Australia announces major migration changes: What international students and Working Holiday Makers need to know

International students: What is changing?

1. Most international students will no longer be able to bring family members:

One of the big-ticket reforms is a new restriction on family members travelling to Australia with international students. The Government plans to stop most international students bringing partners or children to Australia as secondary applicants on their student visas. There are conditions, for example, for students from Pacific and Southeast Asian nations and for students on PhDs. The details of these arrangements will be determined by the relevant visa and nationality concessions. This means that if your plans involve having a partner or children in Australia when you study here, you should carefully check the requirements specific to your circumstances before committing to a course. The new rules aren’t designed to stop international students studying in Australia, but rather reduce the number of additional migrants who come to Australia attached to a student visa.

2. Australia is targeting “visa hopping”

The reforms also look to tighten the procedures for those who switch between courses and visas repeatedly in order to prolong their stay. The Government states this new approach is aimed at distinguishing genuine academic pathways from course switches to stay in Australia. For example, progression from a Bachelor to a Master’s degree can still be counted as logical. It says it will target the problem areas of people who repeatedly change between courses, moving sideways or down to a lower qualification level, merely to continue staying in Australia. This means that for students, ensuring that they choose an educational pathway that is valid and relevant to them in the long term will be more important than ever.

3. The graduate pathway remains relevant

Today’s announcements don’t mean international students won’t be able to move to work here after studying. The Government has identified legitimate pathways from study into Australia’s workforce as distinct from visa hopping. Visa pathways such as Bachelor → Master’s → Graduate visa → employment is different from repeatedly enrolling in unrelated or lower-level courses to extend a stay. This means students should look upon their education as a long-term study and work route, not just enrolling in certain courses simply because it allows them to stay another period in Australia.

4. What does this mean for student numbers?

Overall, the Government’s plans for migration aren’t simply to bring down the number of international students. The targeted measures announced today focus on the extra migration often created through family members and repeated turnarounds from one temporary visa to another. International education will still be a major sector of Australia’s economy, and the Government still recognises the value that international students bring to Australia’s education sector and workforce. The practical take-away for students is that the system isn’t shutting down; it’s just becoming more focused on genuine study, genuine course progression and students who have a clear reason for studying here.

Working Holiday visas: Major change to years two and three

5. Year 2 will move to a ballot.

Previously, international students who complete the regional work requirement in their first
year of a Working Holiday visa could automatically progress to a second-year visa.
Under the changes announced today, eligible applicants will move to a ballot.
The Government plans to offer 45,000 second-year Working Holiday visas. Regional work
will still be part of this pathway.

6. Year 3 will also run through a ballot

The third year will have even fewer places. Applicants will be required to complete the
regional work, then go into a ballot for one of 5,000 third-year places.
That’s a big change compared to the previous arrangement where the completion of various
conditions almost always led to an automatic second-year place.

7. Regional work remains important

The emphasis on regional work as a pathway to a second and third-year visa will also
continue.
The Government suggests this approach will support regional industries and industries that
employ large numbers of international workers, like agriculture and resources.

8. UK Working Holiday Makers have different arrangements

Not all Working Holiday Visa applicants will have exactly the same options under the
reforms. The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement with the UK means Britain has different
arrangements from most countries. Anyone applying for a Working Holiday visa should
therefore check the rules applicable to their passport.

What does this mean if you are planning to study or work in Australia?

The Government isn’t simply pulling the plug on international students with today’s announcement. The focus is on preventing repeat visa-hopping between unrelated courses, and adding family members, because these options contribute more to migration numbers. Staying in Australia after your studies will still be possible. The key message is that the visa arrangements will be more targeted, more geared towards genuine course progress, more geared towards students with a legitimate reason to come to Australia. And the biggest change to the Working Holiday scheme is that the provision of places for the second or third year won’t be guaranteed. Instead, places will be allocated through a ballot. Visa arrangements will be targeted, but they’ll remain open, so anyone planning to work or study in Australia should understand the requirements specific to their visa, their nationality and their courses before deciding whether to apply.

The information contained in this article is general in nature and intended to provide an overview of the announcement to date. It’s not intended to be legal advice, and other factors may come into consideration. Always check the most recent information before making an application.