17/09/2026
Home Affairs Minister announces migration changes
1. Net Overseas Migration (NOM) is falling
NOM was 292,100 for the year to March 2026.
This is down from 309,500 the previous year.
Government targets: 245,000 in 2026–27 and 225,000 per year from 2027–28.
Australia’s population reached approximately 27.9 million.
2. Student & Graduate Visas
Most students and graduates will no longer be able to include secondary applicants.
Students already in Australia with secondary applicants are not affected.
Exceptions include:
Students from Pacific and ASEAN countries.
Postgraduate students, including PhD students.
Genuine students can continue progressing to higher qualifications, such as Bachelor → Masters.
Transfers to lower-tier providers may require a new visa application.
3. Working Holiday Maker Visas — Subclasses 417 & 462
A ballot system will be introduced for second- and third-year visas.
Existing regional work requirements will continue:
88 days for the second year.
6 months for the third year.
Proposed ballot caps:
Year 2: 45,000 places.
Year 3: 5,000 places.
Applications with regional work already completed are expected to return to normal processing.
UK applicants may continue to experience slower processing due to the significant increase in the UK cohort.
4. Visitor Visas
A No Further Stay (Condition 8503) will generally apply to future visitor visa grants.
This will prevent most onshore applications for another visa while in Australia.
Protection visa applications remain an exception.
Visitor visas already granted, including for people already in Australia, will not be affected.
The change aims to reduce the use of visitor visas as a pathway to lodge other visa applications onshore.
Offshore partners may have greater opportunities to obtain visitor visas for longer stays with their Australian partners.
5. Skilled Migration
A new Points Test is proposed.
Greater weight will be given to housing and construction trade qualifications.
Qualified tradespeople in high-demand areas may receive points broadly comparable to university-qualified applicants.
Ministerial Direction 119 (MD119) processing priorities are expected to include greater emphasis on:
Healthcare
Construction
Teaching
Agriculture
Resources
Fisheries/aquaculture
6. Protection Visas
Further action regarding disingenuous protection visa claims would require legislation.
No detailed legislative proposal was announced at the address.
The Minister said removing work rights from rejected protection visa applicants is not currently on the Government's agenda.
7. Partner & Family Visas
The Minister was questioned about long partner visa processing times.
No specific changes to partner visa processing were announced.
8. Migration Agent Regulation
Further measures are expected against migration agents who knowingly support applications without merit.
Additional sanctions and regulatory measures are expected.
9. Character & Conduct — MD110
Ministerial Direction 110 is to be updated.
Proposed changes will strengthen protections for:
Child crime victims
Family violence victims
Australia's commitment to addressing hatred and related conduct.
10. Visa Overstayers
Stronger compliance action is planned for approximately 77,000 visa overstayers.
The Government proposes returning to a process involving detention followed by voluntary departure within weeks.
The Minister indicated enforcement would not involve raid-style operations.
Additional resources are proposed:
100 additional compliance officers
250 additional detention beds
The measures are intended to encourage overstayers to depart Australia voluntarily.
đź“Ś Key Message for Visa Applicants
Several measures are announced policy changes, and some will require legislation, regulations or updated ministerial directions before taking effect.
The final rules, commencement dates and transitional arrangements should be confirmed before making visa decisions.
Applicants should consider how the changes may affect their individual visa pathway before lodging or changing applications.
Source: https://www.sbs.com.au/.../australia-migration.../5jkppvwqe
