Australia Immigration Changes — September 2026: What Could Change

On September 17, 2026, the Australian government published a list of potential changes that could affect tourist, student, working holiday, graduate, and skilled visas.

In short

• On September 17, 2026, a draft list of possible changes was published — these are not adopted rules yet, just a list still awaiting official confirmation.
• A tourist visa condition banning status changes could close the route of entering on it and later applying for an Onshore Partner visa without leaving the country.
• The student visa may lose the right to bring family — except for PhD and research master’s programs.
• A 35-year age cap for the graduate visa (485) is under discussion, but it won’t apply when enrolling in a research master’s.
• The combination of a research master’s plus graduate visa costs around AUD 60,000 and provides roughly 6 years in the country with full work rights for the applicant and their partner.

What the Australian government published on September 17, 2026

According to the source, on September 17 the Australian government presented a list of potential changes that could affect certain visa types. No official confirmation could be found on the relevant department’s website at the time of publication, so applicants should verify details directly before applying. This is a proposal, not a rule already in force: the list itself notes that the changes are possible, not guaranteed.

This is a proposal, not a rule already in force: the list itself notes that the changes are possible, not guaranteed.

The review could touch the tourist visa, the Working Holiday visa, the student visa, the graduate visa, and the skilled migration visa. The logic behind the package is to keep an applicant aligned with the purpose of the visa they applied for, rather than switching to another category to extend their stay for unrelated purposes.

The rest of this article breaks down the details for each of these visas: what exactly is being proposed and who it would affect first.

Tourist visa and applying for a partner visa from inside Australia

A standard tourist visa can be issued with a special condition: after entering Australia, the holder cannot apply for another visa. If that condition is attached and the applicant needs a different visa, they must request an exemption from that rule.

The issue mainly concerns the partner visa. A common pattern today: a person enters on a tourist visa, marries an Australian partner, and applies for an Onshore Partner visa without leaving the country. While that application is pending, the couple lives together as residents. If the no-other-visa condition is enforced more strictly, this route could close.

Anyone considering this path should check current official sources to confirm whether the condition still applies, and should not delay preparing documents if needed.

A separate discussion concerns an English-language requirement for partner visa applications. This has been discussed for several years, the requirement has never been introduced, and whether it will be introduced now remains unknown. Still, if the partner is an Australian citizen, it makes sense to prepare documents early: given the possible exemption condition, the application process itself may take longer than before.

Working Holiday visa: new quotas for certain countries

Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and other CIS countries have never been on the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for the Working Holiday visa — this change does not concern them at all. The new quotas mainly affect applicants from European countries: the number of places for them is now capped, and even an applicant who fully meets the requirements may not receive the visa simply because the limit has been reached.

Student visa: a ban on bringing family, with an exception for research master’s

Currently, a student can come to Australia and bring family along — a spouse (including without an officially registered marriage) and children. The government is considering a ban on bringing family under the student visa, and a similar restriction could apply to the graduate visa: today a student often applies for it already together with the whole family.

An exception is planned for PhD and research master’s programs — the family rule is not set to change for those. For the market, this restriction would not affect everyone: most students already hold a bachelor’s or specialist degree, and some of them have already confirmed their qualification and are aiming for a research master’s or PhD from the start, meaning conditions stay the same for this group.

Another area of change concerns transfers between courses and visa types. A common pattern today: a student arrives for a master’s program, finishes one semester, realizes they can’t keep up or their English isn’t strong enough, and applies for a different visa under a different course — for example, a vocational education program. The government intends to formally restrict such transfers.

A second area is control over academic performance: all tests and exams must be completed on schedule. There are also plans to restrict cases where a student takes sick leave without documented proof or invents other reasons not to study while still holding on to the visa.

Switching to vocational education: why it’s a risky path

The reason is the gap in levels: a specialist, bachelor’s, or master’s diploma is formally higher than vocational education, which doesn’t even require completed secondary schooling. That gap is exactly what raises questions for the officer reviewing such an application.

Justifying such a move is nearly impossible: it’s hard for someone with a higher education degree to explain to an officer why they suddenly need to drop to a lower level of study. In practice, consultants themselves decline to handle such applications — if it’s clear the goal isn’t study but extending a stay in the country, the program isn’t put together. In very limited cases, vocational education or a bachelor’s program is still offered to those who already hold a specialist diploma, but such applicants have minimal chances of approval.

it’s hard for someone with a higher education degree to explain to an officer why they suddenly need to drop to a lower level of study

Before proposing a course, consultants spend several hours discussing it with each student: going through the program workload, class format, and exam assessment methods — so that the choice of course looks justified rather than a pretext for switching visas.

Skilled migration: priority industries and employer sponsorship

The immigration department identifies priority industries for skilled migration: construction, education, healthcare, as well as agribusiness and agriculture. But a profession outside this list doesn’t close the door: if an applicant has the education and work experience, they need to get their qualification assessed — and it’s worth applying regardless of whether the profession falls into a priority category.

A change to the points system is also being considered: vocational qualifications in construction could be given points equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. This is still a plan, not an adopted rule. Any vocational qualification still has to be verified through a skills assessment — only after that does it become clear how many points the system will award.

A separate route is the employer-sponsored visa, subclasses 482 and 186. If an applicant has an employer willing to cover all the fees, pay a salary in line with a local worker, and sponsor the visa, the chances of approval are higher: the government effectively gives such a candidate priority. The practical takeaway for skilled migration is to get the qualification verified through a skills assessment while simultaneously looking for a sponsoring employer.

What to confirm before applying

• Qualification — through a skills assessment, regardless of whether the profession is on the priority list.
• Employer — for visas 482 and 186, they must be willing to cover the fees and pay a salary no lower than a local worker’s.

Graduate visa (485): a 35-year age cap and an exception via research master’s

The restriction on the graduate visa (485) started being discussed earlier than the other changes: the government plans to stop issuing this visa to applicants over 35. Those aged 35 or younger would still be eligible for the 485 visa — with one exception: the age cap doesn’t apply when enrolling in a research master’s.

The 485 visa doesn’t grant permanent residence — it’s only extra time in the country. It makes the most sense for bachelor’s graduates who need to build experience and get their qualification confirmed in their field. Students who arrive in Australia already holding a bachelor’s degree or a vocational qualification and work experience can move faster: get their qualification assessed back home, enroll directly in a research master’s or PhD in Australia, and apply through Skill Select without waiting to graduate.

The 485 visa doesn’t grant permanent residence — it’s only extra time in the country

Work rights apply from day one of study — on a research master’s program, they’re unrestricted. That’s why it makes sense to start looking for an employer not after finishing the thesis but right from enrollment: build a resume, set up a LinkedIn profile, and attend industry job fairs and interviews alongside classes.

A research master’s by itself usually doesn’t provide a new profession — it’s more of a next step for those already working in their field, for example in project management, who want to move up.

Research master’s in Australia: cost and what it ultimately provides

A research master’s is a research-based graduate degree for those who already hold a bachelor’s or specialist diploma. Unlike a standard program, it grants full work rights not only to the applicant but also to their partner, and children attend school for free.

Such a program costs around AUD 30,000 a year, and it runs for two years. But the visa is issued for a longer period — roughly two years and nine months, sometimes up to three years: that period covers not just the coursework but also the time needed to write the thesis. In effect, the applicant enters Australia once and stays there for nearly three years with work rights for both themselves and their partner.

Once the research master’s is complete, it opens the path to the graduate visa, which is issued for three years. Currently, this visa is granted to the whole family, but under the discussed changes, the research master’s is specifically proposed as an exception to the upcoming family ban: the family would retain the right to enter together with the graduate.

All told, the combination of the master’s program plus graduate visa costs around AUD 60,000 and provides roughly 6 years in Australia with full work rights.

New Zealand as an alternative: comparing duration, cost, and age

New Zealand is considered an alternative to Australia: the country is close by, and its laws, standard of living, and opportunities are largely similar. Most students enroll in a Level 9 master’s, which usually takes a year to a year and a half. Full-time study must run at least 30 weeks — part of the program can be completed online, but this minimum is mandatory.

Unlike the Australian option discussed above, a student can bring a partner and children — children attend state schools for free.

After finishing the master’s, the student and their family apply for New Zealand’s graduate visa. It grants three full years of work rights, during which the holder needs to build up work experience. Whether a job offer from an employer is required or work experience alone is enough depends on which immigration pathway the application goes through.

Immigration to New Zealand is open up to age 55. Tuition is also cheaper: while a research-based master’s in Australia costs AUD 30,000 a year, a year-and-a-half program in New Zealand costs NZD 36,000–38,000 for the entire program.

After obtaining New Zealand citizenship, moving to Australia doesn’t require any visa procedures — arriving is enough. But as Australian rules tighten, moving there may require proving more funds or spending more on education — so for many families who have already relocated, staying in New Zealand remains the more realistic scenario rather than a later move to Australia.

Parameter	Australia (research master’s)	New Zealand
Study duration	not specified in the source material	1–1.5 years, full-time minimum 30 weeks
Cost	AUD 30,000 per year	NZD 36,000–38,000 for the entire program
Family during study	restrictions under discussion	partner and children, free state schools for children
Visa after study	not specified in the source material	graduate visa, 3 years full-time work rights
Age limit	35 for visa 485	55 for immigration overall
Move to Australia	—	no visa procedures after New Zealand citizenship

Australia (research master’s) vs. New Zealand: what to compare before choosing

Parameter	Australia (research master’s)	New Zealand
Study duration	2 years	1–1.5 years, full-time minimum 30 weeks
Cost	~AUD 30,000 per year	NZD 36,000–38,000 for the entire program
Family during study	restrictions under discussion	partner and children, free state schools for children
Visa after study	graduate visa (family ban under discussion)	graduate visa, 3 years full-time work rights
Age limit	35 for visa 485	55 for immigration overall
Move to Australia	—	no visa procedures after New Zealand citizenship

The source material doesn’t give a specific figure for the study duration in Australia or the visa after study.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to a partner visa application already submitted if the changes take effect?

The source material doesn’t address this directly, but the logic of the package is to restrict new attempts to enter on a tourist visa and switch to a partner visa within the country. Anyone who has already applied before the changes take effect should check their status through current official sources rather than assume, and shouldn’t delay preparing documents if the process hasn’t started yet.