While no concrete changes have yet been made, the government’s migration strategy outlines an intent to restrict temporary graduate visa holders from transferring back to student visas while onshore, as well as an intent to restrict onshore visa hopping.

Flinders University in South Australia is among the institutions to begin refusing tourist visa-holders, while assessing other temporary entrants on a case-by-case basis.

Charles Sturt University is barring applicants on post-study work visas, bridging visas, and the phased-out pandemic visas. A spokesperson for the university – which operates in NSW, Victoria and the ACT – said its approach was informed by government policy and guidance from the Department of Home Affairs, “as well as analysis of our visa outcomes”.

“Where we consider that a student is unlikely to meet the Department of Home Affairs’ [genuine temporary entrant] requirement, we are unable to offer admission to Charles Sturt,” the spokesperson said.

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A University of Wollongong spokesperson said Home Affairs data “recently identified an elevated risk of non-genuine applications, and UOW is adjusting processes related to admission and genuine temporary entrant screening processes in response to this”.

A University of Sydney spokesperson said the institution was not rejecting onshore applicants.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the government would not shy away from making important changes to the sector.

“After a decade of open slather on student visas, migration is unsustainably high and our government is tackling dodgy providers and halving migration rates by next year,” she said.

O’Neil’s December directive to prioritise student visa processing based on risk ratings was meant to benefit top-tier universities; however, she questioned their support of the overhaul when Group of Eight head Vicki Thomson cast doubt on the accuracy of data that showed a significant boost to visa approvals for prestigious institutions.

Amid growing tension between the government and the sector over the handling of the migration overhaul, Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy said in a published statement to his members this month that he was continuing to meet with the government over their concerns about processing.

He also said the government was considering pausing changes to risk ratings and would consult the sector. A departmental spokesperson said the latest risk-rating update, which occurs twice yearly, was due to happen this month.

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