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Australia Tightens Visa Rules: New Curbs for Students, Visitors, and Working Holidaymakers
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CNBC TV18•22-09-2026, 11:22
Australia Tightens Visa Rules: New Curbs for Students, Visitors, and Working Holidaymakers
- •Australia is implementing new migration policy changes for student, visitor, skilled migration, and working holiday visas over the next 12 months.
- •Student visa rules will be tightened to prevent 'visa hopping' and restrict secondary applicants, with a crackdown on non-compliant migration agents.
- •A 'No Further Stay' condition will be added to all visitor visas to ensure they are used by genuine visitors.
- •Skilled migration will see priority processing for key sectors like healthcare, construction, and education under an updated Ministerial Direction 119.
- •The Working Holiday Maker Program will introduce a ballot system for second and third-year visas, along with regional work requirements.
Key Questions Answered
Australia is tightening student visa rules by stopping visa hopping and restricting secondary applicants on most student visas to maintain system integrity and hit net overseas migration targets.
A No Further Stay condition will be introduced on all visitor visas to ensure they are utilized by genuine visitors rather than as a pathway for extending stays.
The Working Holiday Maker Program will introduce a ballot system for second- and third-year visas, which will also feature a regional work requirement and stabilized processing times.
