Planning to study in Australia from Vietnam? Three proposed changes to watch

News · 2026-08-28 · 3 min read

Do you want to study in Australia? Maybe you hope your husband, wife or children can come too. Then please read this. Australia is thinking about new student visa rules. These are ideas for now, not final rules. But they may change your plans.

Why this round is different

In the last two years, Australia made study harder to enter. It asked students to show more money. It raised English requirements. It slowed visas for schools that took too many students. Those steps were about who can come. The new ideas are about life after you arrive.

First idea: fewer visa applications from inside Australia

Today, some students apply for a new student visa while they are in Australia. Under the idea, this may stop. You may need to leave Australia first. Many students use the current way to stay longer or to change schools.

Second idea: fewer students can bring family

Only some students may keep the right to bring a partner or children. These are postgraduate research students, students with a government scholarship, and students from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste. Other students would study alone.

Third idea: harder to change course

Some students start at a university and then move to a cheaper vocational course, called VET. This could become much harder.

Other countries are doing the same

The United Kingdom made almost the same rule on student family members in January 2024. Canada has capped study permits and asked for more proof of money. If Australia follows, these three big English-speaking countries will be close to each other. Bringing family while you study may no longer be a special reason to choose Australia.

Why Australia wants this

Australia wants fewer people to arrive overall. It forecasts net overseas migration of 225,000 by 2027/28. At the peak, in 2022/23, it was 538,000. International students are one of the biggest groups, so they are an easy place to make changes. A government minister has said Australia will not go back to a model that is only about big numbers.

Universities have answered carefully. Universities Australia says fewer students will hurt more than just university budgets. The Group of Eight says there is a difference between volume and value. It agrees quality matters, but it does not want rules that treat every school and student the same.

What you can do now

Check your course type. A research degree may keep family rights, but a coursework master's may not.
Think about changing courses. If you plan to move from a university to VET later, you may need a new plan.
Watch the dates. The student visa part is moving faster, with the wider announcement expected the next month. If you are about to apply, check the news often.

Prepare and stay safe

Keep your documents ready. Get certified English translations of Vietnamese documents when the visa rules ask. Take IELTS or PTE if your course or visa needs it. If a police certificate is requested, Vietnamese citizens usually need the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2).

Be careful with study agents you do not know. Deal only with licensed organisations and real schools. Never pay an unlicensed broker, and be wary of anyone who asks for money upfront to secure a place or visa. Check the official English language page for test rules.

Australia wants more control of migration, and student life is changing. Plan early and ask good questions before you pay for a course.

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