Studying in Australia in 2026: the new rules explained

Australia is still a top choice for students from Bangladesh and South Asia. It has world-ranked universities, strong part-time work rights and a clear post-study work visa. But 2026 has brought big changes: a higher visa fee, a "planning level" that affects how fast your visa is processed, and, announced on 17 September 2026, a plan to stop most new students from bringing their families.

This guide explains each rule in plain English, as it stands in late September 2026, and what it means for your plans.

What changed in 2026: the big picture

The Australian Government wants fewer new arrivals and more control over which students come and what they study. For you, this shows up in five ways:

1. Cost. The student visa charge rose to AUD 2,500 from 1 July 2026, and the Temporary Graduate visa charge rose to AUD 5,750 (Study Australia).
2. Speed. Visa processing now depends on how many students your chosen provider has already enrolled against its allocation.
3. Family. The government has announced that most new students and graduates will no longer be able to add a partner or children to their visa.
4. Provider quality. New laws let the government act faster against poor-quality providers and courses, and new private vocational and English colleges are paused.
5. Course changes. The government says students will not be able to move down to lower-level courses just to extend their stay.

None of this means Australia is closed. It means your choice of provider, course and timing matters more than ever.

The National Planning Level: not a cap, but it matters

The National Planning Level (NPL) is the government's target for new overseas student commencements. It is 295,000 for 2026 and will stay at 295,000 for 2027. No active provider will get a lower allocation in 2027 than in 2026 (Study Australia, 15 July 2026).

The government says clearly that the NPL is not a cap. Here is how it works in practice:

• Each university and college has its own allocation of new international students.
• Your visa is processed as Priority 1 (fastest) until your provider reaches 80% of its allocation.
• After that, applications for that provider are still accepted and can still be granted, but they are processed more slowly.

Student visa applications lodged outside Australia from 14 November 2025 are processed under Ministerial Direction 115, according to the Home Affairs Student visa page.

What this means for you: apply early in the intake cycle. If you apply late to a very popular provider for February or July, you may wait much longer for a decision. Ask your provider how full its allocation is before you pay your deposit.

Money: visa fees and financial capacity

Visa application charge

From 1 July 2026, the student visa charge is AUD 2,500 for most applicants. Some groups, such as citizens of ASEAN countries, Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste, and students in stand-alone English (ELICOS) or non-award courses, pay a lower concessional charge. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are not in these groups, so most South Asian students pay the full charge.

How much money you must show

According to Home Affairs, you must show you can pay for 12 months of living costs, your first 12 months of course fees and your travel.

Example. Tanvir from Chattogram has an offer for a two-year master's in IT with annual tuition of AUD 42,000. He needs to show roughly AUD 29,710 + 42,000 + 2,000 = AUD 73,710 for the first year alone. Parents should plan the source of this money well ahead and keep documents that show where it came from.

The Genuine Student requirement and English

Genuine Student (GS) requirement

Every applicant must show they are a genuine student and that study is the main reason for the visa. In the online form you answer a set of questions in English, each with a 150-word limit (Home Affairs). The officer looks at:

• your situation at home, including family, work and ties;
• your study history and why this course follows from it;
• why this provider and why Australia, instead of Bangladesh or another country;
• how the course will help your future;
• your immigration history, including past refusals.

Write your own answers. Use real facts: your CGPA, your job, your family business, the modules you want to study. Copied or generic answers are easy to spot.

English requirements

For most courses, the visa needs an IELTS Academic or General Training score of 6.0 overall. It can be lower if your course is packaged with English classes: 5.5 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 5.0 with at least 20 weeks. Your university may ask for a higher score for admission, often 6.5 for postgraduate study.

Two warnings from Home Affairs:

• At-home or fully online tests are not accepted for Australian visas. This includes IELTS Online and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
• If you take the TOEFL iBT, you must select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register (from 21 January 2026).

Not sure where your English is? Try our IELTS level check.

Work, family and the September 2026 announcement

Working while you study

A student visa lets you work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session. There is no limit during scheduled course breaks. Students in a master's by research or a doctorate have no work limit (Home Affairs).

The national minimum wage rose to AUD 26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026 (Study Australia). You have the same workplace rights as Australian workers. Part-time work helps with living costs, but it will not cover tuition.

Bringing your family: the proposed restriction

On 17 September 2026, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced a package of migration changes at the National Press Club (Minister's speech). As reported by The Conversation and The PIE News:

• Most new international students and graduate visa holders will no longer be able to add family members (partner and children) to their visa.
• Exceptions were announced for PhD (doctoral) students and for citizens of Pacific and ASEAN countries, and for students in certain other courses.
• People already in Australia with family on their current student visa are not affected.
• No start date had been announced at the time of writing. Until the law changes, the current rules still apply.

The same package also said students who change course will need to reapply for a visa, and that students can move up the qualification ladder but not down. These are announced policies and the details may change before they take effect.

After you graduate: the Temporary Graduate visa (485)

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) lets you stay and work after your studies. The main stream for degree graduates is the Post-Higher Education Work stream (Home Affairs). There is also a Post-Vocational Education Work stream for some vocational graduates; check its rules separately.

Other key points:

• You must apply in Australia, have held a student visa in the last 6 months, and have a recent degree from a CRICOS-registered course (the government register of courses for international students).
• The English requirement is higher than for the student visa: for example, IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each skill for tests taken from 7 August 2025.
• The application charge is AUD 5,750 from 1 July 2026.
• The visa cannot be extended. Only a regional graduate may be able to apply for a second one (see below).

Regional study: a possible extra stay

If your degree came from an institution located in a regional area, and you live, work or study in a regional area while on your first 485, you may be able to apply for a Second Post-Higher Education Work visa. That gives you more time to gain the skilled work experience that many permanent visas need. For migration purposes, "regional" covers much more of Australia than small country towns, but Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are not regional. Check the current list of regional postcodes on the Home Affairs website before you choose a campus for this reason.

Choosing a provider safely

Check CRICOS first

Only providers and courses on CRICOS (the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) can enrol international students. Check both the provider and your exact course code.

The government's new powers

The Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025 (Federal Register of Legislation) amended the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act. Its parts cover education agents and commissions, the management of provider applications, automatic cancellation of provider registration and automatic cancellation of specified courses. In simple terms, the government now has stronger tools to act against providers and courses that do not meet standards.

On top of this, from 19 May 2026 to 19 May 2027 there is a 12-month pause on new CRICOS registrations for private vocational (VET) and English (ELICOS) providers and courses. The pause does not affect public universities, TAFE institutes or government schools (Study Australia).

If your course closes

If a provider cannot deliver your course, the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) helps you find another place or get a refund of unused fees. Higher education students with unresolved complaints can go to the National Student Ombudsman.

Your step-by-step timeline

1. 1
   12 months beforeShortlist courses

   Pick 3–5 CRICOS courses that follow logically from your past study. Check entry, fees and the provider's allocation.

2. 2
   10 months beforeBook your English test

   Take an in-person approved test. Aim for 6.5 so you are ready for most universities and later the 485.

3. 3
   8 months beforeApply and get your offer

   Send transcripts, passport and English results. Ask the provider about its processing priority.

4. 4
   6 months beforePrepare money and documents

   Gather bank, income and source-of-funds evidence for AUD 29,710 + first-year fees + travel.

5. 5
   4 months beforePay deposit and get your CoE

   Your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is needed for the visa. Buy Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

6. 6
   3–4 months beforeLodge your visa

   Answer the Genuine Student questions in your own words. Pay the AUD 2,500 charge. Do your health check.

Common myths

Are you ready for Australia?

What to do next

Use our Australia document checklist and the Australia destination page to compare universities and cities. For the latest updates, see our Australia news.