Australia Enacts New Visa Rules for International Students

Australia introduced significant changes to its student visa regulations, confirmed by Immigration Minister Hill during a speech at the National Migration Conference on October 2. The new rules restrict international students from bringing dependants, allowing only PhD students, scholarship recipients, and students from ASEAN or Pacific Island nations to do so.

All secondary dependants must be included in the initial visa application, with no additions permitted post-approval. Existing families will be protected under a grandfathering arrangement.

The same restrictions apply to Temporary Graduate visa holders. Students can alter their courses under specific conditions, such as illness or provider collapse, but transferring to higher vocational education and training courses onshore will be blocked.

A new visa stream starting July 1, 2027, will require students to study at their original institution for at least six months before switching providers. Hill stated that the government aims to manage the size and composition of the student market, with net international student numbers having dropped by nearly 50% from post-Covid levels.