Australia moves to restrict international students from bringing family members
Australia’s federal government has announced plans to restrict international students from bringing family members to Australia as part of a broader migration overhaul aimed at reducing net overseas migration. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced the proposed changes at the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday, as the government seeks to reduce net overseas migration from about 300,000 to 225,000 by 2028.
Burke said in Parliament on Wednesday that he would prefer to legislate the changes, but indicated the government could use other regulatory powers if it could not secure parliamentary support. The number of international students is not expected to be directly reduced under the proposal. Instead, the government is targeting secondary applicants who accompany students, including partners and other family members.
Department of Home Affairs figures show that 337,427 student visas were granted in the last financial year, including 45,991 secondary applicants classified as dependants or family members. The changes could particularly affect international students whose partners accompany them to Australia and work while they study.
Nepali students received 31,869 student visa grants in 2024-25, up from 19,397 in 2023-24, according to Department of Home Affairs figures, making Nepal one of the fastest-growing source countries for the program. Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy said the proposed restrictions could have wider economic consequences. He said international education was a major economic asset, particularly for Victoria, where the sector contributes almost $18 billion to the economy and supports nearly 70,000 jobs. Sheehy said international students also contributed to the workforce while studying, and estimated that each student contributed about $70,000 to the Australian economy.
“We’ll have to wait until Tony Burke releases the full details of this policy,” Sheehy said.
The proposed family restrictions are part of a wider effort by the government to reduce the number of people remaining in Australia on temporary visas and to prevent people from repeatedly moving between temporary visa categories. The exact implementation date has not been announced, and the government has not said whether existing student visa holders or their families would be affected, or whether any exemptions would apply.
