Australia’s Labor government is preparing proposed restrictions on temporary migration, including tighter rules for international students bringing family members and measures against “visa-hopping”. The reforms aim to reduce net overseas migration to 245,000 in 2026–27 and 225,000 the following year, while speeding up the departure of people who no longer have a legal right to remain.

Almost 46,000 of the 337,427 student visas granted last financial year went to partners or dependent children. The government is also considering changes to protection-claim reviews, bridging visas and enforcement, against a backlog of more than 400,000 bridging visa applications and 77,700 unlawful non-citizens; tougher action is expected to include short deadlines to leave, detention and deportation.