17/09/2026
🇦🇺 MAJOR AUSTRALIAN MIGRATION CHANGES HAVE JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED
Today, 17 September 2026, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced a series of proposed changes affecting Working Holiday makers, international students, families, Visitor visa holders and skilled migrants.
⚠️ Important: these are announcements. Many of the new rules are not yet in force and key details still need to be confirmed.
Here is what was announced 👇
🎒 WORKING HOLIDAY
A ballot system is proposed for second and third year visas, with 45,000 places for Year 2 and 5,000 places for Year 3.
Specified work would still be required, but completing it may no longer automatically guarantee access to the next visa.
🎓 STUDENT VISAS
Further study is expected to show genuine academic progression, for example:
Bachelor → Master
rather than repeated enrolments mainly used to extend a stay in Australia.
👨👩👧 FAMILY MEMBERS
New restrictions were announced for family members on Student and Graduate visas, although some exemptions are expected.
The Minister also indicated that the intention is not to separate families already together in Australia.
✈️ VISITOR VISAS
No Further Stay conditions may be applied more broadly to future Visitor visas, potentially limiting some onshore visa pathways.
👷 SKILLED MIGRATION
Certain construction trade qualifications may receive greater recognition under the points test, with several priority sectors also highlighted.
🔎 MIGRATION AGENTS
Stronger measures are expected against agents encouraging repeated visa applications without a genuine purpose.
📌 THE KEY MESSAGE
The Government distinguished genuine pathways such as:
Study → Qualification → Skilled Work → Sponsorship / PR
from repeated use of visas or courses mainly to remain in Australia longer.
👉 Swipe through the carousel for the full breakdown.
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📩 If you are unsure how these announcements could affect your current visa or future plans, contact us before making any decisions.
