Australia is implementing significant changes to its visa policies starting from July 1, 2024, aimed at curtailing “visa hopping,” particularly within the Student visa program. These changes are part of broader migration reforms introduced in December 2023.
Starting from July 1, the Albanese Government will further tighten these regulations. Visitor Visa holders will no longer be able to apply for Student Visas while in Australia, closing a loophole that saw over 36,000 applications from July 2023 to May 2024. Additionally, Temporary Graduate Visa holders will also be barred from applying for Student Visas onshore. The Grattan Institute’s “Graduates in Limbo” report revealed that 32% of Temporary Graduate Visa holders return to study to extend their stay in Australia.
These changes aim to ensure that graduates secure skilled jobs and transition to permanent residency or leave the country, rather than remaining in a state of “permanent temporariness.” Other changes effective from July 1 include shorter post-study work rights, reduced age limits from 50 to 35 years, and higher English language requirements introduced in March. Collectively, these measures are expected to significantly reduce net overseas migration, with the Government aiming to halve it by the next financial year.
Key changes include:
Restrictions on Onshore Visa Applications: Holders of certain temporary visas, such as the Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485), Visitor (Subclass 600), and Maritime Crew (Subclass 988) visas, will no longer be able to apply for a Student visa while they are in Australia. These visa holders will need to apply from offshore if they wish to study in Australia
No Bridging Visas for Offshore Applicants: Applicants lodging their Student visa applications from outside Australia will not be granted Bridging visas, meaning they must remain offshore until their visa is decided unless they have another visa allowing travel and stay in Australia
Encouraging Compliance and Skilled Migration: These measures are designed to ensure that Temporary Graduate visa holders either leave Australia or transition to skilled jobs that lead to permanent residence. The government aims to reduce the practice of extending stays through cheaper vocational courses, which often leads to “permanent temporariness
