New visa rules in Australia from October 2: No more visa hopping for international students, agents selling ‘false hope’ under scrutiny

Australia unveiled its new visa rules effective from October 2, 2026 which will put a stop to “permanently temporary migration” and will also crack down on visa agents and immigration lawyers who are selling “false hope” to foreigners about how they can continue to live in Australia. International students can’t keep on studying in Australia just to stay in the country and now they will have to apply for a separate visa if they want to transfer courses. Also, one can’t apply for a lower-grade course after completing a higher-grade course only to remain in Australia on a student visa. This means a student can’t switch to vocational training from a bachelor’s or master’s degree because it is then evident that they just want a visa to stay in Australia.