Australia will reduce immigration by tightening rules for international students and backpackers, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced Thursday. The changes aim to curb net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2028, impacting family members of students and introducing ballot systems for working holiday visas.
The Australian government's move to tighten migration rules for students and backpackers could impact the country's labor supply, particularly in sectors like agriculture, and affect its ability to attract international talent. The changes also reflect ongoing political pressure related to population growth, living costs, and public services.
Australia is set to implement stricter migration rules targeting international students and backpackers as part of a broader effort to curb immigration. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced on Thursday that the government aims to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 people by 2028.
Under the new regulations, international students will generally not be permitted to bring their family members to Australia, although exceptions will be made for PhD candidates and students from Pacific and Southeast Asian nations. Students wishing to extend their visas must enroll in a higher qualification, and the government will crack down on "visa hopping" where individuals complete a lower qualification, sometimes with "not so legitimate providers," before moving to another course.
Significant changes are also being introduced for working holiday visas, commonly used by backpackers. While these visas allow individuals aged 18 to 30 to work in Australia for up to three years, qualification for second and third-year extensions will now be determined by a ballot system. The cap for second-year visas will be 45,000, down from 57,000 last year, and for third-year visas, the cap will be 5,000, a decrease from 31,000. These changes will not apply to UK citizens due to a free trade agreement.
These measures come as Australia's population grew by 1.4% in the 12 months to March 2026, reaching 27.9 million, with net overseas migration accounting for 292,100 of that growth. Migration remains a contentious political issue, with rising living costs and strain on public services fueling debate. Populist party One Nation has proposed cutting temporary migrant visas by 750,000 over three years and capping net overseas immigration at 130,000, a proposal Burke criticized as potentially damaging to the economy.
Earlier policies introduced by the government include prioritizing onshore applications for family visas and skilled migrants over those lodged overseas, and a pause on working holiday visa applications from 24 countries, excluding the UK. Violet Roumeliotis of Settlement Services International suggested the migration debate is driven by short-term politics and that the proposed changes could hinder Australia's ability to attract future talent.