UK students eyeing an Australian degree: an Opposition plan could end the graduate visa
News · 2026-10-06 · 4 min read
For many UK students, the appeal of an Australian degree is not just the course. It is the chance to stay on and work afterwards. The federal Opposition's migration plan, released on 6 October 2026, would take aim at exactly that. Before anyone changes their plans, though, one point comes first: this is a proposal. It would only apply if the Liberal and National Coalition wins government and then makes the changes. Today's student and graduate visa rules have not changed.
If you are under 36 and mainly want a year of work and travel rather than a degree, read our guide to the working holiday visa for Australia from the UK.
The wider plan in a sentence
The Coalition would cut net overseas migration to 100,000 for its first two years in office, rising to up to 160,000 in year four. It would also make big cuts to student, bridging and temporary protection visas and halve humanitarian places.
What would happen to post-study work
The temporary graduate visa lets international students stay and work after finishing their course. Under the proposal:
- it would be abolished, with numbers falling from 271,200 to just 10,000 by 2031-32
- a four-year transition would come first
- graduates wanting to stay would have to go home and apply for a separate temporary visa
- some graduates in priority areas such as health and education, and in some regional areas, would be allowed to stay
- new international student commencements would be cut to 240,000, against a current planning level of 295,000; the Government says this year is tracking towards 250,000
The Opposition argues that post-study work rights have been sold as a path to permanent residence or citizenship rather than as part of an education, and that ending the visa would let the migration programme concentrate on the skills Australia needs.
The trade deal argument
An international education industry group warned the plan could breach Australia's free trade agreement with India, signed by a former Coalition government. A side letter from April 2022 commits Australia to keeping post-study stays for former students:
| Qualification | Post-study stay |
|---|---|
| Trade or diploma | Up to 18 months |
| Bachelor degree | Up to two years |
| STEM bachelor or master's degree | Up to three years |
| Doctorate | Up to four years |
India is the second largest source of international students in Australia, after China. The group said Australia would lose skilled people in health, IT and engineering by charging students for their degrees and then sending them home. It also linked a rise in non-genuine students partly to an earlier post-Covid decision to let students work more hours in key industries. The Coalition says there would be no breach, as its commitments only cover temporary pathways for short stays after study, the choice of visa is Australia's, and it would work with partner countries on other routes, including skilled ones.
Pushback from universities and the Government
The universities' peak body said the changes risk lasting harm to higher education and the economy, and could make Australia less attractive at a time when it needs more skilled people. The Government said removing the visa would stop Australia selecting the brightest graduates, hurt employers and push top students to other countries that all offer competitive post-study work, damaging international education, Australia's fourth biggest export.
How to plan from the UK
Nothing here is in force, so plan under the current rules and follow official announcements on the Department of Home Affairs visa listing. If staying on after study is central to your plans, it is sensible to have a second route in mind. Health and education graduates are named among those who could stay, and a work visa from the start is another option for those who already have skills employers want.
Whatever route you take, sort out health cover early: see how Medicare works for UK citizens in Australia, students included.
For more, read why switching course will soon need a fresh visa and what the student visa overhaul could mean for your family, or browse jobs in Australia for UK citizens.
#graduate visa #australia #international students #opposition proposal #post-study work
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