Australia Tightens Student Visa Rules: New Measures Impacting Tourist and Graduate Visa Holders

Listen to this article

EDUCAST, Australia is set to implement stricter regulations on student visas, as announced by Home Minister Clare O’Neil. Effective from July 1, the new rule will prohibit individuals on tourist visas and those in the Temporary Graduate (TR) visa category from applying for student visas while onshore. This move aims to address and close loopholes in the visa provisions that have been exploited to extend stays in Australia.

New Visa Regulations

The newly announced regulations will significantly impact foreign students seeking to prolong their stay in Australia. Under the new rules, individuals on visitor visas (subclass 600) and temporary graduate visas (subclass 485) will no longer be eligible to apply for student visas from within Australia. Instead, they will need to return to their home countries and submit their student visa applications from there.

Minister O’Neil emphasized that the intention behind these changes is to prevent students and temporary visa holders from using student visas as a means to remain in Australia indefinitely. The Minister highlighted that in the past 10 months alone, approximately 36,000 individuals transitioned from tourist visas to student visas. Additionally, 32% of students on Graduate Visas extended their stay in Australia by switching to student visas.

Impact on Foreign Students

The new rules are part of a broader immigration strategy introduced last year, aimed at curbing the surge in foreign student numbers, which have swelled to over 740,000 post-COVID. The Australian government is now taking steps to manage and significantly reduce this figure.

Registered migration agent Sanat Sharma noted that the changes will particularly affect Nepali students, who constitute the third-largest group of international students in Australia, following those from China and India. Currently, there are 55,300 Nepali students studying in Australia.

Government’s Stance

Minister O’Neil stated that the revised rules would also help reduce the number of individuals who, after completing their studies and their period on Graduate Visas, apply for student visas to prolong their stay. The practice of arriving in Australia on a tourist visa and subsequently converting it to a student visa has been on the rise, and the new measures aim to put an end to this trend.

The government’s commitment to tightening visa regulations underscores its intent to control the immigration flow and maintain the integrity of the Australian visa system. The new measures reflect a strategic approach to managing the country’s international student population and ensuring that visa provisions are not misused.

As these changes come into effect, foreign students and migration agents will need to navigate the new landscape, adapting their plans to comply with the updated regulations. The implications for international education in Australia will unfold in the coming months, as the country continues to balance its immigration policies with its educational offerings.