Key facts
- The Coalition proposed 45,000 temporary skilled worker visas for major projects.
- The visas are intended to support developments including fossil fuel projects.
- The Coalition plans to cut net overseas migration to 100,000 for the first two years.
- Temporary graduate visas would be largely scrapped.
- International student commencements would be capped at 240,000.
- Business groups warned the migration cuts could harm the economy.
The Australian Coalition has put forward a proposal to introduce 45,000 temporary skilled worker visas, specifically aimed at bolstering major projects, including those in the fossil fuel sector. Shadow home affairs minister Jonathon Duniam stated that this major projects visa is designed to address labor supply bottlenecks and complement existing policies that fast-track strategic projects, particularly in oil and gas.
This proposal comes as part of a broader plan to significantly reduce net overseas migration. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor unveiled a policy aiming to slash Australia's temporary migration intake by approximately 650,000 over four years. Under this plan, net overseas migration would be reduced to 100,000 for the first two years, followed by 130,000 in the third year and 160,000 in the fourth. This contrasts with Labor's targets of 245,000 for the current financial year and 225,000 for the next.
The Coalition's policy includes scrapping most temporary graduate visas, except for limited post-study pathways for specific fields and regional university graduates. It also proposes capping international student commencements at 240,000 and restricting accompanying dependents. Conversely, the plan aims to increase the number of skilled migrants, with an additional 60,000 temporary skilled visa holders and 15,000 new skilled project visas annually.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan has also pledged to introduce a new agriculture visa. The Coalition's migration strategy places it in direct competition with One Nation, which has advocated for even deeper cuts to temporary visas. Despite the Coalition's claims of budget neutrality, business groups have expressed concerns that these significant cuts to migration could be detrimental to the Australian economy.