{
  "id": 15609138,
  "title": "What’s in a NOM? Immigration and the Universities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/whats-in-a-nom-immigration-and-the-universities",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-19T13:01:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MacroBusiness",
    "slug": "macrobusiness",
    "url": "https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2026/10/whats-in-a-nom-immigration-and-the-universities/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The policy choices made by Australian immigration authorities will have a significant impact on university admissions for the remainder of the decade. Pauline Hanson's One Nation party recently suggested reducing the number of temporary visa holders by 750,000, which would be a severe blow to Australia's universities. If implemented, this would lead to a more than 10 percent reduction in the total student population, as universities would only admit 100,000 student visas per year for three years.\n\nOne Nation also proposes ending onshore processing for student visas, requiring each visa to be specific to a degree, and eliminating post-study work rights for most students. This would restore government control over Net Overseas Migration (NOM) by ensuring that students leave Australia at the end of their studies and in a predetermined timeframe. The Coalition party supports similar policies, suggesting a reduction in new commencements by around 15%, without imposing hard caps. However, this would still have a significant impact on universities, particularly research-intensive Group of Eight institutions that rely on international students for their master's programs.\n\nLabor's approach to student visa reforms focuses on addressing issues within the existing system rather than imposing extreme measures. They aim to clean up the current system by prohibiting students already onshore from staying for multiple courses and requiring most international students to apply offshore. This change would benefit weaker institutions in Sydney, Melbourne, and other cities, as well as dual-sector institutions that offer vocational programs leading to university degrees. However, the Coalition's proposed reduction in post-study work rights would disproportionately affect weaker universities, potentially leaving them at a disadvantage compared to their more affluent counterparts.",
  "summary": "Pity the poor university vice-chancellors who draw a third or a half of their students from overseas. Immigration is now firmly on the political agenda—for all major political parties. And the policy choices made today will reverberate through university admissions for the rest of the decade. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation put the cat among the The post What’s in a NOM? Immigration and the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}