In a separate but related policy debate, senior Liberal MPs are canvassing deep cuts to both international-student intakes and employer-sponsored skilled visas as a way to ease pressure on housing and public services. Leaked talking points obtained by The Guardian on 18 November show factions within the party coalescing around a plan to slash overseas student numbers by up to 40 per cent and trim skilled migration by at least 20,000 places.
Shadow education spokeswoman Jess Collins is championing the use of an enrolment quota pegged to university infrastructure capacity, while immigration spokesperson Leah Blyth argues student numbers can be used as a ‘dial’ to manage overall migration. Conservatives such as Jacinta Price back an even tougher stance, echoing former prime minister Tony Abbott’s call for a “smaller Australia”.
![Liberals Mull Sharp Reductions in International Students and Skilled Migrants]()
Business lobbies and universities warn the proposal risks A$20 billion in export revenue and thousands of regional jobs. Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn has floated a compromise annual cap of 180,000 total migrants to maintain economic growth.
The debate underscores how migration is shaping as a battleground issue ahead of the 2028 election. For employers, the prospect of reduced skilled-visa allocations heightens the importance of early workforce planning and exploring Labour-Agreement pathways. Education providers face the possibility of federal quotas overlaying the new National Planning Level system already introduced by Labor.
Even if the most severe cuts do not eventuate, analysts say bipartisan support is hardening for tighter integrity measures, higher English-language thresholds and indexed income floors. International education recruiters should anticipate stricter screening and diversify source markets to mitigate risk.
Shadow education spokeswoman Jess Collins is championing the use of an enrolment quota pegged to university infrastructure capacity, while immigration spokesperson Leah Blyth argues student numbers can be used as a ‘dial’ to manage overall migration. Conservatives such as Jacinta Price back an even tougher stance, echoing former prime minister Tony Abbott’s call for a “smaller Australia”.
Business lobbies and universities warn the proposal risks A$20 billion in export revenue and thousands of regional jobs. Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn has floated a compromise annual cap of 180,000 total migrants to maintain economic growth.
The debate underscores how migration is shaping as a battleground issue ahead of the 2028 election. For employers, the prospect of reduced skilled-visa allocations heightens the importance of early workforce planning and exploring Labour-Agreement pathways. Education providers face the possibility of federal quotas overlaying the new National Planning Level system already introduced by Labor.
Even if the most severe cuts do not eventuate, analysts say bipartisan support is hardening for tighter integrity measures, higher English-language thresholds and indexed income floors. International education recruiters should anticipate stricter screening and diversify source markets to mitigate risk.
