# Australia Visa News for Indians: 2026 Rule Changes > Seven dated rule changes from Home Affairs, from new visa charges and salary thresholds to the 2 October 2026 student rules, and what each means for Indian applicants. _Published: 2026-10-18 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1188_ ## TL;DR Since 1 July 2026, Australia's Visitor visa costs AUD 250 when applied for outside Australia and the Student visa AUD 2,500, and sponsored-worker salary thresholds rose to AUD 79,423 and AUD 146,576. From 2 October 2026 most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia and most applicants cannot include family members. ## Key takeaways - 2 October 2026: most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia, and most applicants can no longer include family members. - 1 July 2026: Visitor visa AUD 250 (outside Australia); Student visa AUD 2,500 for the main applicant. - 1 July 2026: Core Skills Income Threshold AUD 79,423; Specialist Skills Income Threshold AUD 146,576. - 21 January 2026: TOEFL iBT takers must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' for the score to count. - Indian student visa grant rate offshore fell to 59.5% in October-December 2025, from 79.9% a year earlier. **The biggest 2026 Australian visa changes for Indians: since 1 July 2026 the Visitor visa costs AUD 250 when applied for outside Australia and the Student visa AUD 2,500, and from 2 October 2026 most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia, according to the Department of Home Affairs.** ## Article This roundup lists every dated change in our Australia dataset from August 2025 to October 2026, then explains what each one means if you are an Indian visitor, student or skilled worker. All items are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For the full visa overview, see our Australia visa guide for Indians. ### What changed, and when? The official timeline DateChangeWho it affects2 October 2026Most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia; most applicants can no longer include family membersStudents1 July 2026New charges: Visitor visa AUD 250 (outside Australia); Student visa AUD 2,500 (AUD 2,050 for standalone ELICOS or Non-Award courses)Visitors, students1 July 2026Core Skills Income Threshold AUD 79,423; Specialist Skills Income Threshold AUD 146,576Sponsored workers21 January 2026TOEFL iBT takers must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when registeringTest takers14 November 2025Offshore Student visa applications processed under Ministerial Direction 115Students1 November 2025MATES ballot opened for 2025-26 (until 14 December 2025), up to 3,000 placesIndian graduates7 August 2025New English test score tables for Student visasStudents ### What do the 2 October 2026 student rules mean for Indians? Two things changed for applications lodged from 2 October 2026: - Where you apply: most Student visa applications must now be lodged outside Australia. - Family members: most applicants can no longer include family members. Exemptions include PhD students, DFAT- or Defence-sponsored students and holders of fully funded foreign-government scholarships. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules. Separately, offshore applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are processed under Ministerial Direction 115, which replaced Ministerial Direction 111. The other student requirements have not moved: a Confirmation of Enrolment for every course, the Genuine Student requirement, Overseas Student Health Cover and, if the Document Checklist Tool asks, funds including 12 months' living costs of AUD 29,710 for the student. Home Affairs data show why Indian students should prepare carefully. The grant rate for Student visas for Indian citizens applying outside Australia was 59.5% in October-December 2025 (grants as a percentage of grants plus refusals), down from 79.9% in the same quarter of 2024. That is a record of past decisions, not a prediction. ### How much do Australian visas cost after 1 July 2026? Home Affairs charges in AUD and publishes no INR amounts. Current base charges for the visas Indians use most: VisaBase charge (main applicant)Visitor (subclass 600), Tourist stream, applied outside AustraliaAUD 250Visitor (subclass 600), Tourist stream, applied in AustraliaAUD 630Student (subclass 500)AUD 2,500Temporary Graduate (subclass 485)AUD 5,750Skills in Demand (subclass 482)AUD 4,015Work and Holiday (subclass 462), first visaAUD 840Skilled Independent (subclass 189)AUD 6,135For visitors, note that family members cannot be included in one application: each person, including children, applies and pays separately. ### What are the new salary thresholds for sponsored workers? For employer nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027: - Core Skills Income Threshold: AUD 79,423, up from AUD 76,515. It applies to the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Core Skills stream and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Direct Entry stream. - Specialist Skills Income Threshold: AUD 146,576, up from AUD 141,210, for the Specialist Skills stream. Your salary must also meet the annual market rate, although employers paying AUD 250,000 or more do not need to show it. Indians remain the largest group of temporary skilled workers: 6,220 primary subclass 482 visas went to Indian citizens from 1 July to 31 December 2025, 18.1% of all primary grants. ### Which English-test rules changed? - Student visas (tests on or after 7 August 2025): the standard minimum is IELTS 6.0, PTE Academic 47 or TOEFL iBT 67. Fully online or at-home tests, such as IELTS Online, are not accepted. - TOEFL registration (from 21 January 2026): select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when you register, or the test is not valid for Australian visa purposes. - Temporary Graduate visa (tests on or after 7 August 2025): IELTS overall 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component, or PTE Academic 55. - Skills in Demand visa (tests on or after 13 September 2025): at least IELTS 5.0 in each component unless exempt. ### Where do the MATES and Work and Holiday ballots stand? MATES (subclass 403) is an India-only scheme for graduates and early-career professionals, with up to 3,000 primary places per program year. Registration for 2025-26 ran from 1 November to 14 December 2025. Applicants must be aged 18 to 30, have graduated within 2 years from a Top 100 institution in India's NIRF 2024 rankings in a listed field, and pay a AUD 25 registration fee. Work and Holiday (subclass 462) registration for Indian passport holders for 2026-27 ran from 4 to 25 June 2026 and is closed. Random selections run from 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027, with rounds on 10 August and 25 September 2026 and a third round to be announced. If selected, you have 28 calendar days to apply. The annual cap for India is 1,000 first visas, and the ballot needs a valid PAN card; Aadhaar is not accepted. ### What has not changed for Indian visitors? - There is still no visa on arrival, and Indian passports remain ineligible for the ETA and eVisitor. - Applications are made online in ImmiAccount, mandatory since 30 September 2021, and the visa is digitally linked to your passport. - India is not on the list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centre countries (March 2026); Home Affairs tells you if biometrics are needed. - The global guide shows 50% of Tourist stream applications decided in 21 days and 90% in 33 days. New rules do not change the basics of a visitor file. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares verifiable flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us. ### Frequently asked questions #### Does Australia publish visa fees in Indian rupees? No. Home Affairs charges and publishes visa fees in AUD only, so the INR cost depends on your card's exchange rate on the day you pay. The Visitor visa base charge applied for outside Australia is AUD 250. #### Do Indians need to give biometrics for an Australian visa? Only if the Department asks. Home Affairs tells you if biometrics are needed, and India is not on its list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centre countries (correct as of March 2026). #### Are student applications lodged before 2 October 2026 affected by the new rules? No. Home Affairs says applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules. The new rules, which require most applications to be lodged outside Australia and stop most applicants including family members, apply from that date. #### Where can I check Australian visa changes officially? Use the Department of Home Affairs pages: the Student visa (subclass 500) page for student rule changes, the salary requirements page for income thresholds, and the Federal Register of Legislation for visa charges from 1 July 2026. ## FAQ ### Does Australia publish visa fees in Indian rupees? No. Home Affairs charges and publishes visa fees in AUD only, so the INR cost depends on your card's exchange rate on the day you pay. The Visitor visa base charge applied for outside Australia is AUD 250. ### Do Indians need to give biometrics for an Australian visa? Only if the Department asks. Home Affairs tells you if biometrics are needed, and India is not on its list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centre countries (correct as of March 2026). ### Are student applications lodged before 2 October 2026 affected by the new rules? No. Home Affairs says applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules. The new rules, which require most applications to be lodged outside Australia and stop most applicants including family members, apply from that date. ### Where can I check Australian visa changes officially? Use the Department of Home Affairs pages: the Student visa (subclass 500) page for student rule changes, the salary requirements page for income thresholds, and the Federal Register of Legislation for visa charges from 1 July 2026. ## Sources 1. [Student visa (subclass 500)](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia 2. [Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00874/asmade/2026-06-30/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html) — Federal Register of Legislation, Australia 3. [Salary requirements (CSIT, SSIT, TSMIT)](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/sponsoring-workers/nominating-a-position/salary-requirements) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia 4. [Student and temporary graduate visa program report, 31 December 2025](https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/student-temporary-grad-program-report-dec-2025.pdf) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia