Australia’s Labor government will cut 650,000 temporary visas beginning in 2026 as part of a sweeping migration reform designed to reduce annual net overseas migration from almost 300,000 to 225,000 by mid-2028. The new student visa regulations, effective October 2026, aim to limit “permanently temporary” migration, reduce visa hopping, and restrict transfers between education providers.
Under the reforms, most temporary visa holders, including international students, must leave Australia to apply for a new visa. The Department of Home Affairs reports that approximately 50% of student visa subclass 500 applications in higher education are processed within 16 days, and 90% within
four months. Secondary applicants—typically partners and dependent children—face tighter restrictions on most student visas, with exemptions granted to PhD students and applicants from Pacific and ASEAN countries.
Impact on International Students and Locations
International students across Australia are facing new challenges due to the reforms. Fatima Bonna, a master’s student in early childhood education in Adelaide at the Ikon Institute, will see her visa expire four months before her course finishes in September 2027. She must leave Australia to apply for a new visa after changing her degree and institution. Similarly, University of Sydney PhD candidate Wina Satria from Indonesia cannot add her husband to her
student visa under the tightened family provisions.
The changes also affect students who completed courses recently, like Daniel Martin from Colombia, who arrived in 2024 for a master’s in education. He currently holds a temporary graduate visa, which the Coalition has proposed abolishing. Martin has expressed concern about the visa system’s instability as he looks for work and considers pursuing a PhD.
Visa Expiry and Family Separation Concerns
Many international students confront visa expiry dates misaligned with their course completion, forcing them offshore for renewals. The new rules disallow adding family members to student visas post-grant except for specific exemptions. This has raised family separation risks
and increased stress among students. Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill stated the government is “not in the business of separating families already onshore in Australia” and may offer visitor visas to maintain family unity.
Migration agent Gurpreet Dhawan from Melbourne warned about risks of forced offshore applications, saying, “It’s a huge risk. We will send them offshore to lodge the visa but how long will they have to sit there?” She added that students who followed rules before October 1, 2026, woke up to a drastically changed situation affecting their legal status.
Government Justifications and Official Statements
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson
highlighted that the reforms balance welcoming genuine students with strengthening visa program integrity. The spokesperson emphasized Australia’s quality education system and post-study opportunities remain attractive. The government aims to reinforce temporary stay intentions by requiring applicants to be offshore at the time of new visa application and grant.
Assistant Minister Julian Hill acknowledged some flexibility, noting, “Sympathetic consideration would be given to visitor visas where required to keep families together while a student completes their stay in Australia.” PhD students currently in the country may receive extensions to reduce family separations caused by the policy changes.
Educational and Political Context
Universities report difficulty filling
international student places amid visa uncertainties, high refusal rates, and political immigration debates involving Labor, Coalition, and One Nation parties. These challenges precede the 2028 federal election and contribute to students reconsidering studying in Australia. The student visa reforms are intended to curb onshore transfers and ‘visa hopping’ by better aligning visa durations with course lengths and lowering net migration.
Students affected express frustration; Fatima Bonna said, “If I had any idea of it, I wouldn’t have changed,” referring to her institution and course changes. Daniel Martin described the current visa situation as “quite tricky” and “extremely difficult to navigate.”
Wina Satria expressed hardship over family separation, saying, “The hardest part is seeing my son when he misses his dad a lot.” These accounts underscore the personal impacts amid Australia’s policy shift.
