Overview
- The Coalition this week unveiled a plan to cut net overseas migration to 100,000 and sharply reduce temporary visas, including forcing most bridging‑visa holders to reapply offshore.
- Opposition leader Angus Taylor argues the changes will raise the average skill and income of arrivals and can be budget‑neutral, and he says full costings will be supplied closer to the election because the PBO is limited in what it can model.
- Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says the proposal would need a massive expansion of detention and compliance capacity that could cost “billions,” and he has publicly demanded detailed spending estimates.
- Government warnings stress the cuts risk labour shortages in aged care, construction and health, while the Coalition says it will carve out key occupations and reject nationality‑based bans in favour of character and security screening.
- The plan also includes tougher visa screening and a proposed Enhanced Screening Coordination Centre, and it comes as ABS net overseas migration remains well above the Coalition’s 100,000 target and Labor pursues smaller cuts of its own.