Work & skilled workersAnnouncementHigh impactVerified

Australia Consultations

🇦🇺 AustraliaConsultations1 recorded versionLast change 5 Aug 2026

ConfidenceVery high · 90%

Current rules

The proposed new rules, which were expected to be announced, would have included: - Tougher family visa rules. - A cap on the number of backpackers in the country. - Restrictions on the work and appeal rights of asylum seekers. - Prevention of spouses, children, and parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents from applying for family visas while in the country as tourists. - Expansion of lotteries for working holiday-makers. Separately, the government had already implemented: - A substantial increase in visa application fees, effective 1 July. - Two ministerial directives prioritising onshore applicants over offshore applicants for permanent skilled and family visas, with limited exceptions for law enforcement and defence workers.

Overview

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancelled a planned National Press Club speech where he was expected to announce far-reaching changes to Australia's migration settings. Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson stated that Burke's proposed changes faced pushback from his colleagues, suggesting they were politically driven.

Who is affected by the latest change

Australian immigration applicants
People involved in visa policy

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before the government proposed these changes, these rules applied: - People applying for family visas who were in Australia as tourists could apply for these visas while still in Australia. These people often got bridging visas, which let them work and use Medicare, while they waited for their application to be approved. - People applying for humanitarian visas generally had the right to work while the government checked their claims. They could also appeal if their claims were rejected. - Certain people on working holiday visas, sometimes called backpackers, could stay for a second or third year. To do this, they had to work in regional areas. British backpackers no longer had this rule.

After

The new rules, which the government was expected to announce, would have included: - Stricter rules for family visas. - A limit on the number of working holiday visa holders in the country. - Limits on the right to work and appeal for people seeking asylum. People seeking asylum are people who have left their home country and asked another country for protection because they fear for their safety. - Preventing spouses, children, and parents of Australian citizens and people who are permanent residents from applying for family visas if they were in Australia as tourists. - More opportunities for working holiday visa holders through a lottery system. The government had already put these changes into place: - A large increase in visa application fees, which started on 1 July. - Two instructions from the minister that said applications from people already in Australia would be processed before applications from people outside Australia. This applied to permanent skilled visas and family visas, except for some workers in law enforcement and defence.

The speech being put off means there will be a delay in major changes. These changes would have directly affected different types of visas and ways to move to Australia. If these changes are put into place, it will be harder for some families to reunite in Australia. It might also force family visa applicants to wait for processing outside Australia. The changes would also limit work and appeal rights for people seeking asylum. They could also reduce chances for working holiday visa holders to extend their stays. The changes would give the government more control over net migration numbers. This has bigger effects on how the economy is planned and on public services. The visa application fees have already gone up, which also makes the cost of immigration higher for everyone who applies.

Explained simply

Imagine the government was about to tell everyone about some big changes to how people can come to Australia, kind of like changing the rules for a popular game. But then, at the last minute, they decided to wait because not all the new rules were completely ready. So, the announcement got pushed back. What this means for you: If you're thinking about moving to Australia, or if you have family there, you should keep an eye out for when they actually announce these changes. They're talking about making it harder for families to get visas if they're already visiting, and possibly putting limits on backpackers or changing rules for asylum seekers. Also, it's already more expensive to apply for a visa now, and if you're applying for a permanent visa from inside Australia, you might get a quicker response than if you apply from outside.

Version history

v1Issued 4 Aug 2026AnnouncementHigh impact
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancels Press Club speech on migration changes amidst cabinet pushback
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancelled a planned speech. He was going to announce many changes to Australia's immigration rules at the National Press Club. Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson said that other government ministers did not like Mr. Burke's proposed changes. Mr. Paterson said this suggested the changes were for political reasons.

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