Australia has continued to tighten its international student and temporary migration settings through 2026, part of a sustained government effort to reduce net migration from record pandemic-recovery highs.
The end of “visa hopping”
From 2 February 2026, regulatory changes restricted “visa hopping” — the practice of repeatedly switching between temporary visas onshore. Key elements reported include:
- Tighter limits on switching onshore between visitor, student and temporary work visas.
- Stricter English-language requirements for some applicants.
- Shorter tolerance periods for overstaying and increased compliance obligations for employer sponsors.
Ministerial Direction 115: a “traffic-light” system
Since 14 November 2025, offshore student visa applications have been processed under Ministerial Direction 115, which prioritises applications based on how well a university or college is managing its approved enrolment cap. In practice, students applying to providers that are well within their cap may see faster processing than those applying to providers near or over their limit.
Higher costs and a higher cap
These changes sit alongside a student visa (subclass 500) fee of AU$2,500 from July 2026 and a 2026 international student intake cap raised to around 295,000 places.
What it means for you
Choose a provider with a strong compliance record and confirmed capacity, prepare a genuine, well-documented application, and do not rely on switching visas after you arrive. If an agent promises a guaranteed “pathway” by hopping between visas onshore, treat it as a red flag.