In a significant overhaul of immigration policies, several countries have introduced new rules that will impact students, workers, and visitors. Australia has announced that it will stop most new international students and recent graduates from bringing partners or children, with exemptions only for PhD candidates and nationals of Pacific and ASEAN countries. This move is part of a broader effort to tighten family visas for international students. Students already in Australia with family members are not affected by the new limits.
The Australian government has also introduced changes to its Working Holiday scheme, moving to a ballot system that will offer 45,000 places for a second year and 5,000 for a third year. UK citizens will continue to have special access under the bilateral trade agreement. Meanwhile, in the United States, a federal judge has issued a temporary injunction against a Department of Homeland Security proposal that would have replaced the duration-of-status system with fixed admission periods. The proposal would have limited students and exchange visitors to four years and capped journalists' stay at 240 days.
European interior ministers met in Munich on September 26 to discuss tighter cooperation on border management and migrant returns. The meeting explored ideas for third-country return centers and a larger role for Frontex, the European Union's border agency. The ministers' discussions reflect a broader effort to strengthen Europe's external borders and improve cooperation on migration.
Japan's Immigration Services Agency has reported a significant decline in arrivals under its main skilled-worker category, with a 20-40 percent drop compared to 2025. The agency attributes the decline to stricter screening, higher language standards, tighter intra-company transfer checks, and higher capital requirements for business visas. Advances in artificial intelligence are also reshaping demand for Japanese skilled workers, particularly in IT, translation, and interpretation roles.
The United Kingdom will enact new immigration rules on October 8, permitting skilled workers recognized as modern-slavery victims to take self-employment or voluntary work. The UK will also raise the monthly maintenance requirement for international students to £1,570 in London and £1,203 elsewhere from November 30. Additionally, the UK will allow dependent children of Hong Kong BN(O) status holders to settle with their parents without a separate five-year residence period.
The UK's new immigration rules also confirm a plan to rejoin the Erasmus+ program in 2027, which will allow UK students to participate in the European Union's student exchange program. The changes reflect the UK's efforts to adapt its immigration policies to the post-Brexit era. The impact of these changes on international students, workers, and visitors will be closely watched in the coming months.
The new immigration rules in Australia, the US, Europe, Japan, and the UK reflect a broader trend towards stricter immigration controls and more selective policies. As governments seek to balance economic needs with security concerns, international students, workers, and visitors will need to adapt to a changing landscape. The effects of these changes will be significant, with far-reaching implications for global mobility and cooperation.
Key points
- Australia tightens family visas for international students.
- US judge blocks Department of Homeland Security proposal on fixed admission periods.
- UK raises monthly maintenance requirement for international students.
