Kenyan students in Australia who plan to keep studying now face a different visa process.
New rules from the Department of Home Affairs started on 2 October 2026. They change who can apply for a Student visa (subclass 500) or a Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) from inside Australia, and whether family members can be included.
The rules do not cancel or change any student visa a person already holds. They apply to new applications.
Kenyans in Australia reported last month that student visa tightening was coming as part of a wider package of migration changes. Those changes are now law under the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026.
Applying from inside Australia
Most temporary visa holders in Australia can no longer lodge a Student visa or Student Guardian visa application while they are in the country. Home Affairs lists the affected visas on its Subclass 500 Student visa page.
The rule also covers people who already hold a Student visa and want another one, unless they meet an exemption. It applies too to people on a Student visa as a dependant who want to apply as the main applicant.
Anyone caught by the rule must be outside Australia when they lodge the application and when the visa is granted.
For a Kenyan student finishing a course in Melbourne or Perth, that could mean travelling offshore to apply, adding flights and time away to the cost of further study.
Who is exempt
Home Affairs says a current Student visa holder may still be able to apply for another Student visa in Australia if they:
- need up to 12 more months to finish their course with the same education provider
- are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence
- are applying to study a PhD
- are applying for primary or secondary school studies
- have completed their main course and are moving up to a course at a higher Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level
- have finished school and are moving to a course without an AQF level, or have finished a non-AQF course and are moving to one with an AQF level
- cannot continue their course because their education provider has defaulted.
The progression exemption matters to many Kenyan students. A student moving from a diploma to a bachelor’s degree, or from a bachelor’s to a master’s, may still be able to apply onshore. Home Affairs notes that anyone who completed a higher education course must move into another higher education course with a higher education provider.
Recipients of DFAT-sponsored scholarships may also fall under the DFAT exemption. Australia Awards scholarships for Kenyans are run by DFAT, but readers should confirm with their scholarship administrators how the rule applies to them.
Bringing family
The second major change affects partners and children.
Student visa applicants can no longer include family members in their application unless an exemption applies. This includes applications for a further Student visa.
Current Student visa holders can also no longer add family members after their visa has been granted. Home Affairs says there are no exemptions to this rule.
Family members can still be included at the time of application for applicants who are studying a PhD, sponsored by DFAT or Defence, receiving a foreign government scholarship, or eligible students from a Pacific or ASEAN country.
Kenya is in neither the Pacific nor ASEAN group. For most Kenyan coursework students, that means a partner or children can no longer come to Australia on the student’s visa unless another exemption applies.
Students who already have family members on their current Student visa, and are applying in Australia, may be able to include them in their next application.
Applications already lodged
Applications lodged before 2 October 2026, including those with family members, will be assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged.
The bigger picture
The changes sit alongside other settings for international education. The Australian Government has kept its 2027 National Planning Level at 295,000 new international student commencements, the same as 2026. The government says this figure is not a cap on student numbers.
The Department of Home Affairs advises students to understand the new requirements before enrolling in a course, making travel or relocation plans, or applying for a visa.
Every situation is different. Kenyan students who are unsure whether an exemption applies should check the Home Affairs Subclass 500 Student visa page or speak with a registered migration agent or lawyer.
This article provides general information only and is not migration advice.