Australia announced on 17 September 2026 new immigration regulations aimed at reducing net overseas migration (Nom) to 245,000 in the 2026-27 financial year and to 225,000 in 2027-28. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke unveiled the changes at the National Press Club in Canberra amid ongoing political debates about migration levels.
Enhanced Enforcement Measures for Visa Compliance
The government plans to enforce stricter compliance for foreign nationals remaining without valid visas. This includes repurposing a former quarantine facility in Melbourne into a detention centre and hiring 100 new compliance officers to monitor overstayers. Burke emphasized the operation differs significantly from immigration enforcement practices seen overseas, stating, “This
is not the sort of operation that some people have seen on TV happening in other countries.”
Stricter Student Visa Conditions
Student visa holders will face tighter restrictions under the new rules. The majority of international students must now enter Australia without dependants or family members, except for current Australian-resident students, PhD candidates, and applicants from Pacific and Southeast Asian nations. In 2025-26, about 337,000 international student visas were issued, with roughly 45,000 granted to family members. The policy also prohibits ‘visa hopping,’ requiring students wanting to extend their studies to enroll in higher qualifications rather than switching to lower-level courses.
Changes to Working Holidaymaker Visas
Backpacker visa conditions
will change with the introduction of a ballot system to limit the number of second and third-year visa extensions. The caps are set at 45,000 places for second-year and 5,000 for third-year extensions, compared to last year’s qualifiers of 57,000 and 31,000, respectively. Eligibility will also require completion of specified regional work. Working holiday visa application processing times are to be stabilized at three months. Notably, working holidaymakers from the United Kingdom, who have nearly 80,000 people in Australia—more than double the pre-pandemic peak—will remain exempt from these caps and regional work mandates due to a free trade agreement.
Official Statements and Policy Prioritization
Tony
Burke detailed that visa applicants with skills in high-demand sectors including healthcare, construction, education, and law enforcement will receive prioritization. The skills list encompasses professionals such as paramedics, electricians, and teachers, with additional consideration for defence, agriculture, aquaculture, resources, and fishing sectors. Burke criticized the previous allowance for onshore applicants to remain on bridging visas during processing as a “double standard that really has no logic attached to it.” He affirmed the government’s stance against immigration system abuse, while supporting legitimate migration aligned to Australia’s needs.
Industry, Political, and Advocacy Group Responses
The Business Chamber of Australia welcomed the focus on skilled migration but flagged concerns
about delays in skilled worker visa processing. Opposition figures, including Deputy Leader Jane Hume, criticized the changes for lacking detail and coherence. The Greens labeled the reforms a regression reminiscent of past governments. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre highlighted the absence of clarity on time restrictions for asylum seekers, describing migrants as continuing to be treated as “political punching bags.” One Nation has proposed more extreme measures, including cutting temporary migrant visas by 750,000 over three years and capping net overseas migration at 130,000, proposals that Burke publicly rejected.
Recent Population and Migration Statistics
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s population grew 1.4%
to 27.9 million in the year to March 2026. Net overseas migration eased slightly to 292,100 in that period from 299,000 in December 2025. The government’s new targets aim to reduce this further to 245,000 in 2026-27 and 225,000 in 2027-28, reflecting a deliberate policy shift to moderate immigration levels.
Updated Visa Character Tests and Agent Penalties
The character test for visa applicants will be updated to better align with Australia’s positions on hatred and family violence. Additionally, new penalties will be introduced for migration agents who assist applicants seeking to exploit the visa system through fraud or rorting. The “no further stay” condition will be applied
to all visitor visas to restrict extensions and ensure genuine short-term visits.
Burke summarized the reforms, stating, “Almost everyone who comes to Australia is a good guest in our country. These reforms are to ensure that our migration system can be better targeted to the current needs of Australia.”
