← All posts

Pakistani students and Australia's graduate visa: a briefing on the Opposition proposal

News · 2026-10-06 · 4 min read

This briefing is for Pakistani students who are studying in Australia or planning to. It covers a migration plan released by Australia's federal Opposition on 6 October 2026, and sets out what it would and would not change.

Status: a proposal, not a rule

The plan comes from the Liberal and National Coalition, which is not in government. Its measures would apply only if the Coalition wins government and then makes the changes. As of today, student visas and the temporary graduate visa operate exactly as before.

Five points in the graduate visa plan

1. Abolition. The temporary graduate visa would be phased out, with numbers falling from 271,200 to 10,000 by 2031-32.
2. Transition. A four-year transitional phase would come before the visa ends.
3. Return first. Graduates wanting to remain would have to go home and apply for a separate temporary visa.
4. Exceptions. Some graduates working in priority areas such as health and education, and in some regional areas, could stay.
5. Fewer new students. Commencements would be cut to 240,000, compared with a current planning level of 295,000. The Government says this calendar year is tracking towards 250,000.

For context, the same plan would reduce net overseas migration to 100,000 in each of the first two years of a Coalition government, with up to 160,000 by year four.

The Opposition's reasoning: post-study work rights have been promoted as a pathway to permanent residence or citizenship instead of as part of an education, and removing the visa would let the migration program target the skills the country needs.

The trade agreement with India

Critics point to Australia's free trade agreement with India, signed by a former Coalition government. A side letter dated April 2022 commits Australia to keeping temporary post-study opportunities for former students, as follows.

An international education industry association said the plan could breach these terms. It noted that India is the second largest international student group in Australia after China, and called it ironic that the Coalition would target the visa after negotiating these conditions. It warned that Australia would lose skilled health, IT and engineering workers after charging them for their qualifications. It also partly linked the increase in non-genuine students to a post-Covid decision by a former Coalition government to raise the hours students could work in key industries.

The Coalition's answer: there would be no breach. It says the treaty commits Australia to temporary visa pathways for some students for short periods after study, that Australia chooses the visas, and that in government it would work with affected partner countries on new pathways, including skilled ones, for their citizens.

Other reactions

The universities' peak body said the changes risked lasting harm to the sector and the economy, and that restricting post-study work rights could make Australia less competitive for talented students and graduates when more skilled people are needed.

The Government said removing the visa would make Australia less attractive, stop it choosing the brightest skilled graduates and hurt employers and industry. It added that all comparable countries offer competitive post-study work, and that losing top students would damage international education, Australia's fourth biggest export.

Action list for Pakistani students

1. Base your study and visa decisions on the rules in force today.
2. Rely on official Australian Government announcements, not headlines, for any change.
3. Keep an English CV up to date, and sit an English test (IELTS or PTE) if your course or visa requires one.
4. If a police certificate is requested, apply for a police character certificate in good time.
5. If you later travel for work rather than study, complete Pakistan's emigration formalities, such as registration with the Protector of Emigrants, and check current requirements with the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment.

#pakistani students #graduate visa #australia work visa from pakistan #international students #australia news