Key facts
- Australia's Labor government plans to implement new rules to reduce net overseas migration.
- The Home Affairs Minister's scheduled speech on migration policy has been delayed.
- The policy changes are not expected to reduce net overseas migration below the current target of 295,000 for this financial year.
- Visa fees for international students undertaking postgraduate study have increased by 25% to $5,750.
- Net overseas migration has fallen to 301,000, down 45% from its post-pandemic peak.
Australia's Labor government is planning new measures to curb net overseas migration, even as the Home Affairs Minister's major address on the subject has been postponed. Government sources indicated that the policy changes, while tightening rules for temporary residents and visa applications, would not push net overseas migration below the existing target of 295,000 people for the current financial year.
The delay in Tony Burke's National Press Club speech, originally set for this week, is reportedly due to political considerations within the Albanese government, allowing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to assist in presenting any changes. The government is facing pressure from opposition parties like One Nation and the Coalition regarding its migration record.
Potential rule changes could include stricter conditions for working holiday visas and family applications, as well as limitations on appeal rights for migrants. The government has already increased the postgraduate study visa fee by 25% to $5,750, the second increase in four months. Latest data shows net overseas migration has fallen to 301,000, a 45% decrease from its post-pandemic peak in 2023.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen acknowledged the need to balance the immigration system for businesses relying on foreign workers. However, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre's deputy chief executive, Jana Favero, warned against demonizing migrants for political gain, urging for real solutions instead of scapegoating. Shadow home affairs minister Jonno Duniam criticized the delay as a sign of Labor acting only under political pressure.