Labor to cut net migration to 225,000 with visa restrictions

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will unveil a plan to cut Australia's net overseas migration on Thursday. The policy aims to reduce the annual figure from about 300,000 toward 225,000.

According to the source, the speech at the National Press Club in Canberra will outline restrictions on temporary migration. It will focus on international students, people who overstay their visas, and some asylum seekers. The government is not planning a direct cut to the permanent migration program, which remains at 185,000 places per year.

Student and overstayer rules to tighten

International students are expected to face tighter rules on bringing family members to Australia. The proposed settings could effectively prevent many students from bringing dependants.

The measures would also make it harder for visa overstayers to switch into another visa category. Some people would have to leave earlier rather than use a further application to remain. The package may also affect partner visas and backpacker visas.

The government is separately seeking to reduce the number of unlawful non-citizens in Australia. The figure linked to that effort is roughly 77,000. The proposed changes come as the temporary migrant population stands at about 3 million.

Narrowing routes to remain

The government has already slowed some visa processing. Working holiday maker visas were affected in July, while skilled visa applications from overseas were affected under Ministerial Direction 119.

The planned measures could also limit legal and administrative routes used by people seeking to stay after a visa expires. Tougher appeal rules and changes to protection pathways are among the options. Rejected asylum seekers may face new limits on bridging visas and work rights.

Cabinet disagreement delayed announcement

Labor first planned to unveil the policy in early August. Cabinet disagreement over the scope of the changes delayed the speech at the last minute. The revised plan is being framed as a management package.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to be overseas when the minister speaks. The announcement has been scheduled before his United Nations trip to New York. Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill said Labor had discussed the next phase of reform with the Coalition. He said the government wanted the system to have "control and precision."

Political and economic pressures

One Nation unveiled its own migration proposal on September 14, 2026, adding pressure on Labor and the Coalition to take a harder line. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has called for stronger migration controls. He told Albanese Australians have "lost confidence in your government's ability to secure our borders."

Coalition demands include a UK-style safe-country list, removing legal aid for some visa appeal cases, and tighter limits on graduate pathways and asylum claims. The government’s proposed approach is narrower than that full list.

Business groups and some state Labor figures have warned that steep visa cuts could damage the economy. Burke has argued against a complete halt. Stopping immigration would 'smash the Australian economy,' he warned. He said hospitals and aged care facilities could be forced to close.

Humanitarian program to continue separately

Prime Minister Albanese said on August 27, 2026, that the refugee intake should be renewed. He said the 20,000 places were available for four years and that the intake remains government policy and will be continued in future years.

That position keeps the humanitarian program separate from the proposed restrictions. The Coalition is seeking further limits on asylum claims, while Labor says border security measures can continue alongside the refugee intake.

The speech will test how Labor balances its lower migration targets with employers in sectors like healthcare that depend on temporary workers.