The Albanese Government has confirmed that its long-awaited migration overhaul will include a provision effectively preventing most new international students from bringing spouses or children to Australia. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told Parliament on 16 September that dependent family will be removed from the subclass 500 student visa except in “genuine hardship or research-critical cases”. The measure, to be formally detailed in a National Press Club address on 17 September, is designed to curb visa “churning” and reduce Net Overseas Migration (NOM), which surged past three million temporary residents in mid-2026. Universities Australia and the International Education Association of Australia immediately warned the change could make Australia less competitive against Canada and the United Kingdom, where recent restrictions on postgraduate dependants have already dented demand. More than 18 per cent of the 35 0 00 postgraduate enrolments recorded in the March quarter included a declared partner or child. Chinese, Indian and Malaysian students—who lodge the bulk of on-shore protection claims—will be most affected. Business groups broadly support the move, arguing that housing and infrastructure in the major capitals are under acute pressure. Property Council chief Mike Zorbas said the reset “creates space to plan sustainably”, while the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged government to ring-fence high-skill research candidates from the ban so that corporate R&D pipelines are not disrupted. Operationally, the Department of Home Affairs will remove the “family-unit” tick box from the online ImmiAccount workflow. Existing dependants will retain their visas but will face tightened work-right rules at renewal. Migration agents expect a spike in last-minute dependent applications before the Bill receives royal assent, likely before Christmas. For global mobility managers, the announcement means that employers sponsoring postgraduate staff already in Australia may need to budget for higher relocation costs if families cannot accompany future intakes. Education providers are reviewing marketing material and are preparing targeted scholarships to offset the policy’s deterrent effect in key source markets.
Source: ABC News
