The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed new application rules for the Training visa (subclass 407), taking effect on 12 November 2026. From that date, applicants must be outside Australia both when they lodge the visa application and when the visa is granted.
For trainees already overseas, little changes. For anyone in Australia who was planning to apply for a 407 here, the change affects visa status, travel plans and the date training can start, so it is worth checking your plans now.
What changes on 12 November 2026?
| Situation | From 12 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| When you lodge the 407 application | You must be outside Australia |
| When the 407 visa is granted | You must be outside Australia |
| Application lodged while in Australia | Invalid, even if ImmiAccount lets you submit it |
| Valid application lodged before 12 November 2026 | Assessed under the rules in place when it was lodged |
What this means in practice
- Applicants in Australia will need to depart before lodging a new subclass 407 application.
- Applications lodged in Australia from 12 November will be invalid, even if ImmiAccount allows the application to be submitted. The online system accepting an application does not make it valid.
- Applicants must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted, so lodging from overseas and then travelling to Australia before a decision is not an option.
An invalid application is not a refusal
An invalid application is not assessed. It cannot go through the usual merits review process, as a refused application often can, and it can affect your next visa application and your lawful stay in Australia. If you are in Australia and your current visa is ending, do not rely on a 407 application lodged here from 12 November to keep you in Australia.
What about applications already lodged?
Valid subclass 407 applications submitted before 12 November 2026 will continue to be assessed under the rules in place at the time of application.
Keep in mind the earlier change of 11 March 2026: a 407 visa application can only be lodged once the sponsorship and the nomination of the training have been approved (see our March 2026 update). So an application before 12 November is only possible if the nomination is already approved and every other requirement is met on the day it is lodged.
Who is affected?
- People already in Australia on another visa who planned to apply for a 407 here, for example after study. They will now need to leave Australia to apply, and stay outside until the visa is granted.
- Organisations sponsoring trainees who are currently in Australia. Training start dates may need to move to allow for the trainee's departure, the application and the grant.
- Trainees overseas. The new rule matches how most offshore applications already work, but the trainee must remain outside Australia until the visa is granted.
What to do now
- Check where the trainee will be on the day the application is lodged and on the day of grant.
- If the nomination is already approved and the trainee is in Australia, speak to us before 12 November about whether a valid application can be lodged under the current rules.
- Plan around the trainee's current visa: its expiry date and conditions, and when they will need to leave.
- Allow for travel and timing: the training cannot start on the 407 until the visa is granted.
- Do not rely on ImmiAccount: a submission it accepts can still be invalid.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for a 407 visa while I am in Australia? Only by lodging a valid application before 12 November 2026. From 12 November, you must be outside Australia when you apply.
ImmiAccount let me submit my application in Australia. Is it valid? Not if it was lodged in Australia on or after 12 November 2026. The Department has confirmed such applications will be invalid, even if ImmiAccount allows them to be submitted.
I lodged my 407 application before 12 November. Do the new rules apply to me? No. Valid applications lodged before 12 November 2026 are assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged.
Do I need to be outside Australia when the visa is granted? Yes, for applications made from 12 November 2026.
Does the change affect the sponsorship or the nomination? The new rule is about where the visa applicant is. The sponsorship and the nomination must still be approved before the visa application is lodged.
How Southern Stone can help
We help organisations and trainees plan the sponsorship, the nomination and the visa application in the right order, and time the trainee's departure and the training start date. Read more about the Training visa (subclass 407), or book a consultation if you are in Australia and considering a 407.
As at 30 October 2026. Source: Department of Home Affairs; Migration Amendment (Training Visas—Application Requirements) Regulations 2026; Home Affairs, Training visa (subclass 407). General information only, not migration advice.