One Nation MP open to slashing family visas

Australian citizens could be stripped of their right to be reunited with their spouses or children, as One Nation MP David Farley says his party is open to slashing Australia's permanent family visa intake.

On Monday One Nation revealed its plan to reduce Australia's temporary migration intake by 750,000 places over three years, partly by barring the families of temporary skilled migrants and international students from entering the country.

The minor party did not detail what its permanent migration intake would be, but Mr Farley told the ABC One Nation would "potentially" slash family reunion visas for skilled migrants as part of its future policy.

"That would all depend on how well we grow our infrastructure here [in Australia]," Mr Farley said.

"Can we grow our health system, our education system, and the other infrastructure we need to make sure that the existing population in Australia already is not under pressure?"

Mr Farley, who previously stated One Nation's migration policy would be "not too different" to Labor's, rejected suggestions that cutting family visas would deter the skilled migrants needed to plug critical workforce shortages from coming to Australia in the first place.

"It is 2026, people have the ability now to work remotely … the reaches of the world are all 12 or 14 hours on a flight," he said.

Caps on family visa intake 'illegal'

Former deputy secretary of the Immigration Department Abul Rizvi said it is illegal to cap the family visas issued for Australian citizens.

Despite that, Labor's current intake of permanent family visas is limited to 52,460 per year.

"Under section 87 of the Migration Act, the government doesn't have the legal power to cap visas for the partners and dependent children of Australian citizens and permanent residents," Mr Rizvi said.

"Regardless, successive governments have administratively — and illegally — limited the number of such visas issued."

Mr Rizvi said as a result, the backlog of partner visa applications is now around 120,000 and growing.

"None of the parties have indicated what they will do about this illegal behaviour," he said.

The government has been contacted for comment.

One Nation to reveal 'complete' migration policy in 'next fortnight'

Meanwhile, One Nation is also facing calls to reveal the economic impact of its proposal to send Australia into "net negative migration" for three years.

Labor frontbencher Murray Watt said the plan would lead to a critical workforce shortage, while deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume said the policy "could send the economy into recession".

Mr Farley said One Nation had commissioned "extensive" economic modelling of its migration plan.

"We've done the modelling and we will roll our strategy out on immigration completely over the next fortnight," he said.

Weeks after Immigration Minister Tony Burke was forced to shelve a speech in which he was expected to unveil sweeping changes to Labor's migration settings, pressure is mounting on the government to unveil its policy to the Australian public.

"I think they're going to be two years too late, but it's critical," Mr Rizvi said.

"Part of the reason for One Nation's strength is because the government has failed to explain its policies, and the merit of those policies, to the Australian public."