Starting July 1, moving from a visitor visa to a student visa while in Australia will no longer be possible, according to an announcement by Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil on June 12. This change, set to take effect in less than three weeks, aims to eliminate “visa hopping” and close “loopholes” allowing students and temporary visa holders to extend their stay 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,” O’Neil stated. She emphasized the need for a migration system that provides necessary skills without exploiting rorts and loopholes.

In addition, temporary graduate visa holders will also be barred from applying for student visas while onshore. The government reported that the visitor to student visa pathway has seen a significant increase, with over 36,000 applications from July 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024.

O’Neil referenced Australian demographer Peter McDonald, who argued that reducing visa applications from individuals already in the country would better manage population growth than cutting the permanent migration intake. The number of international students staying in Australia on multiple student visas has surged by over 30%, reaching more than 150,000 in 2022/23.

This announcement comes during a period of significant changes for Australia’s higher education sector, where enrolment caps on international students are expected to be determined over the next three months. Additional modifications to temporary graduate visas include shorter post-study work rights, reduced age limits from 50 to 35 for certain visas, and stricter language requirements, which were implemented in March 2024.

The government stated that these changes are part of a broader strategy to reduce net overseas migration, aiming to halve it by the next financial year.