Australia said on Monday that it would make it more difficult for foreign students and low-skilled workers to get visas. This could cut the number of migrants coming to Australia in half over the next two years, as the government tries to fix what it calls a “broken” migration system. Under the new rules, foreign students would have to get better scores on English tests, and their applications for a second visa, which would allow them to stay longer, would be looked at more closely.

Over the weekend, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the number of people moving there needed to be lowered to a “sustainable level.” He also said that “the system is broken.”

O’Neil said that the government’s targeted changes were already lowering net overseas migration and will help the expected drop in the number of migrants even more.

It was thought that net immigration would reach a high point of 510,000 in 2022–23, when the choice was made. Official numbers showed that it was expected to drop to about a quarter of a million in 2024–25 and 2025–26, which is about the same amount as before COVID.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/africa-rest-the-world/australia/news/australia-plans-halve-migrant-intake-tighten-student-visa-rules-3491601