Arabic version: حزب العمال يستعد لإصلاح نظام الهجرة للتأشيرات المؤقتة

According to ABC News, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will outline regulatory changes to temporary visa rules in a National Press Club address on September 17. The federal government intends to use the measures to reduce net overseas migration from about 300,000 to 225,000 by 2028.

The planned overhaul targets temporary migrants seeking to bring family members to Australia, change visas or extend their stays. It will be pursued through changes to visa conditions and application processes after Labor’s discussions with the Coalition over stronger legislation failed to produce an agreement.

ABC News reported that international student numbers are expected to remain unchanged, but students will effectively lose the ability to bring family members to Australia. In the last financial year, 337,427 student visas were granted, including 45,991 secondary applicants classed as dependants or family members.

Burke said legislation would have been the preferred way to manage migration, but told parliament the government still had further levers available. The government has already paused or slowed processing of working holiday maker visas and re-prioritised skilled visa processing under Ministerial Direction 119. The changes have placed overseas skilled-visa applicants at the back of the queue, with waits moving from days to more than a year in some cases.

Independent MP Helen Haines raised concerns about effects on regional Australia, while One Nation leader Pauline Hanson accused Labor of starving regional areas of labour and tourists. The Coalition is finalising its own migration proposal, which Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam has said will be released in coming weeks.