Internet State

Foreign students in Australia will face tighter restrictions on bringing family members with upcoming immigration changes announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, aiming to reduce net overseas migration from approximately 305,000 to about 225,000 over two years. Last year, Australia issued over 337,000 international student visas, with approximately 45,000 granted to dependents, but the new measures are likely to require most students to travel alone. Additionally, the government plans to enforce actions against visa overstays and unlawful non-citizens, which numbered 110,898 as of July, while navigating political pressure amid rising support for opposition party One Nation.

One Nation plans to reduce the number of temporary migrants in Australia by over 750,000 in three years, primarily affecting international students and skilled migrants' family members, which would result in a net overseas migration total of 130,000. Labor has criticized the proposal, warning it could severely harm key sectors such as construction, healthcare, and aged care, while the Coalition questions the evidence supporting One Nation's claims. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson argues that the policy aims to alleviate housing and public service pressures and intends to give illegal migrants three months to leave Australia, with consequences for those who do not comply.

One Nation plans to cut 750,000 temporary visa holders in Australia over three years, returning numbers to 2017 levels. The proposal would initially lead to "net-negative" migration, with a projected steady state of 130,000 migrants afterwards, despite confusion among party members about the definition of net migration. About 10% of those affected by the cuts will include individuals living in Australia without a visa who have exhausted all options to stay.