Australia: Student Visa Application and Family Inclusion Rules Tightened

The Australian government has restricted rules related to the Student visa program: 

• Current Student visa holders must generally apply for a further Student visa from outside Australia. Exceptions may apply to students undertaking doctoral or school studies, progressing to a higher-level course, affected by an education provider’s default, or needing more time to complete their principal course.
• The list of visa holders who cannot apply for a Student visa while in Australia has been expanded to holders of Temporary Work (subclass 400), Training (subclass 407), Temporary Activity (subclass 408), Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas. Applicants who must file their applications from outside Australia must also be outside Australia when their Student visa is granted.
• Student visa applicants may now only include family members only in limited circumstances, including where the primary applicant is a doctoral student, receives a foreign government scholarship, or is an eligible student from a Pacific or one of the 11 Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries. Certain existing dependent Student visa holders and children born in Australia may also qualify. Eligible family members generally must apply with the primary applicant. Student visa holders can no longer add family members after their visa has been granted. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.