How

Net migration to Australia more than doubled between 2000 and 2008 and has never  gone down significantly outside the pandemic. The government’s current migration settings will result  in net migration of 260,000 in 2025-26, then 225,000 a year thereafter.

Australia should limit net overseas migration to 50,000 a year. The principal mechanisms by which this could be achieved are as follows. 

1. the Commonwealth government publicly stating that maximum net overseas migration of 50,000 is its target and undertaking to formulate migration settings in pursuit of that target. 
2. Grandfathering work rights for international students. 
3. Grandfathering work rights and citizenship pathways for New Zealand Citizens. 
4. Grandfather the Pacific Engagement, Pacific Australia Labor Mobility and Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme visas. 
5. End the work and holiday scheme (SC462), transition any developed countries from that to the Working Holiday scheme (SC417). This would end eligibility for working holidays for citizens of developing countries. 
6. Limit the partner and prospective marriage visas to those applicants sponsored by Australian citizens. This would end the ability of permanent residents and New Zealanders to sponsor spouses.
7. Limit skilled migration to the SC482 visa for employer sponsored applicants under the specialist skills stream only, that is, end the state and territory nominated, the skilled independent, the core skills and the labor agreement streams.
8. Change the SC482 application fee from a one off payment of $4,700 to an annual payment of $10,000.
9. End the subsequent entrant stream of the SC482 visa. SC482 visa applicants could still sponsor their spouses and children but this would have to happen simultaneously and the skill sets of both husband and wife assessed at the point of visa grant.
10. Auction the humanitarian streams. While this would not change the number of visas granted it would streamline the assessment process as there would be fewer applicants, facing a simpler, clearer and faster rubric for visa grant.
11. Limit the graduate visa to one year and increase the application fee from $2,300 to $10,000.
12. Build a low migration economy. Firstly, impose new taxes on land, carbon emissions, aviation fuel and inheritances and increasing taxes on minerals, petrol, natural gas, capital gains and superannuation. Secondly, use the proceeds of these taxes to fully fund our workforce with higher wages, training and investment.