Australia’s Coalition government, led by opposition leader Angus Taylor, announced plans to reduce temporary visas by 650,000 over four years, marking the largest migration cut in the nation’s history. The government aims to lower net overseas migration to 100,000 annually for the first two years, increasing to 130,000 in the third year and 160,000 in the fourth.
Migration Numbers and Visa Caps
The planned permanent skilled migration program will maintain 185,000 places per year despite the reduction in temporary visas. Humanitarian visa places are to be halved from 20,000 to 10,000 annually. Bridging and temporary protection visas will see a drastic cut from over 400,000
currently to 20,000. International student commencements will be capped at 240,000, pushing the share of overseas enrolments in higher education below 25%.
Temporary Visa Changes and Family Restrictions
The current total number of temporary visa holders stands at approximately 1,766,200 for this financial year. Temporary graduate visas will be abolished, and most family members of international students will be prevented from entering Australia. These steps are part of the government’s effort to reshape temporary visas and migration flow.
Operational Measures and New Visa Categories
The government plans to form a strike force to clear the backlog of skilled construction visa applications, addressing labor shortages in the construction sector. The talent and innovation
visa allocation will double to 7,000 places with the introduction of a new Aukus and Five Eyes visa. Fees for working holidaymaker visas are set to rise, although exemptions will apply for backpackers working in regional hospitality and agriculture.
Political Reactions and Policy Context
One Nation aims to reduce temporary migrants by over 750,000 in three years, advocating for net arrivals to be limited to 130,000 annually after an initial net negative migration period. Labor’s approach plans to reduce net overseas migration to 245,000 in 2026-27 and 225,000 in 2027-28, banning visa hopping and restricting student enrolment changes. Labor officials warn the Coalition’s cuts could
severely damage Australia’s economy and services, while Nationals MPs caution restrictions on working holidaymakers could harm regional industries.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor described the Coalition’s policy as “the biggest cut to immigration in the history of this country,” asserting the plan would regain border control and keep the economy intact. Nationals leader Matt Canavan labeled it “an Australia first migration plan,” emphasizing the need to protect Australian wages from cheap foreign labour.
Industry and Economic Response
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s CEO Andrew McKellar warned the scale of the cuts would harm the economy, rejecting the notion of choosing between fewer migrants
with higher skills or more migrants with lower skills. Master Builders Australia welcomed the focus on skilled migration but expressed uncertainty over other measures. Meanwhile, former Labor minister Ed Husic criticized the politicization of immigration amid global competition for skilled labor.
