Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced sweeping changes to international student and working holiday visa rules on Thursday, targeting family members of students, "visa hoppers," and backpackers. The government aims to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 people annually by 2028, down from the current level of 292,100 recorded in the 12 months to March 2026.
International Student Visa Changes
Under the new rules, international students will no longer be allowed to bring family members with them to Australia. Exemptions apply to students already in the country, those from Pacific and South-East Asian nations, and PhD candidates. Burke noted that PhD candidates face different life circumstances compared to undergraduates, justifying their exemption from the family visa ban.
The government will also crack down on "visa hopping," a practice where students finish a course and then enrol in another, often lower qualification, sometimes through providers that Burke described as "not so legitimate." Students who wish to extend their stay must now move to a higher level of study, such as progressing from a bachelor's degree to a master's programme.
Working Holiday Visa Ballot Introduced
Significant changes will affect working holiday visas for those aged 18 to 30. Applicants who qualify for a second year in Australia will now be placed into a ballot capped at 45,000 spots, down from the 57,000 who qualified last year. For a third year, the ballot will be limited to just 5,000 places, compared to 31,000 who previously qualified.
British working holidaymakers are exempt from these changes under the terms of the UK's free trade agreement with Australia.
Migration Debate Intensifies
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Australia's population grew by 1.4% in the 12 months to March 2026, reaching 27.9 million. Net overseas migration during that period stood at 292,100, highlighting the scale of the challenge the government faces in meeting its 2028 target.
Migration has become a deeply contested political issue in Australia amid rising living costs, housing affordability concerns, and growing pressure on public services. The right-wing One Nation party, which won its first lower house seat in May and has proposed cutting temporary migrant visas by 750,000 over three years, also wants to cap net overseas immigration at 130,000. Burke rejected that plan, warning it would risk "smashing parts of the Australian economy."
Violet Roumeliotis of Settlement Services International, which assists new arrivals in Australia, cautioned that the debate was being shaped by "short-term politics rather than what is best for the country." She said the proposed changes to family visas for international students would make it harder for Australia to attract "future talent."
The changes come amid broader efforts by the government to tighten immigration controls. Legit.ng earlier reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has announced a formal requirement for citizens seeking to participate in Work and Holiday visa programmes across 12 partner countries, adding an official government endorsement step before any visa application can be submitted. These measures collectively signal a stricter approach to migration management in Australia.
