If you were planning to apply for a Training visa (subclass 407) from inside Australia, the rules are about to change. New regulations registered on 30/10/2026 mean that, from 12/11/2026, most applicants must be outside Australia when they apply and when the visa is granted. For students, graduates, and other temporary visa holders in Brisbane who saw the 407 as a next step, that is a significant shift with a short lead time. This guide explains what the Training Visa 407 changes 2026 actually say, who may be affected, and what to think about before 12/11/2026. Information current as at 02/11/2026. Migration outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Visa criteria may change.
The Training visa (subclass 407) covers workplace-based and professional development training in Australia, according to the Department of Home Affairs. It is a temporary visa that depends on a sponsor, and the Department requires an approved sponsor nomination before an application is made.
Since the student visa changes of 02/10/2026 limited who can lodge another student visa onshore, some people have looked at the 407 as an alternative. The explanatory statement for the new regulations says the changes will make it clear that the 407 "is not intended as a mechanism for extending a non-citizen's stay in Australia". That sentence explains the policy direction behind everything that follows.
The Department states the change plainly on its page about the new rules: "Applicants must be outside Australia when they apply for a Training visa and when we grant it." (Source: Changes to Training visa application rules, last updated 30/10/2026.)
The legal source is the Migration Amendment (Training Visas, Application Requirements) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01449), which commence on 12 November 2026. They do two things:
They change the application requirement in Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994, so that an applicant, unless a specified exception applies, "must be outside Australia" when applying.
They change clause 407.411 of Schedule 2, so that, unless the exception applies, "the applicant must be outside Australia at the time of grant".
The regulations apply to visa applications made on or after 12/11/2026. They are not retrospective: the Department confirms that valid applications lodged before that date are assessed under the rules in place at lodgement.
The regulations include a pathway for exceptions. An applicant who is in a class of persons specified by the Minister in a legislative instrument, made under subregulation 2.07(5), may be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance. The explanatory statement gives two examples of where onshore applications may be justified: occupation sectors with genuine skills needs, and cases involving maintaining family unity.
As at 02/11/2026, we could not locate a registered instrument on legislation.gov.au specifying any such class. That means no one should assume they will fall within an exception. We will not guess which visa holders may be exempt; if an instrument is registered, the Department's page and legislation.gov.au are where it will appear.
Anyone in Australia who wants to apply for a Training visa on or after 12/11/2026, and who is not in a specified class, would have to leave Australia first. In practice, that may include:
international students and recent graduates who had planned a 407 as an onshore next step;
working holiday makers and other temporary visa holders considering a change of visa;
employees of Brisbane businesses whose employer planned to sponsor them as trainees; and
Queensland employers who sponsor trainees and need to plan timing around the change.
The Department also warns that applying from inside Australia after the change makes the application invalid, even if ImmiAccount accepts the submission. It adds that a decision that an application is invalid cannot be merits reviewed, and that an invalid application can affect your visa status. That last point is why getting advice before lodging matters.
It is also worth remembering that the Department describes this change as part of a package aimed at "visa hopping", where successive temporary visa applications are made in Australia. The explanatory statement notes that merits review remains available to non-citizens who have been refused the grant of a Subclass 407 visa, but that is different from an application that was never valid in the first place. Checking validity before you lodge is therefore as important as checking eligibility.
Since the changes of 11/03/2026, the Department states that applicants must wait for sponsor approval and an approved nomination before applying, unless the sponsor is a Commonwealth agency. If you are an employer planning to sponsor a trainee, that sequencing is worth building into your timeline now.
The Department also notes that, for an application lodged outside Australia, no Bridging visa is issued. It says people may travel to Australia on another valid visa while a 407 application is processed, subject to that visa's conditions, and that processing times vary, so return travel should not be booked on an expected grant date. If you are currently relying on a Bridging visa, our article on visa hopping and onshore options for international students explains why lawful status needs close attention.
The Department says the new rules will not apply to a valid application lodged before 12/11/2026. For someone who already has an approved nomination and meets the requirements, a decision-ready application lodged before that date is a different position from one lodged after it. The window is under two weeks, and a rushed or incomplete application carries its own risk, so the decision should be made with the full picture.
If the date is missed, the realistic options are to apply from outside Australia, to consider whether another visa suits your circumstances, or to wait and see whether a class is specified. Each option has consequences for your current visa, your work or study rights and your plans, which is why individual advice matters. Our overview of services we offer shows how we assist with temporary and sponsored visa strategy.
For employers, the change affects timing rather than whether a trainee can ever be sponsored. A sponsor who intended to bring a trainee onto a 407 from within Australia may need to plan for that person to be offshore at application and at grant. That affects start dates, workforce planning and any training schedule, so it is sensible to confirm your nomination status, your training plan and the trainee's current visa conditions together.
For trainees, the key questions are practical. What visa do you hold now, and when does it end? Has your sponsor's nomination been approved? Would leaving Australia affect any pending application or plans? These are individual questions, and the answers differ between a student, a graduate and a working holiday maker.
Migration Star is a registered migration practice in Brisbane, and our principal agent is Rohit Sharma, MARA No. 1797395. If you are weighing a Training visa before or after 12/11/2026, a 30-minute Migration Consultation ($165) is a practical way to talk through your visa history, your sponsor's position and your options, subject to Department requirements. You can also call us on 07 3519 5619 or visit Level 2, 8 Clunies Ross Court, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113. Book your consultation at https://www.migrationstar.com.au/book-a-consultation
Information current as at 02/11/2026. Migration Star is a registered migration practice. Principal agent Rohit Sharma, MARA No. 1797395. Migration outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Visa criteria may change. This article is general information only and does not constitute migration advice. For advice on your specific situation, book a consultation at migrationstar.com.au.
Migration Star | MARA No. 1797395 | migrationstar.com.au | 07 3519 5619