Archive · 6 Oct 2026
Australian Opposition Proposes Historic Immigration Cuts, Prioritising Skilled Workers
Australia’s opposition Coalition wants fewer people to move to the country temporarily.
It says the plan would reduce temporary visas by 650,000 over four years.
The Coalition wants net migration to be 100,000 a year for the first two years.
It would also reduce humanitarian places and limit international student enrollment.
The plan would end a visa programme that lets some graduates stay and work.
At the same time, it would add temporary visas for skilled workers.
Coalition leader Angus Taylor says the changes would ease pressure on housing and services.
The Labor government has proposed a smaller reduction in migration.
Australia’s next general election is not due until 2028.
The Liberal-National Coalition says its plan would cut temporary visas by 650,000 over four years.
It proposes net overseas migration of 100,000 in each of the first two years, rising to 160,000 in year four.
The plan would halve humanitarian visa places to 10,000, cap international student enrollment at 240,000, and abolish the temporary graduate visa programme.
The Coalition also proposes 100,000 additional temporary skilled visas and clearing a backlog of construction worker visa applications.
The proposal is more restrictive than Labor’s target of 225,000 annual net migration by 2028; net overseas migration was 306,000 in the year to June 30, 2025.
- Who
- The Liberal-National Coalition, led by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, proposed the plan.
- What
- A migration policy that would cut temporary and humanitarian visas, limit student enrollment, and prioritise skilled workers.
- When
- The proposal was announced on Tuesday and the article was published October 6, 2026.
- Where
- Australia; Taylor spoke at a press conference in Sydney.
- Why
- Taylor said the plan would put Australia’s national interest first and ease pressure on housing, roads, schools, and infrastructure.
Coalition proposal
Other party positions
Scale of migration cuts
Coalition proposal
The Coalition proposes cutting temporary visas by 650,000 over four years and reducing net overseas migration to 100,000 in each of the first two years.
Other party positions
Labor’s plan aims to bring annual net migration down to 225,000 by 2028; One Nation has pledged to cut temporary migration by 750,000 over three years.
Purpose and impact
Coalition proposal
Angus Taylor says the proposal would put Australia’s national interest first and relieve pressure on housing, roads, schools, and infrastructure.
Other party positions
The articles report the competing migration targets, but do not provide a direct response from Labor or One Nation on the Coalition’s stated rationale.
- Temporary visa reduction
- 650,000 over four years
- Net overseas migration target
- 100,000 in each of the first two years; 160,000 in year four
- Humanitarian visa places
- Reduced by half to 10,000
- International student enrollment
- Would be cut to 240,000
- Temporary skilled visas
- Coalition pledges to increase them by 100,000
- Recent net overseas migration
- 306,000 in the year to June 30, 2025
- Labor migration target
- 225,000 annual net migration by 2028
- Next general election
- Not due until 2028
