What is changing
Australia has introduced new location requirements for the Training visa, subclass 407. Under the general rule, a person making a new 407 visa application on or after 12 November 2026 must be outside Australia when applying and outside Australia when the visa is granted.
The amendment was made on 29 October and registered on 30 October 2026. Its commencement provision specifies 12 November 2026. These changes concern the 407 Training visa, rather than all skilled or employer-sponsored visas. Home Affairs warns that an onshore application made under the new rules will be invalid unless an exemption applies, even if ImmiAccount allows it to be submitted.
Which applications are affected
The new rules apply to visa applications made on or after 12 November 2026. A valid 407 visa application made before that date continues to be assessed under the previous location rules.
The relevant date is the visa application date. Having a sponsorship or nomination application in progress, or even an approved nomination, before 12 November does not by itself preserve the previous rules for a visa application made later. Applicants should check that an earlier visa application was validly made rather than relying only on a payment receipt or a planned lodgement date.
Sponsorship and nomination still come first
The offshore requirements do not remove the existing sponsorship and nomination requirements. Home Affairs states that, since 11 March 2026, the sponsor must be an approved temporary activities sponsor and the training nomination must be approved before the 407 visa application is made. A Commonwealth agency sponsor is subject to a nomination exception.
For other sponsoring organisations, the practical sequence remains sponsorship approval, nomination approval and then the visa application. From 12 November, the applicant’s location at the visa application stage must also meet the new rules. A training offer or nomination submission alone is not enough to make a valid visa application.
What this means for applicants already in Australia
An applicant who needs to make a new 407 application from 12 November should plan for offshore lodgement and offshore grant, unless an applicable specified exemption covers them. This may affect travel costs, accommodation, current employment and the proposed training start date.
An offshore 407 application does not provide a linked bridging visa to remain in Australia. Home Affairs says a person may return to Australia on another valid visa while the application is being processed, subject to that visa’s conditions. Under the general rule, they must still be outside Australia for the 407 visa to be granted.
A pending 407 application does not give permission to undertake activities that another visa prohibits. Any proposed travel or training arrangement should be checked against the person’s current visa, its conditions and expiry date.
Exceptions need to be checked individually
The legislation allows the Minister to specify classes of applicants who are exempt from the offshore application requirement. The corresponding grant exception depends on the applicant being in a specified class when the application was made.
Applicants should not assume that their occupation, family circumstances or existing Australian visa creates an exemption. The position should be checked against any applicable instrument in force when applying, including for family members. The explanatory statement’s discussion of possible reasons for exemptions does not itself grant one.
What to review now
Applicants and sponsors should confirm whether a valid visa application has already been made, identify any outstanding sponsorship or nomination approval, and check the applicant’s current visa conditions and expiry. They should then plan the location of lodgement and grant, allow for travel and processing uncertainty, and review the proposed training start date.
Do not rush an incomplete or invalid application simply to meet the commencement date. Ausdirect Migration can review how the new requirements affect a proposed training arrangement and help applicants and sponsoring organisations plan the next steps.
General information only. Eligibility, visa conditions and any applicable exemptions must be assessed for the individual case. MARN 1678399.
Official sources
Sources checked on 30 October 2026. Recheck the current rules and any applicable specified exemption before applying.