Australia Announces Tighter Student, Visitor and Working-Holiday Visa Rules

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced that most international students would need to arrive without dependants, while all future visitor visas would carry a "No Further Stay" condition. Second- and third-year working-holiday visas would move to ballots tied to regional-work requirements, although British participants would remain exempt under the bilateral trade agreement. The government will prioritise skilled applications in healthcare, construction, education and law enforcement, and update the character test for hatred and family violence. Burke set net overseas migration targets of 245,000 this financial year and 225,000 in 2027-28, saying the package aimed to support migration while curbing abuse.