New Restrictions Imposed on International Student Visas in Australia
The Australian government has announced new rules on international student visas aimed at reducing net migration. Universities state that this situation will harm education and research.
The Australian government has announced new restrictions on international student visas in line with the objective of reducing net overseas migration. According to the rules announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, most future international students will not be able to automatically bring family members into the country.
New Visa Rules and Restrictions
Under the migration changes announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on September 17, the majority of future international students will not be granted the right to automatically bring spouses or children to Australia.
While certain students from Pacific and Southeast Asian countries and those in specific programs such as doctorates are exempted, families already in the country will not be separated.
Migration Targets and Political Debates
The Labor government aims to reduce net overseas migration from approximately 292,000 in the year leading up to March 2026 to 245,000 in the 2026-2027 period and 225,000 in the 2027-2028 period.
Meanwhile, the right-wing One Nation party proposes reducing the number of temporary visa holders by more than 750,000 within three years and lowering the international student population from 590,000 to 350,000.
Reactions from Universities and the Sector
Group of Eight Universities CEO Vicki Thomson stated that there is a race among political parties as to who can weaken the international education sector the fastest.
Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy emphasized that the new family restrictions will lead to damaging effects on the economy, world-class universities, and other industries.
Impact on Economic and Research Capacity
According to Department of Education data, the number of international students studying in Australia in the first five months of 2026 showed a 6.9 percent decrease compared to the same period of last year.
While international student tuition fees provided 12.3 billion Australian dollars in revenue to Australian universities in 2024, they accounted for 27.3 percent of the sector's total revenue.