04/11/2026
Australia had 2.93 million temporary visa holders at September 30, 2026, the highest September figure on record.
The mix is changing:
• Bridging visas reached a record 445,678, up 10% year on year.
• Graduate visas rose 16.1% to 277,832.
• Skilled Employment visas increased 14.9% to 268,293.
• Student visa numbers fell 13.1% year on year.
For employers, record bridging visa numbers reinforce why regular work rights checks matter. Conditions vary from person to person, so visa category alone does not tell the full story.
Read our September 2026 breakdown and what it means for Australian employers:
https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01vfwW0
In this article we dissect the temporary visa data published by data.gov.au as at the end of September 2026 and take a look at the trends