Labor drops hammer on graduate visas

Friday 6 March 2026

The number of temporary migrants in Australia (excluding visitors) has expanded to record levels under the Albanese government.

When the Albanese government arrived in office in mid-2022, there were 1,640,000 temporary migrants (excluding visitors) in Australia.

Over the 2025 calendar year, there were 2,460,000 temporary migrants (excluding visitors) in Australia, excluding visitors:

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.