SYDNEY: Australia will stop foreign students from bringing partners and children to accompany them while they study and tighten working holiday visa rules, a senior minister said on Thursday, amid growing debate over high migration levels.
The government’s move comes after the hard-right One Nation party, which has been surging in recent polls, said this week that it would slash the number of temporary migrants by 750,000 over three years, to give Australians “breathing space.” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke dismissed suggestions the changes were politically motivated by the One Nation party, which describes its approach as “Australia first” and whose policies have drawn comparisons to those of US President Donald Trump.
“It’s simply demonstrably wrong to suspect that somehow this is a recent bit of work done to deal with a political climate — it’s not,” Burke told reporters.
The reforms are expected to bring annual net migration down to about 225,000 by 2028 — broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels — from around 300,000 now. The cost of living and immigration have consistently ranked among voters’ top concerns in recent polls.
Burke said Australia would toughen its enforcement on visa overstayers, including hiring 100 additional compliance officers and exploring the repurposing of a pandemic-era quarantine facility in Melbourne to house immigration detainees.
“If you want to come on a temporary basis to Australia, apply for a temporary visa. If you want to come to Australia permanently, apply for a permanent visa.
Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2026
