One Nation to Call for 750,000 Visa Cuts in Migration Overhaul

Pauline Hanson's One Nation party is preparing to unveil a sweeping immigration policy that would seek to reduce Australia's migrant population by 750,000 visa holders, in one of the most aggressive proposals to reshape the nation's migration program in recent memory.

The announcement positions One Nation as a sharp counterweight to both major parties on immigration, with Senator Hanson long arguing that Australia's intake levels place unsustainable pressure on housing, infrastructure and public services. The party's formal policy release is expected to detail the specific visa categories targeted and the timeframe over which reductions would be phased in.

Australia's migration program has come under intense political scrutiny in recent years, with net overseas migration hitting record highs following the post-pandemic reopening of international borders. The surge in arrivals — driven by international students, skilled workers and temporary residents — has been cited by critics across the political spectrum as a contributing factor to the country's housing affordability crisis and rental market strain.

One Nation's position goes considerably further than the modest adjustments proposed by Labor and the Coalition. While the Albanese government moved to tighten some temporary visa pathways and reduced the permanent migration ceiling from 195,000 to 185,000 places in 2023, advocates for steeper cuts have argued these measures fall well short of what is needed to ease pressure on Australian cities.

The 750,000 figure represents a substantial share of Australia's current temporary visa cohort, which spans hundreds of thousands of international students, working holiday makers, employer-sponsored workers and bridging visa holders. Any policy targeting that volume would require significant changes to multiple visa streams and could face strong resistance from universities, the agricultural sector and business groups that rely heavily on migrant labour.

Senator Hanson has consistently argued that migration policy should prioritise the interests of Australian-born workers and that the scale of recent arrivals has suppressed wages and driven up rents for lower-income Australians. Her critics contend that migration fills genuine workforce gaps and contributes substantially to economic output, particularly in aged care, construction and hospitality.

The political timing of the announcement is notable. With the Albanese government facing renewed pressure over cost-of-living pressures and housing affordability, immigration has re-emerged as a fault line capable of shifting votes in suburban and regional electorates where One Nation has historically drawn support.

The opposition has also sharpened its rhetoric on migration in recent months, with the Coalition indicating it would pursue tighter controls if elected. One Nation's announcement risks pulling that debate further toward restriction, forcing both Labor and the Liberals to respond to a more strident policy benchmark.

Details of which visa categories would bear the brunt of One Nation's proposed cuts — and what exemptions, if any, would apply to humanitarian entrants or family reunion streams — are expected to be outlined when the full policy document is released. The plan is likely to reignite debate about what level of migration Australia can sustainably absorb, and whether the current system is calibrated to deliver outcomes for existing residents as much as for new arrivals.