Opposition leader Angus Taylor pledges ‘biggest cut to immigration in Australian history’ amid housing pressures and rising political competition on the right.
Australia’s conservative Liberal-National Coalition has announced a sweeping migration overhaul that would cut net overseas migration to 100,000 people a year for the first two years of a potential Coalition government-roughly one-third of current levels-before allowing a gradual rise.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor unveiled the policy on Tuesday, describing it as “the biggest cut to immigration in the history of this country.” Under the plan, net overseas migration-the number of long-term arrivals minus departures-would be held at 100,000 annually in the first and second years, rise to 130,000 in the third year, and level out at around 160,000 by the fourth year.
Coalition Plans Major Migration Cuts:
The current figure stands at approximately 292,000 for the year to March 2026. Taylor argued the reductions would ease pressure on housing, roads, schools and other infrastructure after what the Coalition calls record high arrivals under the Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“Australia should be a home, not a hotel,” Taylor said at a press conference in Sydney. “And right now, we’re seeing under Labor a guest worker economy.” He added that the cuts “will take pressure off roads, off schools, off infrastructure, off houses, and that will ensure that our country has the breathing space it needs.”
Central to the strategy is a sharp reduction in temporary visa holders. The Coalition proposes cutting the stock of temporary visas by around 650,000 over four years (excluding visitors and New Zealanders). Temporary graduate visas-which allow international students to stay and work after completing their studies-would be largely abolished, with limited transitional pathways retained only for PhD graduates, those in health or education fields, and students at regional universities. International student commencements would also be capped or reduced, and most students would be restricted from bringing family members.
The humanitarian programme would be halved from 20,000 places a year to 10,000, though the Coalition says flexibility would remain for emerging needs. Onshore protection visa applicants would face tighter rules, including a 30-day application window and reduced access to merits review in certain cases.
While overall numbers would fall, the policy emphasises “high-value” and skilled migration. Temporary skilled visas would increase, including new project-linked visas for major construction and infrastructure works and expanded specialist streams. The permanent migration programme would remain capped at its current level of 185,000 places a year. In the longer term, the Coalition has pledged to keep net overseas migration below the number of new homes completed each year.
Australia Coalition Targets Migration Cuts:
Taylor insisted the plan would be budget-neutral. The Coalition has framed the policy as a return to more sustainable levels last seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s under the Howard government, outside the pandemic period.
The announcement comes as migration has become a central political battleground in Australia. High living costs, a severe housing shortage and strained public services have fuelled public concern. The centre-left Labor government aims to bring net overseas migration down to around 225,000 within two years. The right-wing One Nation party has proposed even steeper reductions, including a period of net-negative migration before settling at 130,000 a year.
The Coalition’s more moderate but still substantial cuts appear designed both to address voter discontent and to limit further gains by One Nation. Critics and some business groups have raised questions about potential impacts on sectors reliant on temporary workers and international students, though detailed independent economic modelling of the full package has yet to emerge.
If implemented following a Coalition victory at the next federal election, the policy would mark a significant recalibration of Australia’s post-pandemic migration settings, prioritising lower overall numbers while attempting to protect skilled labour needs and regional programmes.