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15 Oct 2026
Australia student visa changes

Australia Student Visa Changes From 2 October 2026

Categories Study Abroad, Visa Updates

New Australia student visa changes took effect on 2 October 2026. Most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa from inside Australia, and most new international students can no longer include family members in their application. The rules are set out on the Australian government’s Study Australia site. Current Student visa holders are not affected, and applications lodged before 2 October are assessed under the old rules.

In this report

Who can no longer apply from inside Australia

According to Study Australia, working holiday and Skills in Demand visa holders are among those who must now apply from overseas, and they must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Student visa holders generally cannot lodge another Student visa application onshore either. The exemptions listed include students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence, doctoral, primary and secondary study, students who need up to 12 more months with the same provider, those moving from a completed course to a higher level, and cases where a provider has defaulted. ICEF Monitor reports that the list of affected visa classes widened between the 17 September announcement and the start date.

Family members

For a first or further Student visa, family members generally cannot be included unless an exemption applies. Study Australia lists doctoral students, nationals of Pacific and ASEAN countries, recipients of fully funded foreign government scholarships, and DFAT or Defence-sponsored students. Families already in Australia can be included in a new application if they were on the earlier visa or application before 2 October and the student is eligible to apply onshore. Family members cannot be added after a Student visa is granted, and that rule has no exemptions. ICEF notes that one source describes the dependant restriction as having “no exceptions” while listing exemptions, so rely on the government wording.

Consider a hypothetical case. Arjun is an Indian master’s applicant who planned to bring his spouse. Unless he qualifies for an exemption, such as a doctoral place or a qualifying scholarship, the new rules mean he should plan on applying without her. He should confirm his category on the government site or with a registered migration agent before paying any fee.

Changing providers

ICEF reports that non-school students must now stay with their principal course provider for 12 months before transferring, up from six, until a new transfer stream begins on 1 July 2027. Transfers are limited to courses at the same level or higher, and moving from higher education to vocational training onshore is no longer allowed. Business Today reports the same 12-month rule. If a course or provider turns out to be unsuitable, you may have to stay enrolled longer before moving.

What is still to come

Study Australia says a Transfer stream within the Student visa is planned, with details still in development. Family restrictions for Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) applicants will also be introduced, with no timing given. The page adds that the 485 application charge rose to A$5,750 on 1 July 2026, with applicants from Pacific Island countries, Timor-Leste and ASEAN states excluded from the increase. For earlier changes, see our reports on Australian visa application charges and the skilled visa salary thresholds.

What applicants should do

Check whether you are inside or outside Australia when you plan to lodge, whether you fit an exemption, and whether your family can travel with you. Keep evidence of any earlier lodgement date. If you are comparing destinations, our visa eligibility checker can help you check your options. Anything that depends on your own circumstances is a question for a registered migration agent.

Australia student visa questions

When did the Australia student visa changes start?

They took effect on 2 October 2026 for applications lodged from that date. Applications lodged earlier are assessed under the rules at lodgement.

Can a visitor or working holiday maker apply for a Student visa in Australia now?

Generally no. Study Australia says most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa while in Australia and must apply from overseas.

Can I bring my family on a Student visa?

Generally not, unless an exemption applies. Study Australia lists doctoral students, Pacific and ASEAN nationals, some fully funded foreign government scholarship holders and DFAT or Defence-sponsored students.

Can I add family after my visa is granted?

No. Study Australia says family members cannot be added after a Student visa is granted and that this rule has no exemptions.

How long must I stay with my provider before switching?

ICEF reports 12 months for non-school students until 1 July 2027, when a new transfer stream starts.

Are current Student visa holders affected?

Study Australia says current Student visa holders are not affected by these changes.

Sources

14 Oct 2026
Oman free zone regulations

Oman Free Zone Regulations: What Foreign Investors Get

Categories Business

Oman has issued new Oman free zone regulations that bring its 2025 law on special economic and free zones into operation. Gulf News reported on 20 September 2026 that the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) issued them as Resolution No. 81/2026, implementing Royal Decree No. 38/2025. For foreign founders and property investors, the rules cover ownership, residency, licensing and buyer safeguards. The report does not state an effective date, so confirm that with OPAZ.

What this covers

Ownership and capital

The underlying law lets foreign investors hold 100 percent of operators, enterprises and real estate developers, according to a KPMG Oman summary of the law. Enterprises and developers are exempt from a minimum capital requirement, subject to approvals. Developers may sell units to non-Omanis on a freehold basis. Gulf News says the new regulations let expatriates acquire freehold ownership of units in qualifying developments and cover licensing for projects and off-plan sales.

Tax and customs incentives

KPMG describes a 10-year income tax exemption from the start of commercial operations. It may be extended twice for activities of a special nature, which the executive regulations are to specify. The exemption excludes banks, financial institutions, insurers and reinsurers, telecommunications companies, construction companies, and land and maritime transport companies. Goods moving into or out of the zones are not subject to customs duties. Existing incentives and approvals for current operators stay in place until their operating periods end.

Gulf News says the new framework also covers incentives and exemptions, but its article gives no figures. Founders should read the Royal Decree text on the OPAZ website and the resolution itself rather than rely on summaries.

Licensing and residency

A digital one-stop shop is the main channel for investor services. According to Gulf News, applications for land, property, licences, approvals, permits and certificates go through it, with electronic links to government authorities. KPMG adds that a branch of the Directorate General of Passports and Civil Status will sit in each zone to issue visas, permits and clearances to non-Omanis on site.

The residency provisions apply to expatriate investors, foreign property owners and their spouses and first-degree relatives, subject to the applicable legislation. The article gives no thresholds, durations or fees, so none can be quoted here.

Buyer safeguards

For anyone buying off plan, the safeguards matter most. Gulf News reports that developers must meet financial and technical conditions before marketing units, and that withdrawals from escrow accounts are regulated. These are conditions on the developer, not guarantees to the buyer, so due diligence on the developer and the project licence is still necessary.

What is still unclear

Several points remain open. The Gulf News report gives no effective date and no numerical thresholds. KPMG notes that the law’s executive regulations were expected within one year of issuance and would set timelines, transitional rules and qualifying conditions. A hypothetical founder, such as a Nigerian entrepreneur planning a logistics or light-manufacturing business, would need to check three things before committing: which zone is open for licensing, whether the planned activity falls under an excluded sector, and what residency route applies to the founder’s family.

For comparison with other Gulf jurisdictions, read our guides to the UAE commercial companies law amendments and Saudi company registration for non-Saudi firms. Our company formation page explains the setup options we cover, and the visa eligibility checker can help with the residency side.

Oman free zone questions

Who issued the new Oman free zone regulations?

The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones issued them as Resolution No. 81/2026, according to Gulf News.

Can foreigners own 100 percent of a company in Oman’s free zones?

KPMG’s summary of Royal Decree 38/2025 says foreign investors may hold 100 percent of operators, enterprises and real estate developers.

Is there a tax exemption?

KPMG describes a 10-year income tax exemption from the start of commercial operations, extendable twice for special activities, with exclusions such as banks, insurers and telecoms.

Can expatriates buy freehold property?

Gulf News says the regulations let expatriates acquire freehold ownership of units in qualifying developments.

When do the regulations take effect?

The Gulf News report does not state an effective date. Check with OPAZ.

Sources

14 Oct 2026
UK Erasmus+ visa rules

UK Erasmus+ Visa Rules: What Changed on 8 October 2026

Categories Study Abroad, Uk

New UK Erasmus+ visa rules took effect on 8 October 2026, preparing the immigration system for the UK’s return to the exchange programme. The changes sit in Statement of Changes HC 584, laid on 3 September 2026, and they cover visitors, sponsored students and the Government Authorised Exchange scheme. The explanatory memorandum says the UK and the EU agreed association to Erasmus+ in 2027, so the visa rules arrive first.

In this guide

Visitors on Erasmus+ projects

According to the memorandum, visitors may study at state-funded schools and academies on Erasmus+ projects for placements of up to six months. Participants under 18 need permission from a parent or guardian and from their home institution. Erasmus+ participants may also join training, courses, traineeships of up to 30 days, job shadowing and sports coaching. Host organisations do not need to sponsor Erasmus+ visitors.

Separately, the changes let all visitors take part in workshops, debates and skills competitions, per the summary from Lewis Silkin. Visitors coming for training no longer need to show the training is unavailable in their home country.

Sponsored students

The student route is adapted in several ways. Erasmus+ students can be sponsored even when the course does not lead to an approved qualification. Sponsorship may cover courses at RQF level 2, but only for Erasmus+ participants at participating sponsors. Erasmus+ courses can include work placements from the start, even for sponsors on probationary status, and are exempt from the usual placement-length limits. Hosts must hold a valid student sponsor licence.

The Government Authorised Exchange change

Erasmus+ is added to the list of Government Authorised Exchange schemes. The memorandum calls this facilitative: it creates no new route and does not change how sponsorship works. The Department for Education endorses the scheme, and IRARA Services Ltd, appointed by the department, acts as overarching sponsor. The memorandum expects significant growth in exchange visas from a base of 7,235 in the year ending March 2026.

Consider a hypothetical case. Beatriz is a Brazilian master’s student whose university is in a partner arrangement under the programme. Once the UK is associated, she might spend a term at a UK university. The route would not need a standard multi-year study visa for a short exchange, but the exact route depends on the course and sponsor. She would check the sponsor’s licence and the length of her placement first.

Other changes from 8 October

The same statement carries other rule changes unrelated to Erasmus+. Skilled Workers recognised as modern slavery victims may gain wider work rights after a positive Conclusive Grounds decision, as Free Movement reports. Biometrics rules for varied applications and fee-waiver rules for extensions also changed for applications made on or after 8 October. Read the statement of changes itself for the exact wording.

What exchange students should do

Do not book travel on the strength of a summary. The association itself takes effect in 2027, and the memorandum does not give a specific start date. Check with your home university, which will know the date it can nominate students, and with the UK host, which must hold the right sponsor licence for student-route placements. Students comparing the UK with other options can read our guide to the Graduate Route changes from January 2027, our report on ETA enforcement for visa-exempt travellers and our deadline guide for the Chevening scholarship. A quick check on your own case is available through our visa eligibility checker.

UK Erasmus+ questions

When do the UK Erasmus+ visa rules start?

The rule changes apply to applications and entries from 8 October 2026, under Statement of Changes HC 584.

When does the UK rejoin Erasmus+?

The explanatory memorandum says the UK will associate from 2027. It does not give a more specific date.

Can Erasmus+ students be sponsored for non-qualification courses?

Yes. The student route now allows sponsorship even when the course does not lead to an approved qualification.

Do UK hosts need to sponsor Erasmus+ visitors?

No. The memorandum says hosts do not need to sponsor Erasmus+ visitors.

How long can a visitor attend a UK school on Erasmus+?

Visitors may study at state-funded schools and academies on Erasmus+ projects for up to six months.

Sources

14 Oct 2026
Express Entry PNP draw

Express Entry PNP Draw: 752 Invitations at CRS 772

Categories Canada, Immigration

The latest Express Entry PNP draw on 13 October 2026 invited 752 provincial nominees with a lowest Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 772. It was round 448 and the 60th round of the year, according to Immigration.ca. The figures below come from immigration news sites that republish Canada’s round data; the official record is IRCC’s Express Entry rounds page, and you should check it before you act.

What this covers

The 13 October Express Entry PNP draw

Both Immigration.ca and Immigration News Canada report the same numbers: 752 invitations, a minimum CRS of 772, and a draw time of about 10:26 UTC on 13 October. Only candidates with a valid provincial nomination are eligible for this type of round.

Why the cut-off is so high

A provincial nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s CRS score. That is why PNP draws show cut-offs in the 700s while other draws sit far lower. A cut-off of 772 does not mean a nominee needed a perfect profile. It means candidates with a nomination and a strong base score were invited first.

How recent PNP draws compare

The same source lists earlier PNP rounds this year. On 4 August, 507 invitations went out at a cut-off of 768. On 17 August it was 442 at 760. On 31 August it was 562 at 697. On 14 September it was 576 at 734, and on 28 September it was 733 at 725. The 13 October draw therefore has both the largest invitation count and the highest cut-off in this run of five.

Non-PNP rounds show a different picture. Immigration.ca lists a Canadian Experience Class draw on 29 September with a cut-off of 518, and a trades draw on 1 October at 476. Candidates without a nomination should compare themselves with those draws, not with PNP results.

The tie-breaking rule

When several candidates share the lowest score, Express Entry ranks them by when their profile was submitted. In this round, candidates at 772 whose profiles were created before 13:57:33 UTC on 15 July 2026 were invited, and later entrants at the same score were not. A profile that is one day newer can miss an invitation at the same score.

What candidates can do

Consider a hypothetical case. Maria is a Filipino nurse with a base score of about 400 who receives a provincial nomination. With the 600-point addition she would be near the top of the pool and in range for a PNP draw. Without the nomination she would depend on a general or category-based draw. For a nominee, the practical steps are to keep the profile active, accept the nomination in the profile, and keep documents current so that an invitation can be answered quickly.

Candidates without a nomination can look at provincial streams that match their job. Our reports on the Quebec permanent selection round and the work permit freeze in six regions cover two parts of the picture. Students planning ahead can read our guide to the 2027 study permit cap. You can also run a quick check with our visa eligibility checker.

Express Entry PNP draw questions

How many people were invited on 13 October 2026?

752 provincial nominees were invited in round 448, according to Immigration.ca and Immigration News Canada.

What was the minimum CRS score?

The lowest score invited was 772.

Why are PNP cut-offs so high?

A provincial nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s CRS score, so nominees score well above candidates in general draws.

What was the tie-breaking rule?

Candidates at 772 whose profile was created before 13:57:33 UTC on 15 July 2026 were invited.

Where can I verify the data?

On IRCC’s Express Entry rounds page, which is the official record. The numbers here come from news sites that republish it.

Sources

14 Oct 2026
H-1B $100,000 fee

H-1B $100,000 Fee Extended to 2027, but Courts Block It for Now

Categories Visa Updates, Work Permits

The H-1B $100,000 fee now runs through 21 September 2027, but employers are not paying it today because of a court order. A presidential proclamation dated 18 September 2026 extended the payment by 12 months, according to Mintz. The extension leaves one practical question open: whether the court order that blocks collection of the original fee also covers the new proclamation.

Quick guide

What the extended proclamation says

The original proclamation of September 2025 applied the fee to certain petitions filed from 21 September 2025 to 21 September 2026. The new one, issued on 18 September 2026, extends it through 21 September 2027, according to Mintz. It targets consular petitions, meaning cases where the worker must be admitted to the United States for the petition to take effect.

Who pays and who is exempt

The employer pays. Mintz says the $100,000 applies to new H-1B petitions filed on or after 21 September 2026 in two situations: the worker is outside the US and has no valid H-1B visa, or the petition asks for consular notification, port-of-entry notification or pre-flight inspection.

The exemptions are significant. The fee does not apply to workers who already hold an H-1B visa or an approved petition filed before 21 September 2026. It also does not apply to people already in the US who are sponsored for an amendment, change of status or extension of stay. A change of status from F-1 to H-1B, for example, is not a consular petition, so it falls outside the fee as Mintz describes it.

Where the courts stand

The legal position has moved several times. A university international-student office page at CU Boulder reports that a federal court in Massachusetts ruled the fee unlawful on 8 June 2026, that the government appealed, and that the First Circuit reinstated the ruling on 24 July 2026. The government’s appeal is still pending. The same page reports a separate California ruling against the extension, but it gives a date that falls after the page’s own publication date, so check the court record before relying on that detail.

The October update from Grape Law says USCIS is not collecting the payment while the appeal is pending, and that the extension would apply through September 2027 only if the court ruling is overturned. Mintz takes a more cautious view. It suggests USCIS may try to apply the new fee immediately, on the argument that the July order does not cover the new proclamation, and it expects immediate litigation. These are law-firm readings, not rulings, so the position can change without notice.

What employers and applicants should do

Employers should budget for both outcomes. A cap-subject filing for a worker abroad could face the fee if the appeal succeeds or the new proclamation is enforced separately. Delay in an offer letter can cost more than a filing error, so many sponsors will want counsel to confirm the position the week they file.

Consider a hypothetical case. Arjun is an Indian software engineer abroad who has a job offer from a US company and no H-1B visa. His employer would be the paying party if the fee applied. A colleague already in the US on F-1 status who is changing status would not trigger it. Workers should ask their employer which category their petition falls in, and should not pay any part of a fee themselves without advice. Grape Law also notes a separate proposed $103,265 fee for cap-subject petitions, which remains a proposal and has not taken effect.

For related reading, see our reports on the PERM suspension for major IT firms and the October 2026 Visa Bulletin. You can also test your own route with our visa eligibility checker.

H-1B fee questions

How long does the extended H-1B fee last?

The proclamation of 18 September 2026 extends it through 21 September 2027, according to Mintz.

Is the $100,000 being collected now?

Not according to Grape Law, which says USCIS is not collecting it while the government’s appeal is pending.

Who pays the H-1B fee?

The employer pays it. The fee applies to new petitions for workers outside the US without a valid H-1B visa, or where the petition requests consular or port-of-entry notification.

Does it apply to a change of status inside the US?

Mintz says amendments, changes of status and extensions of stay for people already in the US are exempt.

Could the fee come back?

Yes, if the court ruling is overturned on appeal or if USCIS applies the new proclamation separately, as Mintz suggests it might. Check current guidance before filing.

Sources

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