Sweeping changes to Australia’s migration policies this week have left one American international student feeling unwelcome and ready to pack her bags.
In late 2024, Brianna Alvarado moved from New York to Melbourne on a Working Holiday Visa in seeking a break from the political “drama” emerging in the US and a fresh start.
With few expectations about what Australia would offer, Brianna said she came to enjoy living here.
She admits there were barriers and stresses that came with the move, but the 30-year-old eventually decided to stay and invest in her education so she can switch careers.
Last year, she applied for a student visa to work toward receiving a beauty therapy diploma.
However, since becoming an international student, she said she is questioning whether she should even complete her studies, and leave Australia before her current visa expires in November 2027.
She says the cost compared to the level of education is “not up to tier”.
“I’m so frustrated with it that I don’t think I’ll even finish it,” Brianna told Yahoo News.
Are you impacted by the recent visa changes? Email nikitha.martins@yahooinc.com
Brianna Alvarado has lived in Australia for almost two years after moving from a working holiday visa to a student visa. Source: Brianna Alvarado/Getty
Brianna said her visa’s 48-hour-per-fortnight work restriction was especially a major hurdle, limiting how much she could work as she struggled to keep up with the cost of living.
“Honestly, thank God that I have a parent that helps me with some of it,” she said. “If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t be able to do this at all.”
Harder migration rules not worth the trouble, visitor says
Brianna said immigration visa changes announced yesterday have pushed her further towards leaving.
“It’s definitely a nail in the coffin.”
The announcement that particularly reinforced her decision was the federal government’s introduction of the No Further Stay condition.
This change will impact all visitor visas to ensure they are only used by genuine visitors and not as a pathway to “visa hopping” to extend a stay in Australia.
The condition is aimed at improving the integrity of student visas.
The crackdown on immigration is sought to temper Australia’s population growth.
Authorities intend to cut migration from 292,100 to 245,000 in the year to July 2027 and 225,000 each year thereafter.
Brianna believes the new policy does not acknowledge the benefits immigrants bring to the country.
“They’re not talking about how much you are paying and benefiting the country,” she said, adding that fees for international students cost an “extortionate amount of money”.
The 30-year-old said she believes changes affecting visa pathways will hurt the country rather that help it.Source: Brianna Alvarado/Getty
Brianna especially questioned the migration rule that international students will no longer be able to extend their stay by moving to another student visa unless they choose a higher qualification.
She suggested the policy was a way to get more money out of international students, as generally the higher the education, the higher the cost.
“That’s just ridiculous,” she said.
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While she admits the country is “gorgeous”, she said the way she was treated as an international student and immigrant, and as rules get tougher, she’s grown tired of her stay in Australia.
“I’m looking forward to this chapter to be over with,” she said.
“I don’t want to continuously feel like I’m being taken as a joke or taken advantage of.”
What were the key changes announced for Australia’s immigration policy?
Among the major immigration changes were the following:
Introducing a ballot system for years two and three of the Working Holiday Maker Program, primarily impacting backpackers.
Slow down visa processing times for Working Holiday Maker applications, excluding Brits.
Introducing a No Further Stay condition to all visitor visas to ensure they are only used by genuine visitors and not as a pathway to “visa hopping”.
Cracking down on people in Australia without valid visas.
Restricting secondary applicants on student visas.
Cracking down on rogue migration agents who knowingly support visa applications without merit
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