Published: 17.09.2026

• 2026-09-17Australia announces a package of tighter migration rules

  The government announced measures targeting visa hopping, unlawful overstays and non-meritorious migration claims. Most new international students would be barred from bringing family members, while working holiday extensions would be subject to ballots and caps; selected occupations would receive priority in the migration system.

• 2026-09-10Australia changes priority rules for family and parent visa applications

  From 25 July 2026, family visa applications receive higher priority when the applicant is in Australia and the relevant visa can be granted onshore. For the 2026–27 financial year, the parent visa allocation was reduced from 8,500 to 7,060 places, while the overall family migration program is set at 52,460 places.