Australia plans to restrict foreign students from bringing partners and children into the country and will implement stricter rules for working holiday visas, aiming to reduce annual net migration to about 225,000 by 2028. The government cites voter concerns over cost of living and high migration levels as reasons for these changes. These reforms include a ballot system for backpackers seeking visa extensions and restrictions on renewing student visas unless qualifications improve. International education contributed A$53.6 billion to Australia’s economy in the year to June 2025, despite recent tightening measures such as increased application fees and stringent English-language requirements.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
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Australia will stop foreign students from bringing partners and children to accompany them while they study and tighten working holiday visa rules, a senior minister said on Thursday, amid growing debate over high migration levels.
right Describes tightening immigration rules as a response to public concern.
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The government’s move comes after the hard-right One Nation party, which has been surging in recent polls, said this week that it would slash the number of temporary migrants by 750,000 over three years, to give Australians “breathing space”.
right References a right-wing political stance on immigration.
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“If you want to come on a temporary basis to Australia, apply for a temporary visa. If you want to come to Australia permanently, apply for a permanent visa. And if you no longer have a valid visa, you should leave Australia,” he said.
right Advocates strict enforcement of immigration rules.
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Despite this, foreign students have been a central focus of the centre-left Labor government’s migration reduction efforts.
right Implies that reducing student visas is a political move by a left-leaning party.
Leaning score +0.50 for article 15375 (high confidence, 4 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-17
Australia will stop foreign students from bringing partners and children to accompany them while they study and tighten working holiday visa rules, a senior minister said on Thursday, amid growing debate over high migration levels.
asserted
minister → stop → levels
The government’s move comes after the hard-right One Nation party, which has been surging in recent polls, said this week that it would slash the number of temporary migrants by 750,000 over three years, to give Australians “breathing space”.
asserted
it → come → space
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke dismissed suggestions the changes were politically motivated by the One Nation party, which describes its approach as “Australia first” and whose policies have drawn comparisons to those of US President Donald Trump.
asserted
policies → dismiss → Trump
“It’s simply demonstrably wrong to suspect that somehow this is a recent bit of work done to deal with a political climate — it’s not,” Burke told reporters.
asserted
Burke → ’ → reporters
The reforms are expected to bring annual net migration down to about 225,000 by 2028 — broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels — from around 300,000 now.
asserted
reforms → expect → 300,000
The cost of living and immigration have consistently ranked among voters’ top concerns in recent polls.
asserted
cost → rank → polls
Burke said Australia would toughen its enforcement on visa overstayers, including hiring 100 additional compliance officers and exploring the repurposing of a pandemic-era quarantine facility in Melbourne to house immigration detainees.
asserted
Australia → say → detainees
“If you want to come on a temporary basis to Australia, apply for a temporary visa.
asserted
you → want → visa
If you want to come to Australia permanently, apply for a permanent visa.
asserted
you → want → visa
And if you no longer have a valid visa, you should leave Australia,” he said.
asserted
he → have → Australia
Ballot for backpackers
Under the new measures, a ballot system will be introduced for backpackers seeking to extend their working holiday visas.
asserted
system → introduce → visas
All visitor visas will carry a “no further stay” provision preventing holders from remaining in Australia while applying for another visa category such as a partner visa.
asserted
visas → carry → visa
International students will only be permitted to renew their student visas if they move up the qualification scale.
asserted
they → permit → scale
Some students from Pacific Island nations and Southeast Asia will be able to bring their partners and children, but secondary applicants will not be allowed on most student visas.
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applicants → bring → visas
Spouses and partners of international students can currently work in Australia, although the number of hours they are permitted varies depending on the course of study.
asserted
they → work → study
International education contributed A$53.6 billion to the Australian economy in the year to June 2025, making it the country’s fourth-largest export.
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it → contribute → June
Student visa application fees have risen by nearly 300 per cent to A$2,500 over the past four years, while English-language requirements and minimum savings thresholds for graduate visa applicants have also been tightened.
“It is chipping away the confidence in what has been a great national asset for this country — international education,” Luke Sheehy, the chief executive officer of Universities Australia, said in a radio interview with public broadcaster ABC on the proposed policy shift.
asserted
Sheehy → rise → shift
Migration surged after Australia reopened its borders in February 2022 following nearly two years of Covid-19 closures, driven largely by international students, backpackers and temporary workers.
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Australia → surge → students
However, numbers have been declining over the past two years.
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numbers → decline → years
Net overseas migration stood at 306,000 in the year to June 30, 2025, with international students accounting for more than half, down from a peak of 518,000 in 2023.
asserted
students → stand → 2023
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