Australia Amends Student Visa Regulations to Impose Stricter Onshore Application Requirements and Family Unit Criteria

What changed

The Migration (LIN 20/158: Class of Persons for Student (Temporary) (Class TU) Visa Applications) Amendment Instrument 2026 makes changes to who is eligible for a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa in Australia. These changes, which apply to certain groups of people like doctoral students and their family members, will be in effect from 2 October 2026. The new rule updates the existing rules about how student visas are applied for and what conditions apply to specific groups of students.

What changed

On 30 September 2026, the Home Office suspended Buckinghamshire New University's Student sponsor licence due to concerns regarding its adherence to sponsor duties. This suspension, effective immediately, has led to the university's removal from the Register of licensed sponsors for students. The university has been granted 20 working days to address the decision and demonstrate why its licence should be reinstated, failing which revocation may occur. Students currently holding valid permission to stay and sponsored by the university are permitted to continue their studies during this suspension period.

What changed

Australia has changed how applications are handled for the Subclass 600 Visitor visa, specifically for the Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream. The 'Migration (Arrangements for Visitor (Class FA) visa applications) Amendment Instrument 2026' (departmental reference LIN 26/060) has replaced the previous list of approved ADS travel agents in China. This document was created on 24 September 2026, officially recorded on 28 September 2026, and became active on 29 September 2026, which was the day after its registration.

What changed

Australia has brought in a new legal document, called the Migration (Health Criteria—Specified Countries) Instrument 2026 (LIN 26/090), which lists countries for certain visa health checks. This new instrument replaces an older one. It was created on 24 September 2026, officially recorded on 28 September 2026, and started being used on 29 September 2026. It cancels the previous document, the Migration (Health Criteria—Specified Countries) (LIN 23/071) Specification 2023.