17/09/2026
π¨ Australia just tightened the rules on three major visas: Student (500), Graduate (485), and Working Holiday (WHV).
Here's what changed after Tony Burke's National Press Club address:
π New 500 & 485 visa applications can no longer include a partner or children as dependents. Exceptions apply for Pacific and ASEAN nationals, and PhD/research students.
π Students can no longer downgrade to a lower level course on the same visa.
π WHV 2nd & 3rd year applications now face a cap, likely by ballot. Processing has already slowed since July.
π Visitor (600) visas will carry Condition 8503 (no further stay), blocking onshore transfer to another visa.
Important: none of this applies retroactively. If you're already in Australia on one of these visas, your current conditions stand. The changes apply when you apply new, renew, or switch visa subclass.
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