Visitor visas for Australia will no longer serve as a stepping stone to a longer stay, under a new condition announced by the Department of Home Affairs that bars future holders from applying to remain in the country.
Tony Burke, minister for home affairs, made the announcement on Thursday 17 September at the National Press Club, a prominent forum where government ministers deliver major policy addresses.
In a speech covering immigration reform, temporary visas and student visas, Burke outlined the case for the No Further Stay condition. The policy change falls under the Migration Act 1958, which governs the entry, stay and departure of all non-citizens in Australia.
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At the end of June 2024, 224 160 South African-born people were living in Australia, the seventh largest migrant community in the country, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That number has grown by 28,1% over the past decade.
In 2024-’25, Australia received 32 540 visitors from South Africa, an 11% increase on the previous year.
During his speech, Burke said the No Further Stay condition was introduced to address what he described as a “double standard” in the current system. He pointed to situations where a person could fly into Australia on a visitor visa and apply for a partner visa, rather than applying from outside the country, as others are required to do.
For Burke, the condition is about establishing clarity of intent.
“If you want to come on a temporary basis to Australia, apply for a temporary visa. If you want to come to Australia permanently, apply for a permanent visa. And if you no longer have a valid visa, you should leave Australia. That’s all it is.”
The No Further Stay condition is one of several changes introduced under the broader migration reform programme.
Separately, Ministerial Direction 119, which determines the order in which skilled visa applications are processed, came into effect on 25 July this year. The direction prioritises law enforcement, defence, healthcare, teaching and construction occupations, covering many of the most common roles held by South Africans on temporary skilled visas, including teachers, occupational therapists, nurses, boilermakers and welders, and civil engineers.
The No Further Stay condition applies only to future visa grants. Burke clarified that those already in the country will not be affected, nor will those with a protection visa application.
The department has not yet published a commencement date for the condition.
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