AuzRoo Immigration Consultants

06/10/2026

Student visa rules changed on 2 October 2026.

If you are already here on a student visa and you want your next one, you now usually have to apply from outside Australia. You also have to be outside the country when it is granted. No bridging visa, no waiting here.

Family can no longer join you later. They apply at the same time as you, or not at all.

If you hold a 417, 462, 482, 407, 408, 400 or 457, you cannot lodge a student application inside Australia at all. Try it and it is not refused, it is invalid. No decision, nothing to appeal.

Lodged before 2 October? The old rules still cover you.

Full details and the government sources on our website.

From 2 October 2026 most student visa holders must apply for their next student visa from outside Australia, and be outside when it is granted. Lodging from the wrong place makes the application invalid. What changed, who is exempt, and what is still not law.

18/09/2026

Big changes were announced on 17 September, and several were reported wrongly.

We read the full transcript. Here is what it actually says.

Students can no longer bring family. Neither can graduate visa holders, so the 485 is included. The exceptions are narrow: Pacific, ASEAN, and courses such as a PhD.

Students can only move up the qualification scale. Sideways moves at the same level end.

The third year backpacker visa drops from 31,000 people to 5,000 places, by ballot.

Visitor visas will carry no further stay, so applying onshore stops working.

Nobody already here with family gets separated.

Full breakdown, including what is still unknown and what to do this month.

Several widely reported details about the 17 September announcement are wrong. Here is what the transcript actually says about student and graduate family visas, the qualification scale, the backpacker ballot and the code for migration agents.

05/09/2026

Big update for international students: the Graduate Diploma of Management (BSB80120) is being closed to new international students from 5 October 2026. It had become a "parking spot" for visas — enrolments jumped from around 500 to nearly 4,000, and almost half never even started studying.

Already commenced? You can finish with your provider. Got a CoE but haven't begun? It's cancelled on the 5th, with no new enrolments after. Don't wait — confirm you've officially commenced and check how any course change affects your visa conditions.

Not sure of your pathway? Book a consult with AuzRoo and we'll help you find a genuine, long-term option that protects your visa.

General info only — not migration advice. MARN 2518975.

05/09/2026

Important if you are studying, or planning to study, the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning), course code BSB80120.

The government has closed this course to new international students. The change starts on 5 October 2026.

If you have already started, you can finish with your current provider.

If you hold a CoE but have not started by 5 October, you cannot start, and your CoE is cancelled on that date.

If it sits later in a package, the rest of your package may continue. Check with your provider.

Two things to do this week. Ask your provider in writing whether you are recorded as commenced. And before you accept any replacement course, check what it does to your student visa, including the AQF level.

Full explanation with all the dates:
https://auzroo.com.au/gdml-course-cancelled/

Not sure where you stand? Book a consultation and bring your CoE, your visa grant letter and your course dates.

A single sentence in a legislative instrument closed BSB80120 to new international students. Here is what it says, the date that actually matters, and what it means depending on where you stand.

24/08/2026

The NT announced its 2026/27 allocation on 20 August, and the program is open now.

1,850 places, up from 1,650. Sounds good, but the split matters more than the total.

Subclass 190, permanent: 850 places. Same as last year.
Subclass 491, provisional: 1,000 places, up from 800.

Every extra place went into the provisional visa, which needs three years living and working in the Territory before a PR pathway opens.

Also worth knowing, the main offshore stream closed on opening day due to a backlog.

No invitation rounds either. First in, first served. Last year the places were gone in about six months.

Full breakdown:

The Northern Territory has 1,850 nomination places this year, up from 1,650. All of the increase went into the provisional 491, and one of the main offshore streams is already closed.

19/08/2026

Visa charges changed on 1 July. Here's what each one actually costs in 2026-27.

The number you see quoted is for one person only. Adding a partner or child costs more — and on the Skills in Demand visa (482), adding a spouse costs the full AUD 4,015 again, not half.

Worth knowing:
• Partner visa (820/801 and 309/100) — AUD 11,710
• Skilled visas (189/190/491) — AUD 6,135 to 6,140
• Student visa (500) — AUD 2,500
• Graduate visa (485) — AUD 5,750
• Visitor visa (600) — AUD 250 from overseas, AUD 630 from inside Australia

Every figure checked against the Department of Home Affairs pricing table.

Full breakdown:

The 2026-27 visa application charges read straight off the Department of Home Affairs pricing table, including the additional applicant charges most fee guides leave out.

17/08/2026

The ACT replaced its migration application portal in July, and a few of the changes have deadlines attached.

If you have a Canberra Matrix in the system: your submission transferred across, but it's read-only. You'll need a new portal account using your original email address.

If you're submitting a new one: the $25 Matrix fee has to be paid within 7 days or the submission lapses and won't be ranked.

Also worth knowing — the 2025-26 allocation is fully used, and the ACT hasn't received its 2026-27 allocation yet. No round dates published for this year.

I've written up what changed and what to do about it 👇

The ACT migration portal was replaced in July 2026. Matrix fees are now split, transferred submissions cannot be edited, and the 2026-27 allocation is pending.

16/08/2026

🇦🇺 September 189 Visa Invitation Round Update!

Skilled Independent visa invitations may offer eligible professionals a pathway to Australian permanent residency—without state or employer sponsorship.

Check your occupation, points score and overall eligibility before the next invitation round.

📞 0450 313 245
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.auzroo.com.au
MARN: 2518975

General information only. Invitation outcomes are not guaranteed.

14/08/2026

Your top ACT (Canberra Matrix) nomination questions — answered 👇

Does updating your Matrix reset your ranking date? Do you have to start again on the new portal? Can you still get invited with no job offer? And do you need an EOI first?

Book a consult with AuzRoo and we'll map your best path.

General info only — not migration advice. MARN 2518975.

13/08/2026

Applying for a Subclass 482? These 3 mistakes get visas refused every day — even for people who actually qualify 👇

1️⃣ The position isn't convincing — the role must look genuine and match a real business need
2️⃣ Your skills don't match the job — your qualifications and work history must line up with the nominated occupation
3️⃣ Weak evidence — missing documents or details that don't match across your forms

The fix? Get it right before you lodge. AuzRoo Immigration Consultants can check your case and help you avoid these traps — DM us or book a consult.

General information only — not personal migration advice. MARN 2518975.