One Nation calls for 750,000 visa cuts in migration overhaul

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has unveiled a sweeping immigration policy that would see 750,000 temporary visa holders removed from Australia, triggering immediate pushback from business groups and industry leaders who warn the plan could cripple key sectors of the economy.

The proposal, described by the party as a necessary reset of Australia's migration system, targets temporary visa categories that One Nation argues have grown well beyond their intended purpose. Hanson framed the cuts as relief for Australians struggling with housing costs, wage stagnation and stretched public services.

"Australians are being pushed out of the labour market and out of their homes," Hanson said, calling the current temporary migration system "out of control" and demanding parliament act before the next federal election.

But the reaction from business was swift and unambiguous. Industry groups representing construction, agriculture, hospitality and aged care warned that removing 750,000 workers in a compressed timeframe would leave critical shortages across the very sectors Australian households rely on most.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the proposal lacked any credible transition plan and would push inflation higher by driving up labour costs at a time when businesses are already under financial pressure.

Economists have pointed out that Australia's temporary visa population includes international students, working holiday makers, skilled workers on employer-sponsored visas and carers — a mix that does not lend itself to a single sweeping cut. Untangling 750,000 visa pathways simultaneously would place enormous strain on the Department of Home Affairs and the court system handling appeals.

The policy announcement comes as the major parties continue to debate net overseas migration, which peaked above 500,000 in the 2022–23 financial year before easing. The federal government has already moved to tighten student visa approvals and reduce the number of international student enrolments, but has stopped well short of the mass-cancellation approach One Nation is advocating.

Housing advocates acknowledged that population pressure plays a role in Australia's rental and property affordability crisis, but cautioned against treating migration as the sole lever. Construction industry bodies noted the deep irony in cutting the very tradeworkers needed to build the homes governments are promising.

One Nation holds a handful of Senate crossbench seats and is unlikely to have the numbers to pass the legislation independently. However, Hanson said she would use the policy as a bargaining chip during budget negotiations, refusing to support government supply measures without action on migration caps.

The proposal is expected to be a flashpoint during Senate estimates hearings this month, where Treasury officials will be pressed on modelling of the economic impact of large-scale visa cancellations.