Pauline Hanson vows to ‘reset Australia’s immigration system’ by slashing temporary visa holders

Pauline Hanson is vowing to “reset Australia’s immigration system” by slashing the number of temporary visa holders and unlawful non-citizens by more than 750,000 over three years, while Labor also prepares to also release details of its own policy overhaul.

On Monday, One Nation will unveil its plan to substantially reduce Australia’s temporary migrant population which it says will take pressure off housing and essential services — and restore clear limits to the system.

Also this week, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will finally outline Labor’s long-awaited plans on how it would reduce net overseas migration, which could include more US-style green card visa lotteries.

To reduce Australia’s temporary migrant population, One Nation’s policy would include measures such as restricting numbers and tightening eligibility criteria for student and graduate visas.

The ability of temporary students, graduates and skilled workers to sponsor family and dependants to Australia would also be substantially restricted and One Nation says it would end the practice of “temporary visa hopping”.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson will declare Australians have had “enough of mass migration” and her party will bring the temporary migrant population down to 2017 levels of approximately 2.1 to 2.2 million.

“I know Australians are doing it tough. Families are competing with hundreds of people for rental accommodation. Patients are stuck in ambulances because there are not enough hospital beds. Young Australians are being locked out of home ownership while wages and infrastructure fail to keep up,” Senator Hanson said.

“The Labor-Liberal political cartel has sacrificed Australian living standards to serve vested interests demanding continued mass migration.

“Under Labor, the number of temporary visa holders has surged from 2 million in 2022 to roughly 3 million in 2026.”

“A larger economy on paper means nothing if Australians are poorer per person and cannot afford a home, find a hospital bed or get ahead. A larger economic pie doesn’t mean anything if individual Australians’ slice of it is getting smaller.”

Under One Nation’s plan, once the temporary visa population is reduced by approximately 750,000 over three years, a net overseas migration ceiling of 130,000 per year would remain in place and be reviewed yearly.

It would also cap the main student visa intake at 100,000 grants a year for three years and also create a new visa subclass for high-value postgraduate study, including for PhDs and select STEM research degrees.

For several weeks Liberal party figures have suspected some colleagues aligned to former leader Sussan Ley of leaking key policy ideas to One Nation, before they can be unveiled by her successor Angus Taylor, including a plan to slash the tobacco excise.

In August, Mr Burke was forced to postpone a scheduled National Press Club address where he was to outline how the government plans to trim net overseas migration from 301,000 last year to 245,000 this financial year and 225,000 in 2027-28.

A senior government source has confirmed to The West that the Albanese government has discussed increasing the number of visa classes which would have US-style lotteries and application fees for those seeking to come to Australia.