The Albanese government has proposed new rules to combat what it calls "visa hopping" among temporary migrants in Australia. Starting Friday, many international students and graduates will face restrictions on bringing partners or children into the country, while PhD students and scholarship holders will be exempt but still have limitations. The measures also include a requirement for students to pay approximately $1,200 for a new visa if they wish to change university courses, extending the period from six months to 12 months before such changes are allowed. Assistant Minister Julian Hill emphasized that these rules aim to stop migrants from abusing the system by moving between different types of visas indefinitely.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Australian government has announced stricter rules aimed at reducing what it calls "permanently temporary migration," particularly targeting international students who engage in "visa hopping." Assistant Minister Julian Hill said these measures will stop migrants from switching between visa categories for extended periods. The changes, effective October 2, 2026, require international students to apply for a separate visa if they wish to change university courses and prevent transfers to lower-grade programs. Additionally, temporary residents such as those on working holidaymaker or employer visas will be unable to switch into student visas. Immigration Minister Tony Burke emphasized that these reforms address individuals who use the appeal process to extend their stay indefinitely in Australia without meeting permanent residency criteria.
Written for “Australian Visa Hopping Crackdown” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
People who abuse Australia's temporary migrant system by 'hopping from visa to visa' will face new roadblocks under rules proposed by the Albanese government.
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who → abuse → government
From Friday, many international students and graduates will face new restrictions on bringing partners or children into Australia.
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students → face → Australia
PhD students, foreign or Australian government scholarship holders and those from ASEAN or Pacific nations will be exempt, but will only be able to add dependants when their visa is granted.
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visa → add → dependants
Overseas students must also pay around $1,200 for a new visa if they want to change university courses, according to the new rules.
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they → pay → rules
International students have been able to switch courses after completing six months of study, but the reforms temporarily extend that period to 12 months until the new visa requirement is expected to come into force in July next year.
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requirement → switch → July
Temporary migrants who are already in Australia, like people on working holidaymaker or temporary employer visas, will be blocked from applying for student visas.
The suite of measures come after a wide-ranging list of changes was introduced by Immigration Minister Tony Burke at the National Press Club in September.
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list → work → September
Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill said the new rules were designed to stop 'visa hopping', according to the Australian Financial Review.
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rules → say → Review
Overseas students must pay around $1,200 for a new visa if they want to change university courses, and many will face new restrictions on bringing partners or children with them.
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many → pay → them
Pictured, students at the University of Sydney's Camperdown campus
Assistant Minister Julian Hill spoke about the measures on Friday, saying they will stop people from 'hopping from visa to visa' and abusing Australia's migration system
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they → picture → system
One of the biggest problems has been the growth in permanently temporary migrants,' Hill said during a keynote address at the Migration Institute of Australia in Sydney on Friday.
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Hill → say → Friday
'People who hop from visa to visa, who may have spent most of their adult lives here, with kids who are now Australian, but who will never make the cut for skilled migration or who wait for years on bridging visas for a permanent visa.
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who → hop → visa
When Australians go to another country, they do not believe they have some God-given right to hop around from visa to visa for years or decades and game other nations' appeals and court systems, and neither should guests in our country.
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guests → go → country
Hill also warned migration agents and lawyers against attempting to undermine the migration system by lodging visa claims without merit.
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Hill → warn → merit
He called out online advertisements 'that appear to coach people on how to claim they are bisexual when they're not, or how to convince the department they're being persecuted when they're not, in order to support a protection claim'.
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they → call → claim
It's a misuse of the migration system for profit,' he said.
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he → say → profit
'Ultimately, I do not have confidence in the policy regime around how lawyers interact with the migration system.'
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lawyers → have → system
Almost 688,000 international students studied in Australia in the year to June, with a quarter of those students coming from China, followed by India, Nepal, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
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quarter → study → India
Despite the significant figures, the rate of student visa rejections has soared to 35 per cent, up from 23 per cent in the same period last year, according to data from the Department of Home Affairs.
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rate → soar → Affairs
The overhaul of student visa rules comes as the Albanese government attempts to bring net overseas migration down from almost 300,000 a year to a target of 225,000 by 2028.
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government → come → 2028
Under the sweeping reforms, parameters around the skilled migration program will also be tightened.
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parameters → tighten → program
Priority will be given to those working in healthcare, construction, teaching, resources, agriculture, aquaculture and fishing.
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Priority → give → healthcare
The Aporia
