Australia Grapples with Secondary Visa Holder Numbers

The Australian government is grappling with the issue of secondary visa holders, which includes partners and children of former students who hold primary visas. The debate has been fueled by recent data showing that nearly 30% of temporary graduate visa holders are secondary applicants, a figure that peaked in 2024 but remains high at over 73,000.

The issue is complex, with some arguing that restrictions on secondary visa holders could lead to labour market shortages and affect the economy. Others point out that the Australian government has offered inducements for migrants to come to Australia, including the temporary graduate visa, and should keep its side of the bargain.

Australia's migration policies have been criticized for being ad hoc and lacking a clear overarching strategy. The country has seen a significant increase in student visas, with 577,295 granted in 2022-23, of which 77,599 were secondary applicants. This has led to a large cohort of temporary graduate visa holders, with 144,063 granted in 2025-26, including 42,679 secondary visa holders.

The government is likely to consider how secondary visa policy affects the student and temporary graduate visa populations. With South Asian source countries historically being the most migration-focused, and India having a high secondary visa share, any changes to policy could have significant implications for these countries.