Labor, One Nation, and the Coalition Pledge to Cut Migration—How Do Their Plans Compare?

Australia’s three major political parties have finally converged on one message—migration needs to come down—but they have very different ideas about how it should play out.

For the conservative-leaning One Nation, cutting migration has been a long-standing policy and its surge in the polls since last year has forced the hands of Labor and the centre-right Liberal-National Coalition.

Last week, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke finally announced his government’s plan on cutting the migrant intake further amid broad concerns that population growth has escalated too quickly and led to pressure on schools, roads, public transport, and housing.

Net overseas migration has been trending down steadily with the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures revealing 306,000 net migrants in the 2024-25 year, down from 429,000 a year earlier.

Below is how the three parties stack up so far in the migration debate—there’s still plenty of policy detail yet to be provided given the next election is due in 2028.

What Are Their Migration Targets?

Minister Burke announced Labor will aim to lower net overseas migration to 245,000 by the 2026-27 financial year, with a further cut to 225,000 by 2027-28.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation pledges a deeper cut, removing 750,000 temporary migration spots over its first three years (about 250,000 per year) pushing the migration intake into “net negative” territory.

A further cap of 130,000 net migrants per year will come after.

The Coalition’s housing spokesman Andrew Bragg has pledged a figure of 180,000 net migrants per year. Earlier in the year, party leader Angus Taylor pledged to tie migration to the number of new homes built each year.

Home building data firm, BuildStreet, reports about 172,642 new public and private homes were built in 2025.

How About Working Holidaymakers?

Labor will continue to allow working backpackers to come to Australia for their first year where they will need to perform 88 days of work to qualify for their second year.

However, the second year will no longer be guaranteed with backpackers needing to enter a ballot which is capped at 45,000 places.

Second year backpackers who are chosen by ballot will need to complete another six months’ work to qualify for a third year in Australia, however, there will be another ballot of only 5,000 places. The policy effectively disincentivising high backpacker applications.

In contrast, One Nation says it will not interfere with numbers of working holidaymakers due to their importance to regional businesses and farmers who need seasonal labour.

The Coalition has not announced a clear policy on working holidaymakers so far.

International Students and Families Bear the Brunt

International students and families bear the brunt of One Nation and Labor’s policy push.

Labor will not cap student places, but will crack down on family members trying to join students in Australia, except for those studying PhDs.

Burke has also announced a series of restrictions on “visa hopping” to stop individuals changing courses to try stay in the country.

Labor’s plan does not explicitly cut the number of graduates allowed to continue living and working in Australia.

Meanwhile, One Nation will cap student visas to 100,000 a year for universities—that’s about a third of the current overall international student intake.

Family visas for overseas students will also be completely cut, except for students on “high-value” visas that prioritise academic excellence, they can still apply.

Further, the number of graduates wishing to remain in Australia after finishing their studies will be cut from 270,000 to 40,000.

As for the Coalition, Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam told ABC Radio National this month that international student numbers should come down, but have yet to provide explicit figures.

What About Skilled Migrants?

Labor’s plan will prioritise skilled migrants in areas like health, construction, education, defence, resources, and agriculture.

One Nation says temporary skilled migration would remain uncapped and driven by employer demand, with in-demand skills such as trades prioritised.

However, One Nation proposes completely cutting visas for the families of temporary skilled migrants with some exceptions to be allowed on a “needs basis.”

The Coalition’s shadow immigration spokesman Duniam called for skilled migration to be focused on professions like doctors, scientists and engineers.

Restricting Migration From Certain Countries

Labor’s package does not propose restrict migration based on countries of origin.

As a security measure, One Nation will pause migration from nations under a “Do not travel” warning from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, normally because of terrorism or other risks.

The Coalition says it will introduce a safe country list to stop unfounded protection claims.

Visa Enforcement

Labor will hire an extra 100 compliance officers and supply an extra 250 additional beds in detention centres to deal with those who overstay their visas. About 77,000 individuals remain in Australia without a valid visa.

One Nation’s plan gives unlawful migrants three months to leave, and those who refuse so face a lifetime ban on re-entering Australia.

The Coalition says it will allocate extra funding to identify, deport, and remove unlawful non-citizens who have exhausted their legal avenues but stay in Australia illegally.

The party says it would also integrate parts of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force to help remove unlawful non-citizens.

Visitor Visas

Labor will introduce a “no further stay” rule on visas, meaning visitors need to leave the country before applying for another one.

The move is aimed at ensuring visitor visas are used by genuine visitors rather than as an onshore pathway to extend a person’s stay in Australia.

One Nation has previously suggested international students should leave the country between courses, though details are unclear on visitor visas.

The Coalition does not appear to have announced a staunch policy on the issue so far.

Scrutiny on Citizenship Candidates

Labor’s latest migration package does not propose any waiting period for new migrants receiving citizenship or welfare.

One Nation has suggested an eight-year waiting period for both, during which migrants must demonstrate they are fit to become citizens.

The Coalition will prioritise taxpayer support for home ownership for citizens and make the Australian Values Statement legally binding.

It will also impose wait time before migrants can access social security.