Daily Brief — Australian Education

The Albanese government is reported to be preparing a significant immigration overhaul targeting international students, with proposed measures including onshore visa application bans, restrictions on student dependants and partners, stricter course-change rules, and blocking VET pathway switching ("visa hopping"), with an announcement potentially in September (27 August). Net overseas migration is forecast to fall to 225,000 by 2027/28, down from a peak of 538,000 in 2022/23; the proposals, reported in The Australian and confirmed by The PIE, would add a further layer of restriction on top of the 295,000 NPL and $2,500 student visa fee already in place. Vicki Thomson (Go8 CEO): "What is not helpful is treating every provider, every student and every institution as though they are the same." (The PIE, 27 August)

Standing figures: 2026 NPL 295,000 (+25,000 on 2025); visa refusal rates 69% Nepal, 42% India (early 2026); domestic commencements 413,133 (+4.3% YoY); $50m over-enrolment fund; $50m Structural Adjustment Fund.

17–18 November 2026 — TEQSA 2026 Conference, fully virtual.

19 May 2027 — ASQA 12-month VET/ELICOS registration pause expires.