Australia to exempt Vietnamese students from ban on bringing family members

Vietnam remains a market of interest for Australian education providers, according to Jane Tran, Board Director of the Vietnam-Australia Scholars & Experts Association (VASEA), following Australia's announcement of the next phase of reforms to its migration system. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Sept. 17 announced new measures that will limit accompanying family members for most student and post-study work visa holders, a crackdown on "visa hopping" by tightening rules on switching courses and visa types to extend stays, apply "No Further Stay" conditions to visitor visas, and prioritize visa applications for skilled workers in industries with labor shortages.Speaking to Vietnam News Agency in Sydney, Brian Quang Dinh, Director of Edunetwork Australia, said the key message from the latest changes was that Australia still needs international students and skilled workers, but wanted to ensure temporary visas are used for their intended purposes.He said Burke’s announcement specifies that ASEAN countries and Pacific island nations, along with certain groups of students such as PhD candidates, would be exempt from some of the new restrictions. Vietnamese passport holders are currently among those allowed to continue bringing family members, subject to applicable conditions.Based on the figures she has been monitoring, Tran said the student visa grant rate for Vietnamese applicants remains relatively positive compared with the overall picture, while Australian universities value the study attitudes and quality of many Vietnamese students.Drawing on her direct experience supporting Vietnamese students, she noted that the ability to bring family members along was one of the factors that made Australia an attractive destination for many postgraduate students.Both experts said the new adjustments should not be interpreted as meaning that Australia is no longer welcoming international students. Visitors take pictures of the main building at the University of Sydney in Australia, Aug. 5, 2016. Photo by Reuters Another notable feature of the latest reforms is that while Australia is tightening some temporary visa streams, it is giving greater priority to skilled workers in sectors facing labor shortages.According to the government announcement, sectors prioritized for skilled visa processing include healthcare, construction, education, law enforcement, defense, resources, agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries. Certain occupations in construction, healthcare and teaching have been given the highest priority.Tran mentioned that this approach could open up more opportunities for Vietnamese students and professionals with the right qualifications. It could benefit not only recent graduates but also former Vietnamese students who studied in Australia and have since returned to Vietnam, as long as they meet the requirements for the relevant skilled visa streams.Overall, the views indicate that the Sept. 17 changes do not alter the reality that Australia continues to need international students and skilled migrant workers. The major change lies in how the country selects and manages migration flows: limiting pathways primarily aimed at extending stays, while directing international students and workers more towards skills that the economy genuinely needs.For Vietnamese students, this creates greater pressure to prepare more thoroughly and develop clearer study plans, while also opening opportunities for those with relevant professional skills, clear career goals and the ability to adapt to Australia's rapidly evolving migration policies.