Moving to Australia as a family? How the push to cut migration to 225,000 could change your route

News · 2026-09-16 · 3 min read

A couple review papers beside a laptop at their dining table while their young daughter draws in a bright family home.

If your plan to emigrate to Australia from the UK involves more than one person, the reforms now being prepared in Canberra are worth understanding before you choose a visa. The government is setting out changes that would make it much harder for international students to bring partners, children or other relatives with them, as part of a wider move to bring migration numbers down.

Studying alone becomes the default

The core of the plan is simple. Most international students would be expected to come to Australia on their own. Several visa categories would also move away from open-ended, demand-led numbers towards tighter limits set by the government.

The scale matters. Last year Australia granted over 337,000 student visas, and roughly 45,000 went to family members travelling with a student. For a household in the UK that had pictured one person studying while the rest of the family settled in, that route may be closing.

The numbers the government is aiming for

Measure	Figure
Net overseas migration now	approximately 305,000
Target within two years	225,000
Permanent migrants still allowed each year	around 185,000
People in the deportation or review pipeline as of July	nearly 111,000

It is worth knowing that net overseas migration had already been falling for seven quarters in a row since late 2023, and projections suggest it could fall below pre-pandemic levels by 2027-28. The permanent intake of around 185,000 a year is the figure most relevant to people planning to settle for good.

Other measures expected

Family members are not the only focus. The reforms are also expected to:

close gaps that let people whose visas have expired switch into a different visa to stay longer
speed up appeals so that people who are refused leave sooner
step up action on people in Australia without a valid visa

Talks with the Opposition on a joint approach in Parliament broke down, so the government may rely on regulations and departmental directions instead of new laws.

The arguments around it

Reaction has been mixed. An independent senator wants a proper 10-year migration strategy that balances skills needs with housing and the environment, rather than a debate about totals. Business groups argue the real problems are housing supply and skills shortages, and that cutting migration will fix neither. One Nation wants to go much further, proposing to remove 750,000+ temporary migrants over three years, a plan that universities, aged care providers and both major parties have called damaging to the economy.

Planning a family move from the UK

Nothing here is final until the details are published, but it makes sense to plan around it:

Watch for the specifics. Which visa subclasses are affected, and from when, will decide what this means for you.
Think about timing. Applications lodged before new rules start may be assessed under the current settings, though that depends on the transition rules.
Compare routes. For a family, skilled migration or a partner visa may give more stability than relying on a student visa with dependants. If one of you has a trade or profession in demand, an employer-sponsored or skilled visa could be worth exploring first.
Get proper advice. Before you make choices that are hard to undo, talk your situation through with an experienced, qualified adviser.

You can compare visa types on the Department of Home Affairs visa listing. If a job offer could be your family's way in, start with the roles on our jobs page.

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