One Nation's Temporary Migration Plan: A Math Problem Waiting to Happen
One Nation's plan to reduce Australia's temporary migration by 750,000 over three years has been met with scrutiny over its feasibility and economic consequences.
The party proposes cutting student visas from 337,527 to 115,000 annually, confining temporary graduate visas to areas of high demand, reducing skilled temporary visas to 70,000 per annum, and limiting bridging visa holders.
However, the plan's assumptions and numbers have been questioned by experts. For instance, the Labor government's policy of granting permanent residence to 70% of the permanent program from temporary entrants already in Australia would need to be taken into account when calculating net overseas migration (NOM).
The article also highlights the challenges of implementing such a drastic reduction in temporary migrants, including the potential impact on universities and the international education industry. One Nation's proposal to cap student visa grants at 115,000 has been criticized as a poor policy tool that could have unintended consequences.