Australia Unveils Major Migration Crackdown Targeting Temporary Visas
The government aims to significantly reduce net overseas migration through stricter rules for international students and a clampdown on visa-hopping.
Australia is set to implement a significant overhaul of its migration system, aiming to curb temporary migration and address what the government calls "visa-hopping." Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced the impending changes, which are designed to lower net overseas migration to 245,000 in 2026-27 and 225,000 annually thereafter. This initiative follows a post-pandemic surge in arrivals that has strained housing and infrastructure.
Key measures will include stricter restrictions for international students seeking to bring family members to Australia. Last financial year, nearly 46,000 of the 337,427 student visas granted were for secondary applicants, such as partners and dependent children.
The government also plans to target individuals who move between different visa classes, including student and graduate visas, and remain in Australia for extended periods without securing permanent residency. This practice, referred to as "visa-hopping," has allowed some temporary migrants to stay in the country for years.
Addressing Visa Backlogs and Deportations
The reforms will also seek to manage the substantial backlog of bridging visa applications, which currently exceeds 400,000, many involving individuals who entered through the temporary migration system. The government is examining ways to expedite the departure of migrants who no longer hold a valid visa.
One proposal under consideration is a return to a pre-2015 system. Under this approach, individuals without a valid visa could be issued a bridging visa with a short timeframe, reportedly two weeks, to depart Australia. Failure to leave within this period would lead to detention and deportation. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described this method as a "simple way of dealing with it" that "was never an ICE-style operation."
Measures to speed up the departure of unsuccessful asylum seekers are also being reviewed, including potentially stripping work rights after a protection claim is rejected and accelerating review processes to prevent lengthy appeals.
Shifting Priorities and Economic Considerations
Changes are already underway within the migration system, with a focus on prioritizing skilled visa applicants already in Australia over those applying from overseas. This shift is expected to reduce the number of new arrivals in the short term. Working holiday visas are also undergoing slower processing.
Minister Burke acknowledged the need to reduce migration numbers, stating, "We do need to get net overseas migration down." He emphasized the goal of managing numbers in a "sensible, targeted way that provides the easiest pathway through for the Australian economy." Burke noted that a significant portion of Australia's migration system has been demand-driven since the Hawke and Howard eras, limiting governmental control beyond processing speeds and planning levels.
"The more tools that are available, the better we can target the system," Burke said, indicating that legislative options would be preferred, but other levers would be employed if necessary.
The government has expressed concern over individuals studying in non-shortage areas, then obtaining graduate visas to work in non-shortage areas, and subsequently moving between visa classes, ultimately staying in Australia for many years without an explicit government decision to grant residency. Burke stated, "If infrastructure kept up, then that's OK. If housing kept up, it would all be OK... But when we have a gap so significant between housing demand and housing supply ... that means immigration needs to be part of that answer."
Australia has seen a net overseas migration gain of over 1.4 million people since May 2022, with temporary visa holders constituting a substantial portion of this increase. The permanent migration program for 2026-27 is set at 185,000 places.
These proposed changes come amid increased pressure on the government to reduce migrant intake, partly due to the rising popularity of groups like One Nation, which has also presented its own migration policy. The Coalition is also developing a plan that would link net overseas migration to the number of new homes constructed annually.