Australian govt announces end to 'visa hopping’ in migration system from July 1

Study in Australia: “Our Migration Strategy outlines a clear plan to close the loopholes in international education and this is the next step in delivering that plan. We need a migration system which delivers the skills we need, but doesn’t trade in rorts, loopholes and exploitation," said Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Clare O’Neil.

Australia has announced to further tighten its policies to end the visa hopping. Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil announced that starting from July 1, 2024, new rules will be introduced and chances of moving from a visitor visa to a student visa while onshore in Australia will no longer be possible.

“The migration system we inherited was completely broken, and our goal is to build a smaller, better planned, more strategic migration system that works for Australia," she said.

The government is now working to close all the possible loopholes in the international education sector. The aim is to reduce the net overseas migration by half by the next financial year. Together the announced changes will continue to reduce net overseas migration, she added.

The minister said that the Migration Strategy released last year committed to restricting ‘visa hopping’ to end the loopholes that allow international students and temporary visa holders to continuously extend their stay in Australia.

Between 2022-23, the number of international students staying on a second, or subsequent student visa has grown by over 30 per cent to more than 150,000.

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"The Government has already taken action to address this, by using no further stay conditions on visitor visas and through the Genuine Student requirement implemented in March which has stopped thousands of students from hopping from student visa to student visa unless there is credible course progression. This complements more than a dozen other policies already implemented that are helping restore integrity in the international student system, such as ending unrestricted work rights and the former Government’s COVID visa," she said.

Restriction to visa hoping to tighten further from July 1

The Albanese Government is going to implement the following steps:

• The visitor to student pathway has become increasingly prevalent, with over 36,000 applications since 1 July 2023 to the end of May 2024. From next month onwards, the Visitor Visa holders will not be able to apply for Student Visas onshore. This will eliminate the pathway that was being used for visa hopping.
• Temporary Graduate Visa holders will not be able to apply for Student Visas onshore.
• There will be significantly shorter post-study work rights.
• Reduced age limits from 50 to 35 years of age
• Increased English language requirements which were implemented in March

Read more:

• Australian Education Minister confirms plan to cap international student enrolments
• Australia Releases Draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework