The Australian government will restrict visas for the family members of international students under immigration changes designed to reduce the country's migrant intake.

Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke revealed the changes to immigration rules in a speech to the National Press Club on Thursday, promising to cut net overseas migration to 245,000 in the current financial year and 225,000 in 2027-28.

The speech coincided with new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics that showed net overseas migration added 292,100 people to the national population in the year to March, down from 309,500 in the preceding 12 months.

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Under the changes announced by Burke, international students with visas to study in Australia will no longer automatically be able to bring their families with them.

According to government data, Australia granted 337,427 student visas in 2025-26, 45,991 of which were for the dependents or family members of primary applicants.

Burke said that students in Australia who already have their family attached to their visa will be exempt from the change, as will international students from Pacific and ASEAN nations as well as PhD students.

Additionally, he said that the government will crack down on "visa hopping" international students who switch between courses to prolong their stay in Australia.

"One of the classic areas of visa hopping is people finish a course, hop to the next course, hop to the next, and one of the worst examples is they transfer down to a not-so-legitimate educational provider," he said.

He said that the new regulations will require international students to move up the qualification scale to extend their stay, while 100 new compliance officers will be hired to ensure visa overstayers leave Australia.

"If you want to come on a temporary basis to Australia, apply for a temporary visa. If you want to come to Australia permanently, apply for a permanent visa," Burke said.

"And if you no longer have a valid visa, you should leave Australia. That's all it is."

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The order for considering applications for skilled worker visas will be amended to prioritize migrants with skills in areas of need, including construction and agriculture, and the working holiday visa program will be overhauled to introduce a ballot system.

Visitors on 12-month working holiday visas are currently automatically granted a second year if they complete 88 days of regional work and a third year if they then complete an additional six months working in a regional area.

The ballot system will grant 45,000 qualified working holiday visa holders a second year and 5,000 a third year.

Burke said that 57,000 people qualified for a second-year working holiday visa in 2025-26 and 31,000 qualified for a third year.