Australian Opposition Proposes Record Immigration Cuts to Ease Infrastructure Strain
Australia’s conservative opposition coalition proposed a policy on October 6, 2026, to cut temporary visas by 650,000 over four years and reduce annual net overseas migration to 100,000 for two years, aiming to lower arrivals to roughly one-third of their current rate, Reuters reported.
Angus Taylor Proposes Largest Immigration Reduction in History
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced the migration package during a Tuesday press conference in Sydney, describing the strategy as the largest reduction to immigration in the history of the country. Reuters reported that the policy cuts humanitarian visa placements by half to 10,000 and reduces international student enrollment to a cap of 240,000. The plan also abolishes the temporary graduate visa program that currently permits students to live, study, and work in Australia after finishing their studies.
Net overseas migration targets under the proposed framework sit at 100,000 for the first year, 100,000 for the second year, and rise to 160,000 by year four. Taylor stated that the adjustments will alleviate strain on transportation networks, educational facilities, public infrastructure, and housing markets. According to Reuters, net overseas migration was recorded at 306,000 in the 12 months leading up to June 30, 2025.
Living Costs and One Nation Pressure Coalition Platform
The conservative platform arrives as public discontent rises over elevated living costs and severe housing shortages across Australian cities. Reuters noted that the Liberal-National Coalition faces mounting electoral competition from the far-right, anti-immigration One Nation party, which has surpassed the Coalition in recent opinion polling by promising an even steeper reduction of 750,000 temporary migrants over three years.
The Coalition platform also outpaces the center-left Labor government, which announced its own immigration curbs last month aimed at bringing annual net migration down to 225,000 by 2028. Migration levels rebounded sharply following the reopening of Australia’s international borders in February 2022 after nearly two years of pandemic closures, driven heavily by international students, backpackers, and temporary workers.
Opposition Plan Increases Skilled Visas to Clear Backlogs
While cutting overall volume, the opposition proposal increases temporary skilled visa allocations by 100,000 and commits to clearing existing backlogs for construction worker visa applications. Taylor argued that the incumbent Labor administration permitted a transition away from targeted skilled migration toward high-volume intake, a trend the Coalition intends to reverse.
Australia’s next general election is scheduled for 2028.