Australia’s temporary visa population has climbed to a record 2.93 million, intensifying pressure on the Albanese government as critics warn the migration surge is worsening housing shortages and stretching public services.
New Home Affairs figures show temporary migrants now make up roughly 10 per cent of the population, with numbers rising by nearly 1.2 million since 2019.
As at the end of October, the cohort included 731,234 New Zealand citizens, 638,166 international students, 240,332 temporary graduates, 402,652 bridging visa holders, 238,322 temporary skilled workers, 226,962 working holiday makers and 360,214 tourists.
Former Immigration Department deputy secretary Abul Rizvi described the rise as unprecedented, telling news.com.au nearly all visa categories had grown over the past decade except for tourism, which has not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels.
The number of bridging visa holders is now almost eight times higher than a decade ago, driven largely by a surge in asylum claims from Chinese and Malaysian nationals between 2015 and 2020. Experts say some people were “gaming” the system, but argued the larger issue lay in visa design, underfunded processing systems and outdated policy settings.
Failed asylum seekers who remain in Australia have passed 100,000 for the first time, reaching 101,976 as of 31 October, with a further 26,298 claims awaiting decisions. Deportations remain extremely low, averaging about a dozen a month last financial year and fewer than five in October.
The Administrative Review Tribunal is overwhelmed by a backlog of more than 124,000 cases, largely due to a sharp rise in student visa appeals. Of the migration-related matters before it, 46,601 involve student visas, and 40,427 relate to protection visa refusals. Just 9 per cent of protection visa cases were overturned between July and September, compared with 45 per cent of student visa appeals. Tribunal chief executive Michael Hawkins told Senate Estimates the body lacked the resources to triage the caseload.
Australia’s population reached 27.5 million in March, up 1.6 per cent in a year. Net overseas migration accounted for 315,900 people, far exceeding natural population growth. Updated migration forecasts are expected later this month, while full-year net migration data will be released on 18 December.
Although net migration has fallen from its peak of 536,000 in 2022–23, it remains well above pre-pandemic levels. Permanent and long-term migrant arrivals reached a record 415,760 in the first three quarters of 2025. The Institute of Public Affairs told news.com.au the figures showed the government was pursuing a “Big Australia” approach without community consent, arguing housing, infrastructure, and services cannot keep pace.
The government maintains its reforms are stabilising the system, citing a 26 per cent fall in student visa lodgements and a 31 per cent drop in temporary graduate visa applications in 2024–25. It has tightened English-language rules, reinstated capped working hours for students and ended onshore student visa applications from visitor and graduate visa holders. Home Affairs told news.com.au most bridging visa holders are simply waiting on substantive visa applications lodged while they still hold valid visas.
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