Australia’s global talent magnetism is on full display again. New statistics released by the Department of Home Affairs and analysed by compliance platform vSure reveal that as at 30 September 2025, a record-high 2.90 million people were living in Australia on temporary visas. The data, published on 5 November 2025, underscores both the opportunities and the pressures created by post-pandemic migration.
Breaking down the numbers, student-visa holders (subclass 500) reached an unprecedented 736,306, eclipsing the previous June-quarter record despite tighter Confirmation of Enrolment caps and higher English-language standards introduced this year. Working-Holiday Makers (subclasses 417/462) also hit a new peak of 239,324, buoyed by reciprocal quota increases negotiated with the United Kingdom, India and several European nations. Temporary Skill Shortage and the new Skills-in-Demand visas together accounted for just over 170,000 holders, reflecting Australia’s still-acute labour-market gaps in health care, engineering and construction.
![Record 2.9 Million Temporary Visa Holders in Australia, New ABS Figures Show]()
For businesses, the headline is a larger pool of legally available workers—but also rising compliance risk. Employers must now check work-rights more frequently, as the average visa expiry period for casual workers has shortened from 18 to 14 months. Meanwhile, state governments are warning that housing demand is outstripping supply; the NSW Treasury estimates that every additional 100,000 temporary residents add roughly 40,000 dwellings to demand within a year.
Policy makers face a balancing act. Universities and tourism operators welcome the influx, but trade unions have renewed calls for a higher Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold when the indexation review lands in December. Analysts expect the data to feed directly into the federal government’s long-awaited Migration Strategy Implementation Review due early 2026.
In practical terms, mobility managers should prepare for tighter monitoring of work-rights, especially for students working above the 48-hour-per-fortnight cap, and ensure sponsored workers maintain occupational alignment as the new Core Skills Occupation List is refreshed next month.
Breaking down the numbers, student-visa holders (subclass 500) reached an unprecedented 736,306, eclipsing the previous June-quarter record despite tighter Confirmation of Enrolment caps and higher English-language standards introduced this year. Working-Holiday Makers (subclasses 417/462) also hit a new peak of 239,324, buoyed by reciprocal quota increases negotiated with the United Kingdom, India and several European nations. Temporary Skill Shortage and the new Skills-in-Demand visas together accounted for just over 170,000 holders, reflecting Australia’s still-acute labour-market gaps in health care, engineering and construction.
For businesses, the headline is a larger pool of legally available workers—but also rising compliance risk. Employers must now check work-rights more frequently, as the average visa expiry period for casual workers has shortened from 18 to 14 months. Meanwhile, state governments are warning that housing demand is outstripping supply; the NSW Treasury estimates that every additional 100,000 temporary residents add roughly 40,000 dwellings to demand within a year.
Policy makers face a balancing act. Universities and tourism operators welcome the influx, but trade unions have renewed calls for a higher Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold when the indexation review lands in December. Analysts expect the data to feed directly into the federal government’s long-awaited Migration Strategy Implementation Review due early 2026.
In practical terms, mobility managers should prepare for tighter monitoring of work-rights, especially for students working above the 48-hour-per-fortnight cap, and ensure sponsored workers maintain occupational alignment as the new Core Skills Occupation List is refreshed next month.
