Immigration has emerged as the next political battleground after Nationals leader David Littleproud endorsed Coalition plans to introduce a formal “Australian values” test for visa applicants. In separate Sunday interviews, opposition home-affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said visa conditions could be tightened to assess ongoing commitment to Australian norms, and that English-language benchmarks for international students may be further raised.
Currently, migrants sign a values statement but sit no test until the citizenship stage. The Opposition argues that recent street protests linked to overseas conflicts show a need to “set clearer standards” from day one. Details of the proposed test—likely a digital questionnaire covering democratic principles and gender equality—will be released before Parliament rises in December.
![Opposition floats visa ‘values test’ and tougher English rules for migrants]()
Education providers warn that stricter English scores could hit enrolments just as Ministerial Direction 115 caps growth at 115 % of indicative allocations. Universities Australia said any further hurdle must be evidence-based to avoid exacerbating skills shortages.
For global-mobility teams the mooted policies signal potential future changes to subclass 500 (student) and employer-sponsored visa criteria. Companies should monitor the Opposition’s forthcoming migration framework in case it shapes post-election legislation.
Currently, migrants sign a values statement but sit no test until the citizenship stage. The Opposition argues that recent street protests linked to overseas conflicts show a need to “set clearer standards” from day one. Details of the proposed test—likely a digital questionnaire covering democratic principles and gender equality—will be released before Parliament rises in December.
Education providers warn that stricter English scores could hit enrolments just as Ministerial Direction 115 caps growth at 115 % of indicative allocations. Universities Australia said any further hurdle must be evidence-based to avoid exacerbating skills shortages.
For global-mobility teams the mooted policies signal potential future changes to subclass 500 (student) and employer-sponsored visa criteria. Companies should monitor the Opposition’s forthcoming migration framework in case it shapes post-election legislation.
