Working Holiday and Skills in Demand Visa Holders Can No Longer Apply for a Student Visa in Australia
Since 2 October 2026, WHM and Skills in Demand visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa from inside Australia; this article covers the exemptions, family rules and what is still unconfirmed.
Yes, the answer changed on 2 October 2026: Working Holiday Maker (WHM) and Skills in Demand visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa (subclass 500) while they are in Australia. Most other temporary visa holders are in the same position. The rule was announced by Study Australia, part of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, on 7 October 2026.
Here is what actually changed, what is still open, and what you can still do if a Student visa was part of your plan.
What changed on 2 October 2026
From that date, new rules affect who can apply for and be granted a Student visa or Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) while in Australia, and whether family members can be included in a Student visa application.
The main points:
- Most temporary visa holders — including Working Holiday Maker and Skills in Demand holders — can no longer apply for a Student visa while in Australia.
- Student visa holders can generally no longer apply for another Student visa in Australia either, unless an exemption applies.
- The rules on including family members in an application have also tightened.
The Australian Government says the reforms are meant to strengthen the integrity of the Student visa program and keep it aligned with its stated purpose: temporary stays in Australia for study. They will not affect current Student visas.
Does this change affect your current visa?
No. If you already hold a Student visa, the new rules do not affect that visa. The restrictions apply to new applications, not to visas already granted.
For any temporary visa holder, the practical effect is about where a new application can be made — and in most cases that is now from outside Australia.
Can you still apply for a Student visa at all?
Yes. The rule stops you from applying while you are inside Australia, not from applying altogether. You can still lodge a Student visa application from outside Australia.
There is one important condition: if you apply for a Student visa from outside Australia, you must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Under an earlier change, the same position has applied since 2024 to Visitor and Temporary Graduate visa holders.
Whether the new requirements affect your individual circumstances depends on your situation. Australia's Department of Home Affairs is the authority for the latest requirements, and for case-specific advice you should contact a migration agent registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
Who can still apply inside Australia (exemptions)
Some applicants remain eligible to apply for a Student visa while in Australia. The exemptions cover:
- students sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or the Department of Defence
- students applying to undertake a doctoral degree, or primary or secondary school studies
- students whose education provider cannot deliver their course (a provider default)
- students who need up to 12 additional months to complete their studies with the same education provider
- students who have completed the main course covered by their current visa and are progressing to a higher-level course.
Family members: the main thing to check
If you are applying for your first or a further Student visa, you can no longer include family members in the application unless an exemption applies. The exemptions are limited to doctoral students, nationals of Pacific and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, fully funded foreign government scholarship recipients, and students sponsored by DFAT or the Department of Defence.
There is one bridging arrangement for families already in Australia. You may include the same family members in a new application if they were included in your visa or visa application before 2 October 2026, and you are eligible to apply for a further Student visa in Australia.
Two rules have no exceptions:
- You cannot add family members after a Student visa has been granted.
- Applications lodged before 2 October 2026, including applications that already included family members, will be assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged.
What is still being decided
Two parts of the reform are not finished, so do not plan around them yet.
Transfer stream. The government intends to introduce a new Transfer stream within the Student visa subclass. Under the proposed arrangements, Student visa holders who change education providers would need to apply for a new visa through this stream. The details are still being developed, and the official rules and start date have not yet been published.
Temporary Graduate visa. Restrictions on the ability of Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) applicants to include family members are also intended to be introduced. These are still being progressed — again, the details and timing have not yet been published.
One related figure is already set: the Temporary Graduate visa application charge increased to A$5,750 on 1 July 2026. Applicants from Pacific Island countries, Timor-Leste and ASEAN member states were excluded from the increase.
What to do next
- Work out whether the new rules affect any plan to apply for a Student visa from inside Australia.
- If family members are part of your plan, check how the family rules apply to your situation before you decide.
- Review the official visa requirements before changing your education provider or course.
- Use the Department of Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool to check the financial capacity and English language evidence you may need.
- For advice on your own circumstances, contact a migration agent registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
The headline change is simple: as a WHM or Skills in Demand holder, a Student visa now means leaving Australia to apply and waiting outside until the visa is granted — unless an exemption applies to you.