17/09/2026
Today 17 September 2026, immigration Minister Tony Burke has announced the long-awaited migration overhaul.
1. Student visa dependants restricted
Most future international students will no longer automatically be able to bring their partner or children.
Exceptions announced for:
* PhD students
* Students from Pacific nations
* Students from ASEAN countries
2. Student “visa hopping” restricted
Students completing a course may generally move only up the qualification level, not down to a lower course merely to extend their stay. For example, transferring from a university program to a lower-level course could be restricted.
3. Visitor visas: No Further Stay
The government plans to attach a No Further Stay condition to visitor visas more broadly, preventing many visitors from applying for another substantive visa while in Australia. The exact subclasses, waiver rules and exceptions have not yet been published.
4. Working Holiday visas
For second- and third-year Working Holiday visas:
* A ballot system is planned.
* Regional work will be required.
* Processing is intended to stabilise at around three months.
How this applies to UK passport holders remains unclear because they currently have different rules.
5. Priority skilled occupations
Visa processing and skilled-migration settings will give greater priority to:
* Healthcare
* Construction and construction trades
* Teaching and education
* Agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries
* Defence and resources
* Law enforcement
Some construction trade qualifications may receive recognition comparable to university qualifications under the revised settings.
6. Visa overstayers
Australian Border Force will increase enforcement against approximately 77,000 people believed to be in Australia without valid visas, with a stronger focus on departure and removal.
7. Migration agents
Higher penalties and enforcement are planned for migration agents who facilitate fraudulent or applications without merit.
8. Character-test changes
Visa refusal and cancellation settings will be strengthened in relation to:
* Domestic and family violence
* Child abuse
* Promotion of hatred or extremist ideology
9. Migration targets
The government has not announced an immediate drastic cut. Its stated objective is:
* 245,000 net overseas migration in 2026–27
* 225,000 in 2027–28
The latest reported figure was approximately 292,000 for the year ending March 2026.
