Australia is preparing for a significant reshaping of its migration system.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced a package of measures aimed at changing who enters Australia, how temporary visa holders can remain in the country and how visa overstayers will be managed.
The Government has set a net overseas migration target of 245,000 in the near term, with a further target of 225,000 by 2027-28. At the same time, the reforms are designed to continue attracting workers in areas where Australia has identified skills needs, including construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture and resources.
For people planning to migrate, study, work or remain in Australia, the changes can be broadly understood through three questions:
Who arrives? Who stays? Who leaves?
Here is what the announced changes could mean.
Who arrives in Australia?
The Government’s approach is not simply about reducing migration. It is also about changing the profile and priorities of people entering Australia.
Skilled migration points test set for an overhaul
Australia’s points-tested skilled migration system is expected to undergo further reform, with Treasury input being used in redesigning the points test.
One important proposed change is greater recognition of trade and construction qualifications.
Under the current points framework, qualification levels can attract different points. For example, the existing regulations provide 20 points for a doctorate, 15 points for a bachelor’s degree and 10 points for a trade qualification for certain points-tested skilled visas.
The Government has now indicated that the reworked system will give greater recognition to qualifications that support Australia’s workforce needs.
This is particularly relevant for skilled trades such as:
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Other construction and housing-related occupations
The proposed direction reflects a broader focus on skills that can contribute directly to Australia’s housing and infrastructure needs.
For skilled workers considering a pathway to permanent residence, this means that your occupation, qualification, skills assessment, work experience, English ability and other points-tested factors will need to be considered together.
The final points test settings and commencement arrangements remain important details to watch.
Skilled visa processing priorities have changed
There is already a change that skilled visa applicants should be aware of.
Ministerial Direction 119 came into effect on 25 July 2026, replacing the previous skilled visa processing priorities.
Under the new direction, priority is influenced by both the applicant’s occupation and location. The highest priority is given to occupations supporting law enforcement and defence interests, followed by construction, healthcare and teaching. Applicants who are already in Australia also receive higher priority than applicants outside Australia.
This means that two applicants may not necessarily experience the same processing pathway simply because they have applied for the same visa subclass.
Processing priority is different from visa eligibility. Being in a priority occupation does not guarantee a visa grant, but it can affect the order in which an eligible application is considered.
International students may no longer be able to bring family members
Another major proposed change concerns new international students.
Under the announced reforms, most new international student and graduate visa applicants will no longer be able to bring family members to Australia.
The Government has indicated that exceptions will apply to certain students, including students from Pacific and ASEAN countries and PhD students. The precise implementation arrangements will be important for applicants planning their studies and family arrangements.
This is a significant change from the current framework, where eligible Student Visa holders can include family members in their visa arrangements.
For families considering Australia as a study destination, it will therefore be important to check the rules applying at the time of application, rather than relying on previous Student Visa settings.
Working Holiday Maker processing and regional work
The Working Holiday Maker program is also being changed.
The Government has announced a ballot system for second and third-year Working Holiday Maker visas.
The proposed caps are:
Second year: 45,000 places
Third year: 5,000 places
The regional work requirements themselves are not being removed. Applicants will still need to complete the required regional work, including the existing 88-day requirement for a second year and six months for a third year.
The UK arrangements are different. UK Working Holiday Makers will not receive the same processing changes because of Australia’s existing arrangements with the United Kingdom. Discussions with the UK Government are continuing.
An expression of interest system is not yet in place
There has also been discussion about introducing an expression of interest system to give the Government greater control over who enters Australia.
However, this should not be confused with the announced reforms that are already being implemented.
A broader expression of interest system would require further legislative work, and legislation for such a system has not yet been introduced.
Applicants should therefore distinguish between announced policy changes, measures already in effect and proposals that still require legislation.
Who stays in Australia?
The reforms also focus heavily on people who are already in Australia or who want to extend their stay.
Working Holiday Maker visas will become more competitive
For Working Holiday Makers seeking a second or third year, completing the regional work requirement will no longer necessarily mean receiving another visa.
Under the proposed ballot system, places will be capped.
This is an important distinction.
The regional work requirement remains, but completing the required work would not by itself guarantee a place when applications exceed the available cap.
For people currently working towards a second or third Working Holiday Visa, understanding the timing and eligibility requirements will become increasingly important.
Student visa holders face tighter progression rules
The Government also intends to address visa hopping by international students.
Students will continue to be able to extend their stay for genuine reasons, such as illness or circumstances involving the closure of their education provider.
Transfers within the same level of study are also not being eliminated.
However, the new direction is intended to prevent students from repeatedly moving sideways or down between qualification levels simply to extend their stay.
The proposed approach would generally allow progression to a higher qualification level, such as moving from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree, rather than using lower or equivalent-level courses primarily as a means of extending a temporary stay.
Recent government material has highlighted concerns about substantial transfers between courses, including transfers into Graduate Diploma programs from lower-level courses.
For students, the message is straightforward: your next course should make sense as part of your genuine education pathway, not simply as a way to remain in Australia.
Visitor visas will face a stronger “No Further Stay” approach
Another major proposed change concerns Visitor Visas.
The Government has announced that future Visitor Visas will carry a No Further Stay condition, designed to prevent visitors from using a visitor stay as a pathway to remain in Australia through another onshore visa application.
The condition can prevent a person from being granted another substantive visa while they remain in Australia, subject to the applicable rules and limited waiver circumstances. The Department of Home Affairs already provides a process for requesting a waiver of a No Further Stay condition in limited situations.
The announced change is intended to apply to future visitor visas rather than visas already granted.
Protection visa applications are treated separately under the announced arrangements.
For people visiting Australia while waiting for another visa process, this change makes it particularly important to understand the conditions attached to the Visitor Visa before travelling.
Migration agents face stronger penalties
The Government has also announced stronger consequences for migration agents who encourage or assist non-genuine visa applications.
Registered migration agents are already subject to professional and regulatory obligations. The announced reforms would increase the consequences for agents involved in applications designed to exploit the migration system.
For visa applicants, this reinforces the importance of providing genuine information and ensuring that documents and claims submitted with an application are accurate.
Who leaves Australia?
The reforms also include measures aimed at people who remain in Australia after their visa has expired.
New compliance measures for visa overstayers
The Government has announced plans to increase immigration compliance activity, including additional compliance officers and detention capacity.
The proposed approach would return to a model where people without a valid visa are given an opportunity to arrange their departure, with detention used where necessary for a short period while departure arrangements are made.
The Government has described this as a return to an approach used before 2015 rather than a policy of indefinite detention.
The practical message for visa holders is important:
Always know when your visa expires and what visa options are available before that date.
Remaining in Australia without a valid visa can have serious immigration consequences.
What is not changing?
Despite the scale of the announcements, several important areas are not being removed.
The Government has indicated that:
- Families already attached to visas and already in Australia will not be separated as a result of these changes.
- Regional work requirements for Working Holiday Makers remain in place. The major change is the proposed cap and ballot system for second and third-year places.
- Students can still extend their stay for genuine reasons, including certain circumstances outside their control.
- Student transfers within the permitted education framework are not being eliminated.
- The UK’s existing Working Holiday arrangements remain different, with UK applicants not receiving the same processing changes.
- Australia’s protection and asylum system is not being abolished. Further changes in this area would require additional legislative consideration.
- Most importantly, not every announced reform is already law.
Some measures can be implemented through administrative or regulatory changes, while others require legislation to pass Parliament.
What does this mean for people planning to migrate to Australia?
Australia’s migration system is becoming increasingly focused on skills, genuine temporary stay, workforce needs and compliance.
For prospective skilled migrants, occupations connected to construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture and other priority sectors may receive greater consideration through processing settings.
For international students, choosing a course should be part of a genuine education and career plan, rather than relying on repeated course changes to maintain a temporary visa.
For Working Holiday Makers, future second and third-year places may become more limited.
For visitors and other temporary visa holders, understanding visa conditions before entering Australia will become increasingly important.
And for anyone approaching the end of their current visa, waiting until the last minute to consider the next pathway may create unnecessary complications.
Planning your next Australian visa pathway?
Migration policy is changing, but the right visa strategy still depends on your individual circumstances.
At NB Migration Law, our migration lawyers and registered migration agents assist clients with skilled migration, Student Visas, Graduate Visas, employer-sponsored visas, partner visas, permanent residency and other Australian migration matters.
If you are planning to study, work, apply for permanent residence or remain in Australia, our team can assess your circumstances and explain the visa pathways that may be available to you.
Request a free eligibility assessment with NB Migration Law and understand your options before making your next move.