MATES Resources
Stay informed about important student visa, immigration, work-rights and post-study updates for Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand.
Visa and immigration requirements can change. Review the linked official government source and confirm the latest requirements with MATES before making an application decision. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice.
Speak with a MATES counsellor and explore destinations, universities and programmes suited to your profile.
20 updates
A temporary IRCC measure lets eligible work permit holders already in Canada study for up to six months, or until their permit ends if sooner, without applying for a study permit. It is in effect until 31 December 2027. Full-time studies still require a study permit.
From 5 October 2026, overseas students can no longer enrol in or commence the BSB80120 Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning). Students who enrolled and commenced before that date can continue with their current provider. A CoE for students who have not commenced by then is cancelled on 5 October 2026.
For Student visa applications made on or after 30 November 2026, the monthly maintenance requirement rises to £1,570 for courses in London and £1,203 outside London, for up to nine months. Applications made before 30 November 2026 are decided under the current £1,529 and £1,171.
For study permit applications made on or after 1 September 2026 to study outside Quebec, a single applicant must show CAD 23,448 for the first year's living expenses, up from CAD 22,895. Tuition and travel are additional, and Quebec sets its own amounts.
The National Planning Level for new international student commencements in 2027 stays at 295,000, the same as 2026. The Government states it is not a cap: it shapes how quickly student visa applications are processed once a provider approaches its allocation.
Immigration Service Delivery reported on 13 July 2026 that renewing an Irish Residence Permit through the Burgh Quay registration office in Dublin was taking more than 17 weeks for some categories, with up to two further weeks for the new card. A temporary summer travel concession ran from 13 July to 31 August 2026 and has ended.
The Department for Education has published draft legislation for an annual levy of £925 per international student, charged to registered higher education providers and planned to take effect from 1 August 2028. It is charged to universities, not students, and it is not yet law.
From 1 July 2026 the base application charge for a Student visa (subclass 500) rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) charge rose from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750. Concessions apply to ASEAN passport holders and to independent ELICOS and Non-Award courses.
Since 1 June 2026, most applications to the Administrative Review Tribunal to review a student visa refusal are 'applications to be reviewed on the papers' — decided on written material. The Tribunal must invite written submissions on whether the applicant is enrolled in a course, with 28 days to respond.
From 16 November 2026, eligible graduates of NZQCF Level 5 to 7 qualifications can apply for a new six-month open Short-Term Graduate Work Visa, and Level 7 graduate diplomas held alongside a bachelor's degree become eligible for the Post-Study Work Visa.
From 19 May 2026 until 19 May 2027, ASQA is not accepting new applications to register CRICOS providers or to add new courses to a registration, with exemptions for public providers such as government schools, State and Territory VET providers and public universities.
A Department of Homeland Security final rule, effective 15 September 2026, admits F and J students for the length of their programme — up to four years — instead of 'duration of status'. Students who need more time must apply to USCIS for an extension, and the F-1 post-study grace period falls from 60 to 30 days.