Major blow for international students: Australia limits opportunities to bring families

Australia is introducing significant changes to control immigration. Under the new policy, most international students will no longer be able to bring family members to Australia on their student visas. Simultaneously, the government is tightening regulations regarding "visa hopping," extensions to Working Holiday visas, and stays on expired visas.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke outlined the details of the new immigration policy on Thursday. The government aims to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2028. He stated that government control over the immigration system would be increased, taking into account the strain on housing and infrastructure.

The most significant change under the new rules concerns the families of international students. Most new students and those on graduate visas will not have the option to bring family members to Australia. However, families of those already in Australia—where family members are currently attached to the visa—will not be separated; the new rules will primarily apply to visas issued in the future.

Not all students will fall under the same rules. Students enrolled in specific higher-level research courses, such as PhD programs, will retain the opportunity to bring family members. The Australian government has also announced special visa conditions for citizens of Pacific and ASEAN nations.

The impact of this decision could be significant. Data from the last fiscal year shows that 337,427 student visas were issued by Australia. Of these, 45,991 were for secondary applicants—dependent family members accompanying the students.

The government also intends to curb the trend of students staying in Australia for extended periods by switching from one course to another of a lower academic level. However, transitioning to a higher degree as part of a continuous study path will be viewed as a legitimate visa change. Tony Burke himself stated that the government does not consider valid pathways—such as moving from a student visa to a graduate visa and subsequently becoming a permanent resident as a skilled worker—to be "visa hopping."

Major changes are also coming to Working Holiday visas; the number of second-year visas issued will be capped at 45,000. Approximately 57,000 individuals were eligible for this opportunity this year. For the third-year option, only 5,000 applicants will be selected via a ballot system, even though there were around 31,000 eligible individuals in this category this year.

However, some of these changes will not apply to UK citizens. Due to the free trade agreement between Australia and the UK, separate arrangements will remain in place for British Working Holiday visa holders.

Australia also plans to take strict action against approximately 77,000 individuals currently in the country who have overstayed their visas. The new policy includes plans to increase the application of the "No Further Stay" condition on visitor visas.

Australia's housing crisis has emerged as a major factor behind these measures to curb immigration. However, Tony Burke stated that the country's housing crisis was not caused solely by immigration. In his view, while accelerating the pace of new home construction, immigration levels must also be managed to avoid placing excessive strain on housing supply.

According to official Australian data, net overseas migration is already declining. Annual net overseas migration stood at approximately 301,000—a figure more than 45 percent lower than the post-COVID peak recorded in 2023. Net migration involving international students has also dropped by nearly 10 percent over the past year.

The implementation of these new rules could directly impact students from countries like Bangladesh who are planning to pursue higher education in Australia. In particular, those intending to bring a spouse or children with them should carefully review the new conditions and exceptions associated with the relevant visas before applying.