A politically charged package of housing and migration measures is reshaping Australia’s mobility landscape. Under regulations that took effect on 1 April 2025 but drew fresh scrutiny this week, most temporary residents and foreign investors are barred from buying established dwellings until 31 March 2027. Treasurer Jim Chalmers argues the two-year freeze will release about 1,800 homes a year to local buyers.
Opposition figures seized on the move on 20 February 2026, linking it to their own proposal to slash the permanent migration program by 25 %—from 190,000 to roughly 140,000 places. Business groups warn that indiscriminate cuts would choke talent supply just as skills shortages re-emerge.
The debate comes as national-security agencies confirmed their first use of a Temporary Exclusion Order against an Australian citizen, prompting critics to claim the government is running a ‘two-year ban’ theme—from property to passports.
![Foreign-buyer freeze and calls for 25 % migration cut ignite housing-mobility debate]()
VisaHQ’s Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) can help mobility managers and relocating employees navigate this shifting environment by providing up-to-date information on visa categories, processing times and document requirements. Its online tools and expert advisers streamline applications and flag how policy changes—such as the freeze on property purchases or a future migration cap—may affect specific visa classes, allowing organisations to adjust relocation plans with confidence.
For global mobility managers the message is twofold: expatriates on temporary visas may find themselves shut out of the existing-home market, affecting relocation costs, while any future migration cap will tighten sponsorship quotas and increase competition for skilled-worker visas.
Tax and legal advisers recommend reviewing housing allowances, lease versus buy strategies and timing of permanent-residency applications before the May Budget clarifies intake numbers.
Opposition figures seized on the move on 20 February 2026, linking it to their own proposal to slash the permanent migration program by 25 %—from 190,000 to roughly 140,000 places. Business groups warn that indiscriminate cuts would choke talent supply just as skills shortages re-emerge.
The debate comes as national-security agencies confirmed their first use of a Temporary Exclusion Order against an Australian citizen, prompting critics to claim the government is running a ‘two-year ban’ theme—from property to passports.
VisaHQ’s Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) can help mobility managers and relocating employees navigate this shifting environment by providing up-to-date information on visa categories, processing times and document requirements. Its online tools and expert advisers streamline applications and flag how policy changes—such as the freeze on property purchases or a future migration cap—may affect specific visa classes, allowing organisations to adjust relocation plans with confidence.
For global mobility managers the message is twofold: expatriates on temporary visas may find themselves shut out of the existing-home market, affecting relocation costs, while any future migration cap will tighten sponsorship quotas and increase competition for skilled-worker visas.
Tax and legal advisers recommend reviewing housing allowances, lease versus buy strategies and timing of permanent-residency applications before the May Budget clarifies intake numbers.
