Australia tightens temporary visa rules to curb migration and visa hopping

Canberra, Australia, September 17, 2026 — Australia’s federal government has announced a package of tighter migration measures targeting visa overstayers, repeated switching between temporary visas and other practices it says undermine the integrity of the immigration system.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke outlined the reforms at the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday, saying the government aims to reduce net overseas migration (NOM) to 225,000 by the 2027–28 financial year. The government is treating the figure as a target amid housing pressures, rather than simply a budget forecast.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported Thursday that net overseas migration was 292,100 in the 12 months to March 2026, down 17,400, or 5.6 percent, from the previous year.

Burke said the government supports migration but wants greater control over demand-driven parts of the system. The reforms will focus particularly on temporary visa holders and will largely be implemented through existing regulatory powers after negotiations with the opposition over broader legislative changes failed to produce an agreement.

Under the new approach, authorities will increase enforcement against people who remain in Australia after their visas expire. The government plans to add 100 compliance officers and 250 detention beds as part of the effort to locate and remove visa overstayers. It is also examining whether a former quarantine facility in Melbourne could be used for immigration detention.

The government will also target so-called visa hopping, particularly among international students who repeatedly move between courses or visa categories to prolong their stay. Students transferring to a new course will generally need to obtain a new visa, while those completing a qualification will be expected to progress to a higher qualification level rather than move to a course at the same or lower level.

All visitor visas will generally carry a “No Further Stay” condition under the new policy. The government says this is intended to prevent people from entering Australia as visitors and then applying onshore for another visa before moving onto a bridging visa.