Australia Plans to Restrict International Students from Bringing Family, Tighten Visa Rules

Sydney : Australia is preparing to prevent international students from bringing their spouses and children to the country and to tighten rules governing visa changes for temporary migrants, according to reports released ahead of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s announcement.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News), Burke is expected to announce in a speech at the National Press Club that the government will reduce net overseas migration from the current level of around 300,000 to 225,000 by 2028.

Under the current rules, spouses or partners of international students can work in Australia, although the number of hours they are permitted to work depends on the student’s level of study. International students can also bring dependent children under the age of 18.

The government’s move comes amid pressure from the right-wing One Nation party, which has proposed reducing the number of temporary migrants by 750,000 within three years to ease pressure on local residents. The party, which advocates an “Australia First” policy, has called for net overseas migration to be capped at 130,000 per year.

Following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in February 2022, Australia experienced a sharp increase in migration, driven largely by international students, backpackers and temporary skilled workers. However, migration has declined over the past two years amid criticism that high immigration levels have placed pressure on housing and infrastructure.

Official figures show that net overseas migration stood at 306,000 in the year ending June 30, 2025, with international students accounting for more than half of the total. Net overseas migration had reached a record high of 518,000 in 2023 before falling to 429,000 in 2024.