05 Nov 407 Training Visa Changes from 12 November 2026: Offshore-Only Rule Explained
Quick answer: what are the 407 visa changes from 12 November 2026?
From 12 November 2026, anyone applying for a Training visa (subclass 407) must be outside Australia when they lodge the application and outside Australia when the visa is granted. An application lodged in Australia on or after that date is invalid, even if ImmiAccount lets you press submit.
Applications validly lodged before 12 November 2026 are not affected and will be assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged. The change sits on top of the March 2026 rule that requires the sponsor and nomination to be approved before the visa application can be made.
Key points at a glance:
- Start date: 12 November 2026, for applications made on or after that date.
- Location at application: must be outside Australia.
- Location at grant: must be outside Australia.
- Family members: the same location rules apply to them, including family who apply to join later.
- Bridging visa: none for an application lodged outside Australia.
- Onshore lodgement after the deadline: invalid, with no merits review of the invalidity decision.
- Last day to lodge onshore under the old rules: 11 November 2026 — but only if sponsorship and nomination are already approved.
What exactly has changed for the 407 Training visa?
The change is made by the Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Application Requirements) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01449). The regulations were made on 29 October 2026, registered on the Federal Register of Legislation on 30 October 2026, and commence on 12 November 2026.
They amend the Migration Regulations 1994 in two places:
- A new validity requirement (Schedule 1). To make a valid subclass 407 application, the applicant must be outside Australia at the time of application. If you are in Australia, your application cannot be validly made.
- A new time-of-grant requirement (Schedule 2, clause 407.411). The applicant must also be outside Australia when the Department decides to grant the visa.
The Department of Home Affairs has published a dedicated page, Changes to Training visa application rules (subclass 407), confirming that an onshore application made from 12 November 2026 will be invalid. It also warns that an invalid application may affect your visa status, and that if your current visa has expired you may not be able to apply for another one.
Is there any exception for people in Australia?
The regulations allow the Minister to specify, by legislative instrument, a class of persons who may still apply and be granted in or outside Australia (but not while in immigration clearance). The Home Affairs guidance on the change does not identify any such class at the time of writing.
Do not assume you fall within an exception. Before lodging anything onshore on or after 12 November 2026, have a registered migration agent check whether a current instrument actually covers your circumstances.
Why is the Government making this change?
The stated aim is program integrity. The 407 is meant for genuine workplace-based occupational training, not as a holding visa for people whose student, graduate (subclass 485) or working holiday visas are about to expire. Requiring offshore lodgement and grant makes “visa hopping” from one temporary visa to the next much harder.
This follows the March 2026 reform described below, which Home Affairs introduced after a significant rise in onshore 407 applications since mid-2024.
407 visa rules: before and after 12 November 2026
| Requirement | Applications lodged before 12 Nov 2026 |
Applications lodged on or after 12 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Where you can apply | In or outside Australia | Outside Australia only |
| Where you must be at grant | In or outside Australia | Outside Australia only |
| Bridging visa while waiting | Available for a valid onshore application | Not available (offshore application) |
| Approved sponsor and nomination before lodging | Required (for applications from 11 Mar 2026) | Required |
| Family members applying later | Could apply onshore | Must apply and be granted outside Australia |
| Effect of lodging onshore[cite: 3] | Valid, if other criteria met[cite: 3] | Invalid, no merits review of that decision |
How this builds on the March 2026 407 changes
The 12 November rule is the second 407 reform this year. From 11 March 2026, the Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Sponsorship Requirements) Regulations 2026 ended the old practice of lodging sponsorship, nomination and visa application together.
Since then, a valid 407 application can only be made once:
- the business is an approved Temporary Activities Sponsor, and
- the occupational training nomination for the applicant has been approved (unless the sponsor is a Commonwealth agency).
Put the two changes together and the sequence for most trainees is now fixed: sponsorship approved, then nomination approved, then the trainee — outside Australia — lodges the visa and stays outside Australia until it is granted. For employers, that makes a well-prepared training plan and nomination more important than ever, because any delay at nomination stage now pushes back the trainee’s whole travel timeline.
Who is affected by the 407 offshore rule?
- Temporary visa holders in Australia — students, Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) holders, working holiday makers and visitors who planned to move onto a 407 without leaving the country.
- Australian employers and training sponsors who were planning to train someone already working or studying here.
- Family members of 407 trainees, including those who want to join the trainee after the visa is granted.
- Current 407 holders whose training program changes. A change to the training program generally needs a new visa, and from 12 November 2026 that application must also be made and granted offshore.
Overseas candidates recruited directly from their home country are the least affected: they were already applying from outside Australia.
What should applicants and employers do now?
If you are in Australia and your sponsorship and nomination are already approved: you may still be able to lodge onshore before 12 November 2026. Speak to a registered migration agent immediately, because the application must be complete and valid on the day it is lodged.
If your nomination will not be approved before 12 November 2026: plan to apply from outside Australia. Home Affairs recommends you prepare before you leave:
- Check your current visa expiry on VEVO and make sure you depart before it ends.
- Confirm sponsorship and nomination are both approved before you travel.
- Gather your documents — identity, skills and qualifications, English, health insurance and the approved training plan details.
- Check health examinations and whether you can complete them before leaving Australia.
- Lodge in ImmiAccount once you are offshore, then monitor the account and respond quickly to any request for information.
- Stay offshore until the grant. You may travel to Australia on another valid visa while the 407 is processed, but you must comply with that visa’s conditions and be outside Australia when the 407 is granted. Do not book a return flight based on an expected grant date.
For employers: build overseas lodgement and processing time into start dates, employment offers and rosters. Approval of a 407 application is never guaranteed, so avoid fixed start dates that depend on a quick grant. If the 407 is no longer the right fit, ask whether another pathway — such as a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa or a Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) subclass 400 visa — suits the role better.
Frequently asked questions about the 407 visa changes
Can I apply for a 407 Training visa in Australia after 12 November 2026?
No, not under the default rules. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted. An onshore application made on or after 12 November 2026 is invalid unless you fall within a class the Minister has specified by legislative instrument.
What happens to my 407 application if I lodged it before 12 November 2026?
A valid application lodged before 12 November 2026 is assessed under the rules in place when you lodged it, including the March 2026 sponsorship and nomination requirements. The new location rules do not apply to it.
Will I get a bridging visa if I apply for a 407 from overseas?
No. A bridging visa is only linked to a valid application made in Australia. If you come to Australia while your 407 is processing, you need a separate valid visa.
Can I visit Australia while my 407 application is being processed?
Yes, on another valid visa, provided you meet its conditions. You must be outside Australia at the time the 407 is granted.
What if I lodge onshore by mistake after 12 November 2026?
The application is invalid, and that decision cannot be reviewed on the merits. If your current visa expires in the meantime, you may become unlawful and may not be able to apply for another visa in Australia. Get advice before you lodge.
Do the new rules apply to my family members?
Yes. Family members included in the application, and family who apply later to join the trainee, must also be outside Australia when they apply and when the visa is granted.
Does the employer still need an approved nomination first?
Yes. Since 11 March 2026, the sponsor must be approved and the training nomination approved before the trainee can lodge the visa, unless the sponsor is a Commonwealth agency.
Need help with a 407 Training visa?
The new offshore rule leaves very little room for error, and a single invalid onshore lodgement can leave a trainee without lawful status. At Worldly Migration, Evan Bishop (MARN 1679414) is an employer-sponsored visa specialist who prepares 407 nominations and visa applications, training plans and sponsorship strategies for businesses and trainees across Australia and overseas.
Book a free 15-minute initial phone consultation or contact Worldly Migration to check your timeline before 12 November 2026.
This article is general information only, current as of 3 November 2026, and is not migration advice. Your circumstances should be assessed by a registered migration agent before you act. See our Code of Conduct.
Written by Evan Bishop, Registered Migration Agent MARN 1679414
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs — Changes to Training visa application rules (subclass 407)
- Department of Home Affairs — Training visa (subclass 407)
- Federal Register of Legislation — Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Application Requirements) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01449)
- Federal Register of Legislation — Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Sponsorship Requirements) Regulations 2026 (F2026L00221)
- MinterEllison — Urgent change to Training (subclass 407) visa applications
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