Australia's Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, has announced new regulations that will prevent most international students from bringing family members into the country. The new rules, unveiled on September 18, 2026, are aimed at maintaining a high level of control over Australia's immigration system. According to reports, only 11 nations have been exempted from the family ban, and Ghana is not among them.
The 10 ASEAN member states that have been exempted from the family ban are Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Citizens of Pacific Island states have also been spared the restriction, although it is unclear if this grouping represents one or several additional countries. As a result, Ghanaian students applying for or holding Australian student visas will be subject to the new, stricter rules.
Students already studying in Australia when the policy takes effect will be exempt, as will anyone pursuing a PhD. The government has stated that the family circumstances of PhD students differ from those of undergraduate or master's students. The new rules are part of a broader push by Canberra to cut net overseas migration to 225,000 people by 2028.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released new figures showing that the country's population has reached 27.9 million as of March 2026, with net overseas migration contributing 292,100 people to that growth over the previous year. The reforms also target so-called visa hopping, where students finish one course and re-enroll in a lower qualification to prolong their stay.
Under the new rules, anyone seeking to extend a student visa must move up to a higher level of study. For instance, a student currently pursuing a bachelor's degree would need to upgrade to a master's program to extend their visa. Working holiday visa holders aged 18 to 30 will also face tighter caps, with the ballot for second-year extensions dropping to 45,000 places from 57,000.
The new regulations will have significant implications for Ghanaian families planning to study in Australia. Generally, a spouse or children will not be able to join a student on their visa unless they already hold one before the rule takes hold or unless they are pursuing doctoral study. Ghanaians already in the Australian visa pipeline are advised to check their application status urgently.
The policy has been met with criticism from advocacy groups, who warn that it could hurt Australia's ability to attract global talent. The debate has been driven by short-term politics rather than the country's long-term interests, according to Violet Roumeliotis of Settlement Services International. The exact date when the new restrictions come into force and how existing applications will be assessed against the new criteria remain unclear.
Key points
- Australia's new immigration rules will prevent most international students from bringing family members into the country.
- Ghana is not among the 11 nations exempted from the family ban.
- The new rules are part of a broader push by Canberra to cut net overseas migration to 225,000 people by 2028.
