Australia student visa 2026: new rules for Indian students on dependants, onshore applications and transfers, plus fees, funds and the 485 visa

What changed on 2 October 2026 for the Australia student visa

The Explanatory Statement confirms the reforms apply to applications made on or after 2 October 2026.

Can I take my spouse or children on an Australia student visa now?

For most Indian students, no. The Student visa page allows family only if you:

• are studying a PhD (a Master's by Research does not count);
• are sponsored by Australia's Department of Defence or DFAT;
• hold a foreign government scholarship that fully funds your studies;
• are a Pacific Island or ASEAN national (India is neither);
• already have family on your Student visa and meet a narrow condition, such as needing up to 12 more months or your provider defaulting.

Eligible family must apply with you, at the same time and place. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 follow the old rules.

What about the 485? Assistant Minister Julian Hill's release of 2 October 2026 says "similar restrictions will apply to Temporary Graduate visas". As of 16 October 2026 the 485 page still lets family apply later, and no start date has been announced.

Can I apply for my next student visa from inside Australia?

Usually not. Holders of Visitor (600), Working Holiday (417), Skills in Demand (482) and Temporary Graduate (485) visas, among others, cannot apply for a Student visa in Australia at all. A Student visa holder can apply onshore only if they:

1. need up to 12 more months to finish their main course with the same provider;
2. are DFAT or Defence sponsored;
3. are applying for a PhD;
4. are applying for school studies;
5. have finished their main course and are moving to a higher AQF level (higher education must lead to higher education);
6. have a provider that defaulted.

Home Affairs' own example: a bachelor's graduate cannot apply onshore for a Graduate Diploma at a VET provider.

Changing university after arrival: the 12-month rule and the 2027 transfer stream

From 2 October 2026 to 30 June 2027, a provider must not enrol a non-school overseas student transferring from another provider until they have completed 12 months of their principal course. The Department of Education factsheet says students past the old 6-month mark may be restricted again. Exceptions remain for provider closure or sanction and compassionate or compelling reasons.

From 1 July 2027 the wait returns to 6 months and a Student visa transfer stream begins. The 2 October release says you will need the new visa before starting at the new provider, and moves must be at the same or a higher AQF level, with no onshore switch from higher education to VET. The stream's fee and evidence were not published as of 16 October 2026.

Australia student visa fees in 2026

The fee regulations raised the main Student visa charge from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500 and most other visa charges by 25% (Explanatory Statement). The lower AUD 2,050 rate is only for ASEAN passports and ELICOS or non-award applicants. Home Affairs' price service returned the same figures on 16 October 2026. Add health checks, biometrics and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for your whole stay.

How much money do you need to show?

If the Document Checklist Tool or your case officer asks for financial evidence, you need:

• travel: AUD 2,000 when applying from India;
• course fees: the first 12 months, less anything already paid;
• living costs: AUD 29,710 a year (AUD 10,394 for a partner, AUD 4,449 a child, if exempt).

AUD 29,710 has applied since 10 May 2024 under LIN 24/042, replacing AUD 24,505. In Home Affairs' own example, a course costing AUD 50,000 over three years counts as AUD 16,666 for 12 months, so the minimum with living and travel costs is AUD 48,376.

Alternatively, show that your parents or partner earned at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months before you apply (AUD 102,500 if family comes), using official government documents such as tax assessments under 12 months old. A one-day bank balance certificate "does not show us how you increased your funds", Home Affairs says, so keep statements showing the source.

Genuine Student requirement and English test scores

The Genuine Student requirement applies from 23 March 2024. You answer questions in the form, in English, up to 150 words each: your circumstances, why this course and provider, and how it benefits you. Back each answer with documents. A future plan to seek permanent residence does not count against you.

If you must show English, the test generally must be within 2 years before you lodge, and at-home tests such as IELTS Online are not accepted.

Your university's entry score is a separate requirement.

How many hours can you work?

Up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session and unlimited hours when it is not. Master's by research and PhD students have no limit.

The 295,000 planning level for 2027 and processing priority

The National Planning Level for 2027 is 295,000 new overseas student commencements, the same as 2026. Home Affairs says the Ministerial Direction behind it "is not a visa cap"; it sets processing order. Under Ministerial Direction 115, you drop to Priority 2 once your provider reaches 80% of its allocation and to Priority 3 once it passes 115%. From 2027, TAFE students are exempt from the NPL (factsheet).

485 visa lengths for Indian graduates

Under the Australia India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), Indian nationals get longer 485 stays.

You must be 35 or under (under 50 with a master's by research or PhD), apply in Australia, have held a Student visa in the last 6 months, and show English and a police check. The charge is AUD 5,750.

How to apply for an Australia student visa from India

1. Accept your offer and get a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for a CRICOS-registered course.
2. Check your provider's priority status on the day you lodge.
3. Run the Document Checklist Tool with your passport and provider.
4. Buy OSHC starting from your arrival date.
5. Prepare Genuine Student answers, English results and financial evidence.
6. Lodge in ImmiAccount from outside Australia and pay AUD 2,500.
7. Give biometrics within 14 days if asked, and complete health checks.

Gujarat students: biometrics, loans and the India numbers

Applications are online, so there is no Gujarat visa office. Home Affairs' biometrics page lists collection centre locations "correct as of March 2026", and India is not on it or on the Australian Immi App list, so there is no listed centre in Ahmedabad. If biometrics are needed, Home Affairs sends a letter in ImmiAccount with instructions and 14 days to respond.

Gujarat offers foreign-study loans of up to ₹15 lakh at 4% interest; the SEBC and GUEEDC loans are applied for on e-Samaj Kalyan:

• SC students: BCK-15 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar loan, no income limit.
• SEBC students: Developing Castes Welfare loan, family income below ₹10 lakh, 60% in Class 12 (50% for NT/DNT and more or most backward groups).
• Unreserved students: GUEEDC loan for MBBS or postgraduate study, family income up to ₹6 lakh, 60% in Class 12.

The SC scheme approves only after you submit your visa and air ticket, and the SEBC list asks for both, so neither loan can be the money shown in your visa file.

India supplied 16% of Australia's international students in January to June 2026, per the Department of Education. CareerBox's sum of its June 2026 data table: Indian students held 130,150 enrolments, down 9.9% on a year earlier, with 36,733 commencements, down 10.6%. There is no state-wise split.

Where to go next

• Compare the UK: UK student visa fees, funds and Graduate Route rules
• Funding: study abroad scholarships for Indian students, 2027-28
• Another option: study in Germany: cost, APS and blocked account
• English tests: IELTS and TOEFL iBT
• Degrees: MBA course guide and M.Sc. course guide
• Updates: CareerBox News