Australia to bar foreign students from bringing partners, children while they study

SYDNEY: Australia will stop foreign students from bringing their partners and children to accompany them while they study and tighten rules for temporary migrants to switch visas, media reported on Thursday (Sep 17), ahead of a minister's speech on immigration changes.

Net overseas migration numbers will be reduced to 225,000 by 2028, down from about 300,000 now, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will say in a speech at the National Press Club later on Thursday, public broadcaster ABC News reported, without citing sources.

Burke's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At present, spouses and partners of international students can work in Australia, although the number of hours they are permitted to work varies depending on the student's course of study. The student can also bring dependent children under the age of 18.

The government's move comes after the hard-right One Nation party, which has been surging in recent polls, said this week that it would slash the number of temporary migrants by 750,000 over three years, to give Australians "breathing space".

One Nation, which describes its approach as "Australia first" and whose policies have drawn comparisons to those of US President Donald Trump, said it would aim to restrict net overseas migration to 130,000 after the initial three years, with the program expected to be reviewed annually.

Australia's migration intake, driven largely by international students, backpackers and temporary skilled workers, surged after the country reopened its borders in February 2022 following nearly two years of COVID-19 restrictions.

However, numbers have been trending lower over the past two years, even as critics argue the influx of migrants has increased pressure on housing and infrastructure and strained social cohesion.

Net overseas migration totalled 306,000 in the year ended Jun 30, 2025, with international students accounting for more than half of that total, according to official data. Net migration was 429,000 in 2024, after peaking at 518,000 in 2023.