Anxiety had been building among Australia’s international students for weeks as a promised migration crackdown targeting them loomed.
On Thursday, family WhatsApp chats exploded as overseas relatives weighed up sweeping reforms that will bar family members coming to Australia on conditions attached to student visas.
“The biggest issue will be leaving a child or your partner behind,” said Pakistani international student Ali Chatha, who is two years into an undergraduate science degree at the University of Melbourne. “In the end, you’re going to choose your family over your career and opportunities.”
The federal government plans to curb net migration from about 300,000 to 225,000 next year using a suite of measures. The biggest group in the government’s sights is international students, whose numbers will be curbed by targeting visa-hopping and by reducing the influx of family members.
The government’s plans include exemptions for family members of students from Pacific and ASEAN countries, as well as students studying specific courses such as PhDs.
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