Australia's opposition Coalition has promised what it calls the biggest cut to immigration in the country's history. On Tuesday, 6 October, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced a plan to reduce net overseas migration to 100,000 people a year in the first two years of a Coalition government.

The plan matters well beyond Australia. Many of the international students who would be affected come from Asia: China, India, Nepal, Vietnam and Bangladesh are the five largest sources of international students in Australia, according to Department of Education data.

This article sets out what the plan contains, how it compares with current numbers, and how other parties and groups have responded. NDNews does not take a position on the policy.

The headline numbers

The Coalition's target for net overseas migration (NOM), the number of people arriving to live in Australia minus those leaving, would rise gradually:

Year of a Coalition government Net overseas migration target
Years 1–2 100,000 a year
Year 3 130,000
Year 4 160,000

Sources: ABC News, The Nightly.

"Australia should be a home, not a hotel," Taylor said, as reported by ABC News and the Daily Liberal.

What is in the plan

According to ABC News, The Nightly and About Regional, the main measures are:

Students and graduates

  • New international student enrolments (commencements) capped at 240,000 a year.
  • Temporary graduate visas scrapped, except for some limited post-study pathways for PhD, health and education graduates and graduates of regional universities.

Temporary visas

  • The number of people on temporary visas to fall by about 650,000 over four years.
  • Bridging visas cut sharply, from about 414,000 to about 20,000, according to ABC News.

Permanent and humanitarian programs

  • The permanent migration program would stay capped at 185,000 places.
  • The humanitarian intake would be halved to 10,000 a year, from 20,000, according to The Nightly.
  • Family reunion visas would be unchanged.

Skilled workers

  • A new category of about 15,000 "project" visas a year.
  • The allocation for the talent and innovation stream would double to 7,000 places through a new AUKUS and Five Eyes visa, according to ABC News.

Other measures

  • Onshore asylum claims would have to be lodged within 30 days of arrival, according to ABC News.
  • A Home Affairs intelligence function would be restored to track down people who have overstayed their visas.

The link to housing

Taylor tied the plan to housing pressure. He said the aim was "to ensure that we never again end up in a situation where our population is growing primarily through migration way faster than our housing can support," as reported by SBS News.

Media reports describe the housing link differently. Some say future migration levels would be tied to the number of new homes completed; others say the permanent cap would be reduced if needed to keep migration below housing completions. The full policy detail has not yet been published.

How it compares with today

Migration has already fallen from its post-pandemic peak. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

  • Net overseas migration was 292,100 in the year to 31 March 2026.
  • That is down from a peak of about 555,800 in the year to 30 September 2023.
  • Australia's population was about 27.9 million, growing at 1.4% a year.

The government's own forecasts point to net migration of about 245,000 in 2026–27 and 225,000 the following year, according to ABC News and The Nightly. The Coalition's target would therefore be well below current government plans.

Costs

Taylor said the plan would be budget-neutral. However, no formal costings or economic modelling have been released, ABC News reported. The Coalition said it would release costings closer to the next federal election, which is due by 2028.

Reaction

The plan has drawn criticism from both the government and business groups, and from One Nation on the other side.

  • Government: Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh said the Coalition was "essentially chasing One Nation votes in delivering a policy which is going to be deeply damaging for Australians," according to the ABC News live blog.
  • Business: Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the cuts would "undermine the growth rate of the Australian economy," ABC reported. The Business Council of Australia welcomed the focus on skilled migrants but warned that arbitrary targets could worsen skills shortages, the Daily Liberal reported.
  • One Nation: Pauline Hanson's party, which has proposed net-negative migration for three years followed by a ceiling of 130,000, accused the Coalition of copying its policy, according to the Daily Liberal.

Migration is now a central issue between Labor, the Coalition and One Nation ahead of the next election.

What it means for people in Asia

For students and workers in Asia considering Australia, nothing changes now. The Coalition is in opposition and its plan would only take effect if it wins government at the next election. But the announcement signals a direction:

  • Students may face tighter limits on places and fewer post-study work options.
  • Graduates outside health, education, PhD programs and regional universities would lose the main temporary work visa after study.
  • Skilled workers in priority areas could see new pathways through project and talent visas.

Universities, which rely heavily on fees from international students, are likely to be among the most affected sectors if the plan is adopted.

What happens next

  • The Coalition says it will publish costings closer to the election.
  • The government will set out its own migration settings in coming budget updates.
  • The ABS is due to publish its next population and migration data, for the June 2026 quarter, on 17 December 2026.

Key numbers

  • 100,000: Coalition's proposed annual net migration target for its first two years
  • 292,100: net overseas migration in the year to March 2026 (ABS)
  • 555,800: peak net overseas migration, year to September 2023 (ABS)
  • 240,000: proposed cap on new international student enrolments
  • 650,000: proposed reduction in temporary visa holders over four years

This article was researched with AI assistance and reviewed by the NDNews editorial team. It is based on announcements and media reports as of 6 October 2026. Policy details may change, and some figures differ between reports.