Work

Problematising ‘visa determinism’: Contested and multifaceted migratory identities among student visa holders in Australia

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Sociology of migration scholarship has recently criticised the unreflective use of categorisation in migration research and practice. This article extends this critique by reflecting on ‘visa determinism’ – a heuristic that uses the visa status as a proxy for inferring people's identities, intentions and experiences. Drawing on the case of Brazilians who hold student visas in Australia, we explore and problematise visa determinism in two main ways. First, we demonstrate how migrants engage in othering to contest and repurpose the visa-determined ‘international student’ category. Second, we illustrate how intentions and migratory identities are multifaceted, and how contradictions between visa status and de facto experiences are a product of restrictive migration policies. Ultimately, this article aims to raise awareness of visa determinism as a heuristic that permeates different domains of migration. It argues that its uncontested use can legitimise the policing of migrants’ intentions and the production of migrant illegality.

Source: Journal of Sociology

DOI: 10.1177/14407833251332694

Authors: Rafael Azeredo, Renata Casado

Institutions: The University of Queensland, The University of Western Australia

Language: English

Topic: Migration, Refugees, and Integration

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650

Funder: Australian Government