Australia restricts international students from bringing family members

The Australian government has announced stricter rules for international students, "visa switchers," and traveling youth in an effort to limit immigration. Foreign students will no longer be able to bring family members with them, and those wishing to extend their stay will need to choose higher-level qualifications.

This was reported by BBC. Interior Minister Tony Burke, while announcing the new rules, emphasized that while immigration is Australia’s "strong point," there is a need for "high-level control" over the process. > "We will no longer increase the reserve of opportunities for students to automatically bring family members." > Tony Burke, Australian Interior Minister ### New Requirements for Students - Visas allowing foreign students to bring family members will be restricted; - An exception will apply to students already in Australia and some candidates from Pacific and Southeast Asian countries; - Doctoral students will retain the ability to bring family members — the minister explained this by the difference in living conditions between undergraduate and doctoral students; - Measures against "visa switchers" will be strengthened: cases of applying for a lower-level course after completing one course will be limited; - Students seeking to upgrade their education level can continue their studies — for example, a student who has completed a bachelor’s degree may enroll in a master’s program. ### Working Holiday Visa and Lottery System This visa, intended for those aged 18 to 30, allows individuals to work in Australia for 12 months, with the possibility of extending it for a second and third year.

Under the current rules, 3 months of work in regional areas is required for the second year, and 6 months for the third year. - In the new arrangement, candidates eligible for the second year will participate in a lottery, with a quota of 45,000 — down from 57,000 last year; - The lottery quota for the third year will be 5,000 — down from 31,000 last year; - These changes do not apply to British citizens due to the free trade agreement between the two countries; - In July, the acceptance of applications for working holiday visas was temporarily suspended for 24 countries (excluding the UK). ### Migration Goals and Current Indicators The government aims to reduce net foreign migration to 225,000 people by 2028.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population increased by 1.4% to 27.9 million people over the 12 months leading up to March 2026, with net foreign migration totaling 292,100 people.

The topic of migration is at the center of political debates: the "One Nation" party has proposed to reduce temporary migrant visas to 750,000 within three years and limit net immigration to 130,000 people per year. Minister Burke stated that such proposals could seriously harm certain sectors of the Australian economy.

According to Violet Rumeliotis, a representative of Settlement Services International, the debate on migration is being shaped by short-term political interests rather than the country’s long-term benefits; changes to family visas for foreign students could negatively impact the country’s competitiveness in attracting talented professionals in the future.

We have also written about the requirements for Australian student visas and restrictions on visas for foreign students and journalists in other countries.