Overview
- The government announced the package on Thursday, September 17, setting targets to bring net overseas migration down to about 245,000 this year and 225,000 by 2027–28.
- Most future international students and many graduate visa holders will no longer be allowed to bring partners or children as secondary applicants with exemptions for PhD/postgraduate research students, Pacific and ASEAN nationals, and people already in Australia.
- Students will generally only be permitted to transfer or continue study if they progress up the qualification ladder rather than move sideways or down, and visitor visas will carry a ‘no further stay’ condition to stop onshore switching to other visas.
- Working holiday second- and third-year extensions will be allocated by a capped random ballot of 45,000 and 5,000 places respectively, while skilled visa priorities and points are being adjusted to favour trades and sectors with shortages such as construction, agriculture and teaching.
- The measures include stepped-up enforcement measures and plans to reintroduce detention for overstayers with services already contracted to a private provider, prompting human-rights, university and sector concerns about costs, student numbers and international relations.