International students in Australia will not be able to change their course

The statement further notes that the cancellation will be discretionary for certain visas but will be obligatory for all other types of visas.

New visa conditions 8204A and 8204B have been added by the Department of Home Affairs to the student visa holders pursuing higher education or postgraduate research courses who want to change their major, thesis, or research topic.

However, the new visa conditions apply only for applications that will be received after July 1, 2022.

Under condition 8204, students can’t attend or change a course of study, thesis, or research topic unless they receive the Minister’s approval for the following:

graduate certificate graduate diploma master’s degree doctorate, or
any bridging course required as a prerequisite to a course of study or research for a master’s degree or doctorate
“This approval can only be given after the Minister has obtained an assessment from the competent Australian authorities that you are not likely to be directly or indirectly a risk to Australian national security,” the Department of Home Affairs notes.

Students intending to change their course, thesis, or research topic have been required to complete a form available on the website of the Department of Home Affairs and submit it to Adelaide.student.centre@homeaffairs.gov.au.

A subclass 500 student visa is a temporary visa to study for up to 5 years, with which students can attend an eligible course of study in Australia, travel in and out of the country, and work unlimited hours in any sector as a temporary measure.