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Australian Visas
By Matt Paff · November 4 2026 · Australian Visas
The Australian Department of Home Affairs publishes data via the Australian Bureau of Statistics on temporary visa holders in Australia. The most recent data comes from September 30, 2026. The highlights include:
Australia’s unemployment rate increased to 4.7%, but remains historically, relatively low highlighting our economy’s continued reliance on temporary visa holder labour. The total temporary visa cohort of 2.93 million as at September 30, 2026 shows the structural role temporary migrants play in industries from hospitality and agriculture to technology and education.
Growth is again concentrated in visa classes with work rights. Graduate, Skilled and Bridging visas together added more than 113,000 holders year on year, well ahead of the falls in Student and Visitor visas.
| Visa Category | Sep 2025 | Sep 2026 | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Category (New Zealand Citizens) | 736,306 | 743,241 | +6,935 (+0.9%) |
| Student | 634,670 | 551,341 | -83,329 (-13.1%) |
| Bridging | 405,150 | 445,678 | +40,528 (+10.0%) |
| Visitor | 357,815 | 348,595 | -9,220 (-2.6%) |
| Temporary Graduate | 239,324 | 277,832 | +38,508 (+16.1%) |
| Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) | 233,601 | 268,293 | +34,692 (+14.9%) |
| Working Holiday Maker | 217,624 | 217,827 | +203 (+0.1%) |
| Temporary Resident (Other Employment) | 59,740 | 60,496 | +756 (+1.3%) |
| Crew and Transit | 13,236 | 11,764 | -1,472 (-11.1%) |
| Other Temporary | 5,640 | 5,437 | -203 (-3.6%) |
| Temporary Protection | 1,468 | 1,555 | +87 (+5.9%) |
| Grand Total | 2,904,574 | 2,932,059 | +27,485 (+0.9%) |
Active 417 and 462 working holiday visas in Australia fell for a second quarter, from the record high of 237,015 as at March 31, 2026 to 225,648 at June 30 and now 217,827 as at September 30, 2026. Numbers are essentially flat year on year (217,624 at September 30, 2025, +0.1%), after rising 7% YoY in June.
UK citizens using the program under the Free Trade Agreement continue to support numbers. But the strong post-COVID growth in working holiday makers looks to have levelled off.
Student (500) visa holders rose seasonally, with 551,341 primary and secondary visa holders as at September 30, 2026, up 4.3% from 528,801 at June 30, 2026. Compared with the Same Period Last Year (SPLY), however, numbers are down 13.1% from 634,670 at September 30, 2025, a fall of more than 83,000 students.
The annual decline has steepened every quarter this year: -9.4% in March, -10.7% in June and now -13.1% in September. This continues to reflect the changes to Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) rules, visa price increases, rising refusal rates and caps on international student numbers at universities.
Bridging visa numbers hit a new record high of 445,678 as at September 30, 2026, up 7.9% from 412,925 in June and past the previous high of 432,300 set in March 2026. That is a 10.0% increase on 405,150 at September 30, 2025.
The continued growth in bridging visas reflects the high volume of onshore visa applications and ongoing processing delays, which keep many holders on bridging arrangements for long periods. For employers, this is the visa category where work rights conditions vary most from person to person, so regular checks matter.
Temporary resident (skilled employment) visas continued their strong growth to a record 268,293 as at September 30, 2026, up from 260,579 at June 30, 2026 and well above the 233,601 recorded in September 2025. This is a 14.9% year-on-year increase and reflects sustained employer demand for skilled temporary workers, particularly in technology, engineering and healthcare.
Temporary Graduate (485) visas also reached a new high of 277,832, up 16.1% year on year. Graduate visas now outnumber Skilled Employment visas and are a growing source of work-ready labour.
The falls in Student visas, offset by growth in Skilled and Graduate visas, again suggest that skilled migration remains the focus of the current government's agenda.
Visitor visas rebounded seasonally to 348,595 as at September 30, 2026, up 17.5% from 296,625 in June. They remain 2.6% below the 357,815 recorded in September 2025, but the annual decline has eased considerably from -9.0% in June. This is a more encouraging sign for the tourism and hospitality industries, although numbers are still below last year.
As at September 30, 2026, Australia's temporary visa holder population is 2,932,059, the highest September figure on record and up 0.9% year on year. The key trends are records in Bridging, Graduate and Skilled Employment visas, a steeper annual decline in Student visas, Working Holiday Makers levelling off, and Visitor visas recovering towards last year's levels.
The overall picture is one of sustained, structural reliance on temporary migration across the Australian economy, and with record bridging visa numbers, the need for employers to keep checking work rights.
Data source: data.gov.au — Temporary Entrants / Visa Holders
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