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Vietnamese workers: what does Australia's migration number mean for you?

News · 2026-08-26 · 3 min read

You may see the word NOM in news about Australia. It means Net Overseas Migration. It is a number about how many people move to Australia. Politicians talk about it all the time. Let us look at it in plain words, and see what it may mean for jobs in Australia for Vietnamese workers.

What does NOM count?

NOM counts people who arrive and stay for at least a year. Then it subtracts people who leave to live in another country.

The time does not have to be in one block. Australia uses a 12/16-month rule. If you live in Australia for 12 months inside any 16-month period, you are counted. A student who goes home for one month and comes back is still counted.

Who is in the number?

Many groups are in it, not only visa holders. Australian citizens and permanent residents who return home are counted. New Zealanders who move to Australia are counted too. Diplomats and their families are not counted. Workers from the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program may be counted, but it depends on how long they stay.

Is the number going down?

Yes, but not as fast as planned. NOM was about 556,000 in 2023. It was about 301,000 in the year to December 2025. Treasury expects 225,000 by the 2027–28 financial year. Its past forecasts were too low, so the real number has been higher.

In 2024–25, the biggest group was international students, at about 157,000. Skilled visa holders added about 86,000. Working holiday-makers added about 78,000. Family visas added about 24,000, and humanitarian visas just under 15,000. Returning Australian citizens were 64,000, and New Zealand citizens were 53,000. Governments cannot control those last two with visa rules.

What do the parties say?

• One Nation says it wants 130,000. It would cut graduate visas, student numbers and the skilled list.
• The Coalition has no fixed number. It wants to link the cap to how many homes are built. It talked about a figure below 200,000. One senator named 180,000, but others did not agree, because farms and rural businesses need working holiday-makers.
• Labor is working towards 225,000 by 2028. It says it will focus on making sure people leave when their temporary visa ends. It is also slowing some working holiday and skilled visa processing.

What should you do?

Do not worry about the big number. Watch the visa types in the spotlight. These are student visas, graduate visas, working holiday visas and parts of the skilled list. Rules and caps there may change soon. Family and humanitarian visas are less likely to change quickly.

A target is a direction, not a promise. Real numbers have often been far from the plan.

You can get ready now. Make certified English translations of your Vietnamese documents when the visa rules ask for them. Vietnamese certificates and degrees are usually assessed again in Australia, through a skills assessment. If a police certificate is requested, Vietnamese citizens usually need the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2). Take IELTS or PTE if the visa needs it.

One more thing. Deal only with licensed organisations and real employers. Never pay an unlicensed broker, and be careful with anyone who wants money upfront to secure a job or a visa. For facts, use the official Australian Home Affairs website.

#migration #net overseas migration #australia visa #student visa #working holiday #vietnamese workers