Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke unveiled a sweeping overhaul of Australia’s temporary migration regime on Thursday, targeting the country’s largest education export. The new measures aim to trim net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2027‑28, down from 292,000 in the March 2026 period, and are part of a broader effort to ease pressure on housing and infrastructure.
For most new student and graduate visas, family attachments will be stripped away. Exemptions remain for Pacific and ASEAN students and PhD candidates, while those whose family members are already in Australia are unaffected. An Indian undergraduate enrolling today will therefore need to decide whether to study without spousal or child support.
The policy also tackles so‑called "visa hopping" by mandating that visa renewals coincide with a step up in qualification. Students who repeatedly switch courses to extend their stay will be required to pursue a higher level of study, except in genuine circumstances such as serious illness or the closure of an education provider.
To curb overstays, the department will add 100 compliance officers and impose a "No Further Stay" clause on visitor visas, preventing future visitors from using a visitor visa as a bridge to another visa while remaining in the country.
Working‑holiday makers face a new ballot for second‑ and third‑year stays, with caps of 45,000 and 5,000 places, a steep drop from last year’s 57,000 and 31,000. The UK, however, is treated differently under a free‑trade agreement.
International education, a $53.6 billion export to Australia, will feel the ripple. Critics warn the reforms could dent the sector’s growth, while supporters argue they are essential to maintaining the country’s social and economic balance. The next step will be the rollout of the new visa conditions, expected to take effect early next year.