Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced sweeping new restrictions on international student and working holiday visas. The changes aim to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 people by 2028. Burke framed immigration as a national strength that requires a high level of control. The new rules form part of a broader government push to bring net overseas migration under tighter control.
Under the new policy, international students arriving on student visas will no longer be permitted to bring their families to Australia. However, existing students already in the country, applicants from Pacific Island states, and ASEAN member nations, including Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, will be exempt. PhD students will also retain the right to bring their families.
The government has moved to clamp down on visa hopping, a practice where students complete one course and then enrol in a lower qualification to extend their stay. Under the revised rules, students wishing to extend their visas must progress to a higher level of study, such as moving from a bachelor's degree to a master's programme. This aims to prevent students from abusing the system.
The reforms also bring considerable changes for working holidaymakers aged 18 to 30. Australia currently allows these visa holders to extend their stay for a second and even a third year, provided they complete regional work requirements. However, those eligible for a second-year extension will enter a ballot capped at 45,000 places, a reduction from the 57,000 who qualified last year.
The third-year ballot will be limited to just 5,000, down sharply from 31,000 the previous year. British nationals on working holiday visas will not be affected by these changes, owing to Australia's existing free trade agreement with the United Kingdom. This exception aims to maintain strong ties with the UK.
New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released on the same day showed Australia's population reached 27.9 million in the 12 months to March 2026, reflecting growth of 1.4%, with net overseas migration contributing 292,100 people to that figure. The announcement comes amid heightened political pressure over housing affordability, living costs, and the strain on public services linked to rapid population growth.
Violet Roumeliotis, from Settlement Services International, expressed concern that the debate around migration was being driven by short-term politics rather than what is best for the country. She argued that restricting family visas for international students would damage Australia's ability to attract future global talent. The right-wing One Nation party had proposed cutting temporary migrant visas by 750,000 over three years and capping net overseas migration at 130,000.
Key points
- Australia introduces new immigration reforms targeting international students and working holidaymakers.
- International students will no longer be able to bring their families to Australia, with some exceptions.
- The reforms aim to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 people by 2028.
