International students, 'visa hoppers' and backpackers targeted in Australia migration crackdown
Summary
Australia will tighten immigration rules for international students, visitors with working holiday visas, and people who switch between student visas. The government wants to reduce how many people migrate each year, especially targeting those who bring families or extend their stay through lower-level courses. Some visa limits will involve a lottery system, but UK citizens will not be affected by the new rules.Key Facts
- International students cannot automatically bring family members with them anymore, except for PhD students and some students from the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
- Students must now choose higher-level courses to extend their stay, stopping "visa hopping" to lower qualifications or less reliable providers.
- Working holiday visa holders (age 18-30) will face new limits using a lottery system to qualify for second and third years of stay.
- The cap for the second year of the working holiday visa will reduce from 57,000 to 45,000, and the third year from 31,000 to 5,000 places.
- British working holidaymakers are not affected due to Australia's free trade agreement with the UK.
- Australia aims to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 people by 2028.
- The country’s population grew by 1.4% to 27.9 million in the year ending March 2026, including 292,100 net overseas migrants.
- The migration policy changes respond to concerns about housing prices, the cost of living, and public services strain amid political debates on population growth.
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