Speaking to The Australian on 28 November, former Immigration Department deputy secretary Abul Rizvi warned that bridging-visa numbers have blown past 400,000—double their pre-pandemic level—and that both major parties must stop “policy on the run” and set measurable targets for every visa category.
Rizvi argues that without clear ceilings, the temporary-migration programme will keep expanding uncontrollably, fuelling housing shortages and straining state services. The Coalition is due to release its migration principles by year-end, while some members push steep cuts to overseas student and working-holiday intakes. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie wants a multi-decade population strategy that balances city congestion with regional-growth ambitions.
![Former immigration deputy secretary urges ‘hard targets’ to fix Australia’s visa backlog]()
Universities, meanwhile, are in the firing line. Critics claim they rely on international-student revenue yet fail to invest in housing or infrastructure. Former prime minister Tony Abbott has called for tighter regulation of education providers, accusing them of lobbying for ever-higher visa numbers.
For employers, the debate signals potential caps on popular skilled-work and graduate-visa pathways in 2026-27. Mobility leaders should scenario-plan for lower quotas or stricter labour-market testing, particularly in health, IT and hospitality—sectors already battling shortages.
Rizvi argues that without clear ceilings, the temporary-migration programme will keep expanding uncontrollably, fuelling housing shortages and straining state services. The Coalition is due to release its migration principles by year-end, while some members push steep cuts to overseas student and working-holiday intakes. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie wants a multi-decade population strategy that balances city congestion with regional-growth ambitions.
Universities, meanwhile, are in the firing line. Critics claim they rely on international-student revenue yet fail to invest in housing or infrastructure. Former prime minister Tony Abbott has called for tighter regulation of education providers, accusing them of lobbying for ever-higher visa numbers.
For employers, the debate signals potential caps on popular skilled-work and graduate-visa pathways in 2026-27. Mobility leaders should scenario-plan for lower quotas or stricter labour-market testing, particularly in health, IT and hospitality—sectors already battling shortages.
