On this page
- Can I apply for a student visa onshore in Australia?
- Can I convert a visitor visa or a working holiday visa to a student visa in Australia?
- Can I apply for a student visa after a 485?
- I hold a current Australian student visa. Can I apply for another one in Australia?
- What does applying for a student visa offshore mean?
- What happens if I apply for a student visa in Australia by mistake?
- Can I apply for a student visa in Australia on a bridging visa or after my visa has ended?
- What if I applied for a student visa before 2 October 2026?
- Do you want help with your own situation?
Since 2 October 2026 most people cannot apply for a student visa from inside Australia any more.1
Can I apply for a student visa onshore in Australia?
Most visa holders can no longer apply for a student visa onshore. The answer depends on the visa you hold now: find it in the table below.145
| Visa held in Australia | Can the holder apply for a student visa in Australia? |
|---|---|
| Visitor (subclass 600), Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) or eVisitor (subclass 651) | No |
| Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462) | No |
| Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) | No |
| Skills in Demand or Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482), or subclass 457 | No |
| Training (subclass 407), Temporary Activity (subclass 408) or Temporary Work (subclass 400) | No |
| Medical Treatment (subclass 602), Transit (subclass 771) or Maritime Crew (subclass 988) | No |
| Student visa, held as the student | Only with one of six exemptions |
| Student visa, held as a partner or child | No, not as the student (see the partner or child box below) |
| Bridging visa, or no visa | Only in a few narrow cases |
The list also covers subclass 403 in the Domestic Worker stream, and subclass 995 for its main holder.5 The Department says of the listed visas: “There are no exemptions to this rule.”1
A person who holds another visa, one that is not a bridging visa and not on the list, is not stopped by this rule.4 The conditions on that visa still apply.
VEVO, the Department's online visa check, shows you information about your current visa.
Can I convert a visitor visa or a working holiday visa to a student visa in Australia?
No. Visitor visa and working holiday visa holders can no longer apply for a student visa while onshore in Australia.5
The Department of Home Affairs says: “You can only apply from outside Australia and you must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.”2
Can I apply for a student visa after a 485?
No, you cannot apply for a student visa from your 485 visa while you are in Australia. You must leave Australia, apply from outside Australia and be outside Australia when the Department of Home Affairs grants the visa.245 Most graduates must be 35 or younger to apply for a 485.8
I hold a current Australian student visa. Can I apply for another one in Australia?
Yes, but only in certain circumstances. The Department of Home Affairs lists six exemptions for a person who holds a student visa as the student and wants to apply for another student visa while in Australia16:
- Course completion. The student needs up to 12 more months to finish the main course with the same college. The 12 months count from the original end date.
- A sponsored student. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence sponsors the student.
- A PhD. The student is applying to study a Doctoral degree. A Masters by research does not count.
- School. The student is applying for primary or secondary school studies.
- Course progression. The student has completed the main course and moves to one course at a higher AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework) level. After a higher education course, the next course must also be a higher education course with a higher education provider. A student who finished a course with no AQF level, such as English, can move to a course that has one. The student “must be enrolled in only one future course of study” and attaches proof of completion: transcripts, a completion certificate or a letter from the college.12
- Provider default. The student cannot continue because the college has defaulted.
A partner or child cannot apply as the student. The Department says: "There are no exemptions to this rule."2 The student can include them in a new student visa application made in Australia in these cases1:
• The student is applying to study a PhD.
• DFAT or Defence sponsors the student.
• The student needs up to 12 more months to finish the main course.
• The college defaulted.
• The student has finished the main course and moves up to a higher level course. Extra conditions apply to this case.
A student with a passport from a Pacific Island country, Timor-Leste or an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) country can include family in an application made outside Australia. In Australia, that student can include family in the last three cases above.1 The family guide below has the full rules.
What does applying for a student visa offshore mean?
Applying offshore means you leave Australia, apply from outside Australia and wait outside Australia for the grant, in the six steps below.37
- PreparePrepare the application and documents before leaving Australia.
- Leave AustraliaLeave before the current visa ends.
- ApplyLodge the application in ImmiAccount from outside Australia.
- Wait for the decisionNo bridging visa comes with the application.
- GrantThe applicant is outside Australia when the Department grants the visa.
- Fly to AustraliaTravel to Australia and start your studies.
What to expect while you wait37
- A person with another valid visa may come back to Australia while waiting. The Department says: “you must be outside Australia when your Student visa is granted”.
- The Department may ask a person who is in Australia at that point “to leave Australia so processing can continue”.
- “Do not book your return flights or accommodation in Australia until your new Student visa has been granted.”
- Most applicants cannot include a partner or children.1
What happens if I apply for a student visa in Australia by mistake?
A student visa application made in Australia by mistake is invalid. The Department of Home Affairs says an application lodged in Australia by a person “required to be offshore” is invalid.3
The Department warns that an invalid application "could affect your visa status". A person whose visa has already ended may not be able to apply for another visa. The Administrative Review Tribunal cannot review an invalid application.13
Can I apply for a student visa in Australia on a bridging visa or after my visa has ended?
A person on a bridging visa, or whose visa has ended, can apply for a student visa in Australia only in a few narrow cases, each with a 28-day limit.4
- One case covers a student visa that was cancelled. The Administrative Review Tribunal must have set the cancellation aside after the visa ended.
- The other cases follow two rare kinds of visa.
A student visa that has simply ended is not one of the cases.
This situation needs a registered migration agent. Studyaway can put you in touch with one.
Request a free appointmentWhat if I applied for a student visa before 2 October 2026?
An application made before 2 October 2026 is decided under the old rules. The Department of Home Affairs assesses these applications “under the rules that were in place when they were lodged”. That includes an application with family members.3
Do you want help with your own situation?
Each case turns on the visa held, its end date and its conditions.
Tell Studyaway your visa and your study plans, and a person replies within one business day.
Request a free appointmentStudyaway tools to check your eligibility, work out your funds and get help
This article is general information only, not migration advice. In Australia, immigration assistance may only be provided by a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner - Studyaway provides all students with access to a Registered Migration Agent.
