Australia’s opposition coalition has pledged what it calls the “biggest cut to immigration” in the country’s history, proposing to reduce net overseas migration to 100,000 a year during its first two years in government.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor unveiled the plan on Tuesday as the Liberal-National Coalition seeks to link immigration levels to housing availability and pressure on public services.
The proposal would reduce the number of temporary visa holders by about 650,000 over four years, while permanent skilled migration would remain capped at 185,000 places a year.
Students might face restrictions
International students would face tighter restrictions, including a cap of 240,000 new student commencements. The coalition also plans to abolish most Temporary Graduate Visas, with exemptions for PhD students and those studying health and education or attending regional universities.
The coalition would also halve Australia's humanitarian intake to 10,000 places a year and require most applicants for second or subsequent temporary visas to apply from outside the country.
‘Australia is not a hotel’
“A temporary visa should mean temporary. Australia is a home, not a hotel,” the coalition said.
Under the plan, net migration would gradually increase after the initial cuts, reaching 160,000 in the fourth year.
Migration has become a major political issue in Australia amid housing and cost-of-living pressures.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government has also tightened migration rules, including for international students, while arguing that migration remains important for addressing critical skills shortages.
