One Nation promises negative net migration and a major reduction in temporary entrants, but its policy leaves crucial questions unanswered about permanent migration, skilled visas and how its headline targets could be delivered.

On the recent National Forum program on the ABC, Barnaby Joyce struggled to understand his own immigration policy. He made a number of claims that were either outright false or reflected a deep misunderstanding of immigration policy, including of his own policy.

His biggest misunderstanding was that he thinks net overseas migration (NOM) targets and the size of the proposed reduction in the temporary entrant cohort of 750,000 can be determined without specifying a target for the size and composition of the permanent migration program. His leader Pauline Hanson has often just thought NOM and the permanent program are the same thing.

The permanent migration program is the number of permanent visas issued, including to temporary entrants who are already in Australia. In 2026-27, the government is planning for 70 per cent of the migration program of 185,000 to be granted to temporary entrants.

If One Nation maintained the permanent program at the current level, over three years around 388,000 temporary entrants would be granted permanent visas. They would no longer be temporary entrants and would, ignoring new arrivals and departures, reduce the stock of temporary entrants.

In One Nation’s nine-page immigration policy manifesto, it is astounding there is not a single mention of the permanent migration program. Without a permanent migration program target, it is impossible to work out either........

© Pearls and Irritations