On 6 October 2026 the Liberal and National parties released the Australia-First Migration Plan. None of it is law. The Government’s own changes, announced in September and now largely in force, are the rules that apply today. Even so, the plan matters, because it shows where the two major parties now agree and where an election could move the settings.
This article sets out what the plan proposes, in the Opposition’s own numbers, and what each proposal would mean for the people we act for. It is written from MIA Notice 22 of 9 October 2026, which summarised the Opposition’s media release.
The headline numbers
| Measure | Opposition proposal |
|---|---|
| Net overseas migration | 100,000 a year for the first two years, levelling out at around 160,000 in year four |
| Temporary visa holders in Australia | Reduced by around 650,000 over four years, excluding visitors and New Zealanders |
| Permanent skilled program | Capped at 185,000 places a year |
| International student commencements | Cut to 240,000 |
| Humanitarian intake | Halved to 10,000 places a year, with flexibility for emergencies |
| Budget effect | A small positive impact of around $260 million over four years, on the Opposition’s estimate |
For comparison, the Government’s stated target is 225,000 net overseas migration in 2027-28.
What the plan proposes, group by group
Students and graduates
- Abolish the Temporary Graduate visa, with transitional post study visas for PhD, health, education and regional university graduates.
- Link each student visa to the enrolling institution.
- Restrict most secondary applicants on student visas.
The Government has already restricted family members and onshore student applications from 2 October 2026, as our guide to the student visa changes explains. The Opposition would go further by removing the graduate visa for most students.
Temporary visa holders generally
- Require second and subsequent temporary visa applications to be made offshore, with second and third year working holiday makers still able to reapply onshore.
- Reverse the working holiday maker ballot and the caps on second and third year extensions, and raise visa fees, with an exemption for regional areas.
Protection and review
- Require onshore protection visa applicants to apply within 30 days.
- Remove merits review for adverse character decisions, temporary visa refusals and offshore applicants.
The review proposal is the one with the widest reach. Today, a refused temporary visa applicant onshore can usually ask the Administrative Review Tribunal to look again. Under the plan, that right would go for temporary refusals, character decisions and offshore applicants, leaving judicial review on legal error only. Our article on the Administrative Review Tribunal explains the difference.
Skilled migration
- Open the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa to up to 5,000 more workers a year.
- Create 15,000 Skilled Project visas a year.
- Revise the temporary skilled priority list.
- A strike force to clear the backlog of skilled construction applications.
- Double the Talent and Innovation allocation to 7,000 places through a new AUKUS and Five Eyes visa.
- Replace the regional permanent program with Ministerial Directions prioritising employer sponsored applications in regional Australia.
- Revise the regional definitions for working holiday extensions.
- A new Agriculture visa from 2030.
Family
No changes were announced for family reunion visas. Partner and parent visas are not mentioned in the plan.
What is the same on both sides
Both the Government and the Opposition now favour fewer onshore pathways, tighter student settings, and more skilled places aimed at construction and other shortage sectors. The differences are of degree: the size of the net migration target, whether the graduate visa survives, whether the working holiday ballot stays, and how much merits review remains.
The Opposition said many of its changes could be made quickly using existing ministerial powers. That is also true of most of the Government’s September changes, which is why they arrived within weeks of being announced.
What this means for planning
- Plan on the rules as they stand. They are the Government’s, and most are now in force.
- Whatever the election brings, waiting for an easier set of rules is not a strategy. Both sides are moving the same way.
- Anyone relying on a graduate visa or on merits review of a temporary refusal should be aware those are the settings the Opposition has said it would change.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Australia-First Migration Plan law?
No. It is Opposition policy released on 6 October 2026. It has no legal effect unless the Coalition wins government and implements it.
What would happen to the Temporary Graduate visa?
The plan proposes abolishing it, with transitional post study visas for PhD, health, education and regional university graduates.
Does the plan change partner or parent visas?
No changes were announced for family reunion visas.
What is the Opposition’s net migration target?
100,000 a year for the first two years, levelling out at around 160,000 in year four. The Government’s target is 225,000 in 2027-28.
Sam Kanjo, Migration Lawyer, Skyline Migration Lawyers, Melbourne.
Sources: MIA Notice 22 of 9 October 2026, summarising the Opposition’s Australia-First Migration Plan media release of 6 October 2026.
Plan under the rules that exist
We can map your pathway against the current settings and the proposed ones. Call 03 8108 8748 or email info@skylinemigrationlawyers.com.au.
This article is general information only. It is not legal advice. Please seek advice about your own circumstances before you act.
