Canberra, 17 September 2026 — Immigration Minister Tony Burke has announced a package of migration changes aimed at reducing visa hopping, tightening temporary visa pathways and giving the government greater control over who arrives, who stays and who leaves Australia.  It is important to understand that this is an announcement only and we are yet to see a change in regulations or legislation yet to enforce some of these changes.  

Key announcements 

  • Points test reform: Australia will revise the skilled migration points test, including an uplift for housing trades so construction workers can receive qualification points comparable to university-qualified applicants. 
  • Priority visa processing: Ministerial Direction 119 will be updated to prioritise processing for construction, agriculture, fisheries, resources and teaching. 
  • Student and graduate family rules: New student and graduate visa applicants will generally no longer be able to attach family members, with exceptions for Pacific and ASEAN arrangements, and some courses such as PhDs.  Importantly it was Minister Burke advised that this change does not affect students and graduate visa holders that are already in Australia  
  • Working holiday maker limits: Second- and third-year working holiday maker visas will move to ballot systems, capped at 45,000 places for year two and 5,000 places for year three, while regional work requirements remain.  Of note: This is a small reduction in numbers from the current level of second year visas, however it is large reduction in the third year.   Working holiday visas are the name for 462 visas, it is unclear if this will apply to work and holiday visa makers 417 visa holders.  
  • Visitor visa conditions: Future visitor visas will include no-further-stay provisions that prevent further onshore applications – apart from protection claims – to reduce visa hopping and make genuine Tourist visits easier to approve. 
  • Student visa progression rules: Students who wish to study again, may be permitted to study a higher qualification after their current visa expires, they will no longer be permitted to apply for a visa for a lower qualification. 
  • Action on non-meritorious protection claims: Migration agents who encourage disingenuous protection claims will now face sanctions or deregistration under a revised Code of Conduct. 
  • Greater compliance action: The government will add 100 compliance officers and 250 detention beds to deal with visa overstayers, returning to pre-2015 overstay management practices. 

What you need to know 

Australia’s migration system is set for a significant tightening after Immigration Minister Tony Burke used a National Press Club address to outline reforms designed to reduce temporary visa churn, target skilled migration more directly and restore confidence in the integrity of the program. 

Speaking on Citizenship Day, Burke said immigration remained “fundamentally a strength” for Australia, but argued the system needed firmer controls after a post-pandemic migration peak and growing concern about housing, infrastructure and visa integrity. 

The most important announcements for prospective migrants are in skilled migration, international education, working holiday visas and visitor visas. Burke said the government would reform the skilled migration points test, with special treatment for housing trades so applicants in construction-related occupations can achieve higher points equal to those of a degree.  

Visa processing priorities will also change. Construction, agriculture, fisheries, resources and teaching will be included in the priority list, signalling faster treatment for occupations the government considers central to economic needs and housing supply. 

International students and graduate visa holders face some of the biggest changes. New applicants will generally no longer be able to include family members on student or graduate visas. Burke said the measure would not split families already in Australia, and exceptions would remain for some groups, including Pacific and ASEAN arrangements and certain higher-level courses such as PhDs. 

The government will also restrict what Burke described as student visa “progression” used mainly to extend a stay rather than pursue genuine education. Under the proposed changes, students may be permitted to progress to a higher level of study such as from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree, but will not be able to move down a level of study as strategy to increase their time in Australia.

Working holiday makers will see a new ballot system for second- and third-year visas. The second-year ballot will be capped at 45,000 places, while the third-year ballot will be cut sharply to 5,000 places. Applicants will still need to complete the required regional work to qualify for the ballot. 

Visitor visa rules will also tighten. Future visitor visas will generally carry a ‘no-further-stay’ condition, preventing most further applications (apart from a protection visa) from being made in Australia. Burke said this would reduce the practice of people arriving as visitors and then switching to onshore pathways, while also making it easier for genuine visitors to receive visas for short stays. 

On compliance, the government will change the Code of Conduct for Migration Agents so those who encourage non-meritorious protection claims can be sanctioned or deregistered.  

Additionally, the minister announced there will be 100 additional compliance officers and 250 detention beds to manage overstayers, which Burke framed as a return to Australia’s pre-2015 approach rather than a new enforcement model. 

For prospective migrants, the message is clear: Australia wants to keep migration targeted, economically useful and more tightly controlled. Applicants in priority skills, especially construction and teaching, may benefit from faster processing and stronger pathways. But people relying on repeated temporary visas, course changes, visitor-to-onshore applications or weak protection claims should expect a more restrictive system. 

What you should do now 

  • Plan your study pathway carefully; future course changes will need to show genuine academic progression. 
  • Confirm  whether family members can be included in your next application, particularly student or graduate visa holders or applicants. 
  • If you wish to apply for a visitor visa, you should be aware you may not be able to apply for a further visa after your visit. 
  • Working holiday makers should prepare for competition in second- and third-year ballots, even after completing regional work. 
  • Seek reputable migration advice and avoid strategies based on weak protection claims or repeated temporary visa extensions.