> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Australian Opposition Proposes Country’s Largest Immigration Reduction - URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/australian-opposition-proposes-countrys-largest-immigration-reduction/ - Published: 2026-10-06T07:47:51.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-06T07:47:51.000Z - Description: Australia’s opposition Coalition has proposed cutting net overseas migration to 100,000 and reducing the temporary-visa population by approximately 650,000 over four years. Graduate, student and humanitarian visas would face the largest reductions. - Author: TGV Desk - Tags: The Day So Far, Top Stories, Immigration, Australia, Housing Crisis, Liberal Party, Australian Politics, Student Visas, Angus Taylor, has-audio Australia’s opposition Coalition has proposed what it calls the largest immigration reduction in the country’s history, promising to cut net overseas migration to 100,000 a year and reduce the temporary-visa population by approximately 650,000 over four years. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor unveiled the plan alongside senior Liberal and National Party figures, arguing that rapid population growth has placed unsustainable pressure on housing, roads, schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure. Under the proposal, net overseas migration would be limited to 100,000 in each of the Coalition government’s first two years. It would then rise to 130,000 in the third year and 160,000 in the fourth. > 🚨 One Nation poll pressure forces Coalition into ‘record’ migration cut. Hanson’s policy reset still goes further on multiple fronts Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has pledged to cut net migration to 100,000 a year. One Nation says the package borrows heavily from its September policy plan. Hanson dismissed the announcement on X: "The Coalition has turned up late to the grand final after both teams have headed back to the changerooms, waving a photocopy of One Nation's immigration policy." "Their plan is to build more houses, then bring in more people to compete for them. Who trusts the major parties that created this mess to fix it anyway?" "Only One Nation can be trusted to deliver net-negative migration for three years, easing pressure on rents, hospitals and services while ensuring businesses have access to the skilled workers they need." > > — Rukshan Fernando (@therealrukshan) [October 6, 2026](https://x.com/therealrukshan/status/2107283525879869644?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=theglobalvoice.com) That would represent a sharp reduction from current levels. The [Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded net overseas migration of 292,100](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/mar-2026?ref=theglobalvoice.com) during the year ending March 2026, accounting for most of the country’s annual population growth. Net overseas migration is not the same as the number of visas issued. It measures the difference between people entering and leaving Australia who remain inside or outside the country for at least 12 months during a 16-month period. It includes international students, skilled workers, working holidaymakers, returning Australians and people departing the country. The proposed reduction would be achieved primarily by shrinking Australia’s temporary migrant population. The Coalition estimates that its changes would reduce the number of “core” temporary visa holders from approximately 1.77 million to 1.12 million by 2031–32. One of the largest changes would be the near-abolition of the Temporary Graduate Visa, which allows eligible international students to remain in Australia after completing their studies. The Coalition projects that the number of people holding these visas would fall from 271,200 to about 10,000. Limited transitional visas would remain available for PhD candidates, graduates in health and education, and students attending regional universities. International student commencements would be capped at 240,000 annually, while most students would no longer be permitted to bring partners or other secondary applicants. Student visas would also be connected directly to the institution named in the application, making it more difficult for students to enter Australia through one college and then transfer to another course or provider. The changes could have significant consequences for universities and businesses dependent on international education. Official figures show that [education-related travel generated $53.6 billion in export earnings](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/detailed-methodology-information/information-papers/recording-international-students-balance-payments?ref=theglobalvoice.com) during the 2024–25 financial year, making overseas students an important source of revenue for universities, accommodation providers, retailers and other services. The Coalition would also reduce bridging and temporary protection visas from approximately 414,700 to 20,000\. In most cases, people seeking a second or subsequent temporary visa would be required to leave Australia and apply from overseas. Onshore asylum claims would generally have to be submitted within 30 days of arrival. Australia’s annual humanitarian intake would be halved from 20,000 to 10,000 places, although the policy would allow the government to adjust the figure in response to an international emergency. Family reunion visas would not be reduced, and the permanent migration programme would initially remain capped at 185,000 places. The Coalition says the permanent cap could later be lowered if migration continued to exceed the number of new homes being constructed. Despite the overall reduction, selected skilled-migration routes would expand. The number of temporary skilled visa holders is projected to increase by about 60,000, while 15,000 Skilled Project Visas would be made available annually for workers attached to major infrastructure and construction projects. The Specialist Skills stream would be expanded by up to 5,000 places a year, and the Talent and Innovation allocation would double to 7,000 through a proposed visa directed towards applicants connected to AUKUS and the Five Eyes intelligence partnership. Taylor said the objective was to replace what he called “mass migration” with a programme focused on income, age, English proficiency, employment and skills needed by the Australian economy. The Coalition would also establish a unit to clear delayed visa applications from construction workers. --- The plan goes considerably further than the Labor government’s current policy. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced reforms intended to reduce net overseas migration to 245,000 in 2026–27 and 225,000 the following year. Those measures also tighten student, working-holiday and temporary visa rules but stop well short of the Coalition’s proposed 100,000 target. Labor argues that excessively rapid reductions could worsen worker shortages, reduce economic growth and deprive sectors such as construction, health and aged care of essential employees. The Coalition maintains that prioritising higher-paid skilled migrants would allow its plan to remain budget-neutral, although detailed modelling of the broader economic consequences has not yet been published. The policy comes amid growing political pressure over immigration, housing costs and living standards. One Nation has proposed an even larger reduction involving 750,000 temporary migrants and several years of negative net migration. Migration increased sharply after Australia reopened its borders in 2022, as international students and temporary workers returned after the pandemic. Although the annual figure has since declined, it remains well above pre-pandemic levels and continues to dominate the political debate over housing supply and population growth. The Coalition cannot implement the plan unless it wins the next federal election, which is due by 2028\. Its proposal nevertheless establishes a clear dividing line: Labor intends to reduce migration gradually, while the opposition is promising an immediate fall to levels Australia has not recorded outside the pandemic since 2004.