Australia shifted permanent visa priorities onshore in July to curb net overseas migration, prompting internal warnings from public servants about economic and social consequences.
The Albanese government issued ministerial directions to lower net overseas migration targets to 245,000 in 2026-27 and 225,000 in 2027-28, according to reporting by POLITICO.
Both major political parties pledged migration cuts following pressure from the right-wing nationalist One Nation party, which advocates for negative net migration over three years. The Department of Home Affairs cautioned Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke in a July 8 submission that favoring onshore applicants would create economic contradictions and legal risks, POLITICO reported.
Public servants warned that the policy benefits visa categories making smaller economic contributions while sidelining high-value offshore applicants. Onshore non-contributory parents, who pay visa fees between AU$5,365 and AU$8,665, receive higher priority than offshore contributory parents paying up to AU$95,625, POLITICO reported.
The changes eliminated processing priorities for employer-sponsored applications in regional Australia, triggering sharp criticism from the Coalition opposition and regional sectors. The Department of Home Affairs said that lower-value onshore occupations now take precedence over high-earning offshore applicants using specialist skills streams.
“The government had knowingly removed regional skilled visa processing priority to meet an arbitrary 70:30 onshore migration target, despite being warned it would disadvantage regional employers, and without consulting the agriculture department or a single regional industry body,” Nationals leader Matt Canavan told POLITICO.
Officials additionally cautioned that extended offshore processing delays might violate global legal duties stipulated by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Extended processing risks prolonged family separation and secondary applicants aging out of eligibility, POLITICO reported.
Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said that the July directives were designed strictly as a short-term measure that would eventually be replaced once the gover. The Department of Home Affairs acknowledged that delegate discretion could mitigate some risks regarding child rights obligations, though legal challenges over unreasonable delays remain a concern for offshore applicants.