Australia has introduced new measures aimed at preventing international students and temporary visa holders from extending their stay indefinitely after completing their studies in the country.
A central goal of Australia’s Migration Strategy, unveiled last year, is to clamp down on ‘visa hopping’ loopholes that have allowed some students and temporary visa holders to continuously extend their stay in Australia.
According to the Migration Strategy, the number of international students staying in Australia on subsequent student visas has surged by more than 30 percent, reaching over 150,000 in the 2022–23 period.
Peter McDonald, a prominent Australian demographer, recently suggested that curtailing visa hopping by reducing visa applications from those already in the country could effectively manage population growth, more so than cuts to permanent migration intake.
To address these concerns, the government has implemented measures such as imposing ‘no further stay’ conditions on visitor visas and introducing the Genuine Student requirement in March, preventing thousands of students from transitioning from one student visa to another without credible course progression.
Starting July 1, 2024, the Australian government is taking further steps:
1. Visitor Visa holders will no longer be allowed to apply for Student Visas while in Australia. This move aims to close a loophole frequently used to circumvent tightened offshore student visa integrity measures. From July 2023 to May 2024 alone, over 36,000 applications were lodged through this pathway.
2. Temporary Graduate Visa holders will also be prohibited from applying for Student Visas while in Australia. According to a report by the Grattan Institute, 32 percent of Temporary Graduate Visa holders return to study upon visa expiry to extend their stay in Australia.
These changes emphasize that graduates should focus on securing skilled employment and pursuing pathways to permanent residency, or alternatively, leaving the country if they are likely to remain in a ‘permanently temporary’ status.
These adjustments are part of broader reforms scheduled for Temporary Graduate visa holders on July 1, 2024. They include shorter post-study work rights, reduced age limits (from 50 to 35 years), and enhanced English language requirements, all of which were implemented earlier in March.
Together, these reforms are expected to contribute to a significant reduction in net overseas migration, aligning with the government’s target to halve net overseas migration by the next financial year.