Australia bars onshore applications for the Subclass 407 Training visa

Overview

Updated 43 minutes ago

Since 12 November 2026, a person inside Australia cannot lodge a valid Training visa (subclass 407) application. The visa must be applied for and granted while the applicant is outside the country. The regulations let the minister name exempt classes in a separate legislative instrument, and no such instrument was available when the rule commenced.

The 407 is a workplace training visa, grantable for up to two years. The government's explanatory statement says the change is meant to stop people using the visa to extend a stay in Australia, and that it is not a route to skilled migration. Applications lodged before 12 November are still assessed under the rules in place when they were made.

Why it matters

Anyone in Australia planning a move onto a 407 must leave first and wait offshore, with no bridging visa tied to the application.

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Key Indicators

Onshore applications accepted by default

From 12 November 2026, a subclass 407 application lodged in Australia is invalid unless the minister specifies an exempt class.

2 years

Maximum subclass 407 grant period

The visa covers workplace-based training for up to two years.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Organizations Involved

Department of Home Affairs

Federal department

Administers the subclass 407 visa and published the offshore lodgement guidance

The department runs Australia's migration program, including sponsor approvals, nominations and visa decisions for the subclass 407.

Timeline

March 2026 November 2026

4 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
Offshore lodgement and grant rule takes effect
Latest Commencement

Subclass 407 applicants must be outside Australia to apply and to be granted, unless the minister specifies an exempt class.
Yesterday
October 2026
Rules registered as F2026L01449
Regulation

The instrument was registered on the Federal Register of Legislation with an explanatory statement.
October 30th, 2026
Amendment regulations made
Regulation

The Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Application Requirements) Regulations 2026 were made.
October 29th, 2026
March 2026
Earlier 407 sponsorship rules commence
Regulation

The Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Sponsorship Requirements) Regulations 2026 took effect, the first stage of the 407 integrity changes.
March 11th, 2026

Scenarios

Minister names an exempt class, letting some onshore applicants stay

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Migration lawyers and the explanatory statement, which describe the exception as available but not yet defined

The regulations let the minister specify classes of non-citizens who may apply and be granted in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance. If an instrument is registered, people in those classes could lodge a 407 without leaving. Until then, the offshore default applies to everyone.

Onshore 407 lodgements fall to zero as the visa becomes offshore-only

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: The explanatory statement, which says the change is intended to limit onshore applications

With no exempt class in place, anyone in Australia who wants a 407 has to leave and apply from outside. The department's own guidance says an onshore lodgement is invalid even if ImmiAccount accepts it. The measurable test is whether any 407 visas are granted to people who applied inside Australia in the first full program year after commencement.

Sponsors move training placements to another visa

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Immigration advisers covering the change, who note employers must have sponsorship and nomination approved before any application

A sponsor that wants a trainee already in Australia now faces a departure and an offshore wait. Some may switch the placement to a different temporary visa instead. The test is whether subclass 407 grant numbers fall while grants in other employer-sponsored temporary categories rise over the same period.

Historical Context

One moment from history that rhymes with this story — and how it unfolded.

March 2026

Training visa sponsorship reforms (2026)

The Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Sponsorship Requirements) Regulations 2026 commenced on 11 March 2026, changing the sponsorship side of the subclass 407. Sponsors had to be approved as temporary activities sponsors, with an approved nomination for the trainee, before an application could be made.

Then

Applicants had to wait for two separate approvals from their sponsor before lodging anything.

Now

The November instrument extended the same integrity effort from who can sponsor to where the application can be lodged.

Why this matters now

The offshore rule is the second step in a sequence, not a standalone change, and the explanatory statement says it builds directly on the March regulations.