One Nation proposes slashing 750,000 temporary visas in Australia

One Nation has proposed a major migration crackdown aimed at reducing Australia’s temporary visa holders by 750,000 over three years. The plan seeks to push the country into net-negative migration, eventually targeting a net migration ceiling of 130,000. Key components include drastically cutting international student numbers and barring skilled migrants from bringing family members to Australia.

Opposition and Labor officials have criticized the proposal, warning of severe economic consequences. Critics argue the plan could devastate sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, and aged care, and potentially trigger a technical recession. The International Education Association of Australia has also warned that the cuts could undermine the university sector, which relies heavily on international student tuition.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson defended the policy as the ‘will of the people,’ citing Canada’s immigration adjustments as a successful model for improving living standards. While One Nation treasury spokesman Barnaby Joyce dismissed concerns regarding economic blowback, he clarified that the party does not intend to conduct mass ‘door to door’ raids to find visa overstayers, suggesting that increased penalties for employers would encourage voluntary departures.