Key facts
- Australia will stop foreign students from bringing partners and children.
- The country aims to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2028.
- Current net overseas migration is about 300,000.
- International students accounted for more than half of net overseas migration in the year ended June 30, 2025.
Australia is set to implement new restrictions on foreign students, preventing them from bringing partners and children to the country while they study. This measure is part of a broader strategy to curb the nation's net overseas migration, which has been trending lower but remains a focus for the government.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is expected to announce these changes, aiming to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2028, down from approximately 300,000 currently. The government is also tightening rules for temporary migrants seeking to switch visas. Currently, partners and dependent children under 18 are permitted to accompany students.
The move follows calls from the hard-right One Nation party to significantly reduce temporary migration. Australia's migration numbers surged after the country reopened its borders in February 2022, leading to concerns about pressure on housing and infrastructure. International students constitute a significant portion of this migration.