The Australian government is intensifying its efforts to curb “visa hopping” by international students by introducing stricter regulations to tighten control over immigration pathways.
Earlier this year, a series of reforms aimed at reducing migration levels and enhancing the integrity of the student visa system were implemented.
In a further step announced today by Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil, the Albanese government will enact additional measures starting 1 July.
A statement from Minister O’Neil’s office said:
“The visitor to student pathway has become increasingly prevalent, with over 36,000 applications since 1 July 2023 to the end of May 2024. This measure closes a pathway that has been used to attempt to subvert the Government’s strengthened offshore student visa integrity measures.”
The new regulations will see the closure of two specific pathways that have been identified as methods to “subvert” offshore student integrity measures.
O’Neil added that Australia needs a migration system which “delivers the skills we need, but doesn’t trade in rorts, loopholes and exploitation.”
“Our Migration Strategy outlines a clear plan to close the loopholes in international education and this is the next step in delivering that plan.”
Under the new rules, holders of Visitor Visas and Temporary Graduate Visas will no longer be eligible to apply for Student Visas while onshore.
These changes reflect the government’s commitment to ensuring that visa regulations are not exploited and that the migration system remains robust and fair.
The biggest growth in visa hopping has been in the VET sector, where there is a lower likelihood of a credible course progression. However, according to Home Affairs, in 2022–23 almost 69,000 students granted a subsequent student visa in Australia have stayed in, or shifted into, studying in VET, compared to 42,000 students pre-pandemic in 2018–19.
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