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Coalition's Migration Cut Plan: The Facts for South African Tradespeople

News · 2026-10-06 · 3 min read

Big migration news out of Australia this week, so let's keep it straight. The federal Opposition wants to cut migration hard. It cannot do any of it unless it wins the next federal election. Right now, no visa rule has changed.

A plan, not a law

The Liberal and National Coalition released its migration policy on 6 October 2026. It is the Opposition's offer to voters. If the Coalition takes office after the next federal election, it would then have to make the changes. Until that happens, the current rules, caps and processing settings stay exactly as they are.

What the Coalition is promising

The party calls it the biggest immigration cut in Australian history. The main targets:

• Net overseas migration down to 100,000 a year for a Coalition government's first two years.
• Then a level of around 160,000 by year four.
• Around 650,000 fewer people on temporary visas in Australia over four years.
• The permanent skilled migration program kept at a cap of 185,000 places a year, with a lower cap later if needed to keep migration below new home completions.
• Skilled work visas aimed squarely at skills Australia needs.

The Coalition says that at 100,000 a year, net overseas migration would sit at its lowest since 2004, leaving aside the pandemic. Its stated reasons: favour skilled migrants, keep the budget neutral, free up housing and take pressure off frontline services. It also wants international student commencements cut to 240,000; our other article today deals with students and graduates.

Not the only plan on the table

Last month the Labor Government announced its own changes. It wants to make it harder for international students to bring their families, clamp down on visa-hopping and put skilled workers in teaching, construction and agriculture at the front of the visa queue. One Nation has a plan to cut net overseas migration by 750,000 over three years. An independent MP has spoken out against the Coalition's policy. We report the plans; we don't pick a side.

What a South African applicant should do now

Don't put your move on hold because of a proposal. Prepare for the system that exists today:

• Have your South African trade test certificate, often called a "red seal", ready. Trades are usually assessed again in Australia through a skills assessment, often via Trades Recognition Australia.
• If a police certificate is requested, apply to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for a police clearance certificate.
• Book IELTS or PTE if your visa or employer needs an English test.
• Where certified copies are asked for, get them certified, for example by a commissioner of oaths.
• If your family is coming with you, start planning for them early.

Mzansi tradespeople chasing work overseas should keep one eye on the news and both hands on their paperwork. Only official Australian Government announcements count, and none has changed the rules yet.

#jobs in australia for south africans #migration cuts #coalition plan #tradespeople #temporary visa holders #australia news