decision.
• Plan the length of studies from the first application: an exemption generally covers only one additional onshore application, and a change of course at the same level means leaving Australia again to apply.
• Deal with the family before departure: the exception depends on the employee’s profile, and nothing can be added after the visa is granted.