Labor moves to curb migration lawyers and agents over futile visa applications
The Labor government will target migration lawyers and agents who profit from visa applications with little chance of success, as part of a broader effort to lower migration numbers.
Julian Hill, the Assistant Citizenship Minister, announced a crackdown on migration lawyers and agents who assist clients in filing visa or protection claims that have little prospect of approval. He criticised practices such as misleading advertising and filing high-volume, unviable employer-sponsored visas, and said Home Affairs will develop options to close regulatory gaps. A dedicated taskforce will investigate unregistered advisers taking fees from vulnerable people.
At the same time, new restrictions on international student visas begin, limiting on-shore visa hopping and family reunification. Skilled-visa processing has been reordered to give priority to healthcare, construction, teaching and other high-need sectors, while the points test is being overhauled. These steps support Labor’s goal of reducing net overseas migration from 292,100 to 225,000 by the next financial year.
Why it matters
The reforms aim to stop exploitation by migration advisers and curb Australia's overall migration intake.
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