Kingsford Smith · Federal Immigration Policy

Australia's Borders.
Australia's Rules.

A decade of open-door immigration has placed enormous pressure on housing, public services, and national security. Adam Watson's sovereign immigration policy puts Australians first — with strict compliance, zero tolerance for abuse, and a clean break from international frameworks that have never served our national interest.

Read the Full Policy
98%
Immigration reduction — Year One
Zero
Refugee intake for 10 years
100%
ASIO checks on all entrants
Exit
Refugee Convention — immediate withdrawal
Policy Position
Australia will withdraw from the 1951 Refugee Convention. We have met and exceeded our global share of refugee obligations. The system has been exploited — and it ends.
Why This Policy Exists

The Immigration System
Has Been Systematically Abused

For 12 years, Australia has operated an immigration system built on good faith — and that good faith has been exploited at the expense of Australian citizens. These are not abstract concerns. They are structural failures that affect housing, wages, public services, and public safety.

01 🏚️
Housing & Services Collapse
Uncapped immigration has overwhelmed the housing market, driven up rents, and placed unsustainable demand on hospitals, schools, and public infrastructure that Australians have paid for through decades of taxation.
02 🔓
On-Soil Refugee Claims Loophole
Individuals denied visas — including those with criminal records — have exploited Australia's legal framework by physically entering the country and claiming refugee status on arrival. The Refugee Convention enables this. Adam Watson will close it.
03 📋
Compliance Failure at Every Level
Student visa holders not attending study, holiday makers working illegally, work visa holders changing sponsors freely, overstayers blending into the population — the system has no teeth and everyone who wants to abuse it knows it.
04 🏘️
Foreign Asset Accumulation
Non-citizens and foreign interests have been permitted to purchase Australian property and assets, inflating the housing market and locking a generation of Australians out of home ownership in their own country.
The Policy Framework

Seven Pillars of
Sovereign Immigration Reform

I
Border Control & Intake
Hard Cuts to Immigration & Refugee Intake
98% Reduction — Year One
Total immigration intake reduced by 98% from the first year of government and maintained at that level for a minimum of 10 years to allow infrastructure, housing stock, and public services to catch up with existing population.
Zero Refugee Intake — 10 Years
Australia has taken a disproportionate share of the global refugee burden over the past 12 years. The refugee intake will be set to zero for a decade. Humanitarian obligations will be met through offshore aid contributions, not onshore resettlement.
Withdrawal from the Refugee Convention
Australia will formally withdraw from the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. This is a sovereign decision consistent with our right to control who enters our territory. The Convention's on-soil claim mechanism has been used as a backdoor — it will be closed permanently.
Universal ASIO Screening
Every individual seeking entry to Australia — on holiday, student, business, sporting, or work visas — will be subject to mandatory ASIO security screening before any visa is approved. One criminal record: automatic refusal. Airline bookings will be blocked at source.
II
Holiday Visa Holders
Visitor Accountability — No Exploitation, No Extensions
Proof of Ties to Home Country
All holiday visa applicants must provide: a current lease or rates notice, proof of employment with payslips and company details, bank statements showing adequate funds, and a confirmed return ticket before any visa is approved.
No Working on a Holiday Visa
Holiday visa holders may not legally work in Australia under any arrangement. They may not open a bank account, purchase assets, vehicles, or property during their stay.
90-Day Hard Exit Rule
Upon departure after 90 days, a holiday visa holder must return to their home country and submit a fresh application. The practice of leaving for 2–3 days and re-entering to reset the visa clock is abolished.
International Licence Database & Fines
All international driver's licences must be registered on a national database upon entry. Any unpaid fines or traffic violations will prevent visa renewal. Visitors cannot apply for any other visa category while on Australian soil.
III
Student Visa Holders
Study to Learn — Not to Exploit
Annual Enrolment & Financial Verification
Student visa holders must provide annual proof of active enrolment and documented financial support. Failure to provide either results in immediate cancellation with no renewal path.
Work Cap: 35 Hours / Week — PAYG Only
Students may work up to 35 hours per week. All work must be through formal employment with tax withheld at source (PAYG). ABN registration is prohibited. Credit applications are prohibited. One bank account only.
No Overseas Remittances
Student visa holders are prohibited from transferring money overseas during the period of their visa. Financial caps on incoming overseas transfers apply. Monthly limits will be set by regulation.
Australian Driver's Licence — 14 Days
Student visa holders must obtain an Australian driver's licence within 14 days of arrival. Annual tax return lodgement is mandatory — failure to lodge results in visa non-renewal. No asset purchases permitted.
IV
Work Visa Holders
Sponsored to Work — Not to Settle by Stealth
One Bank Account, Government Monitored
Work visa holders are limited to one bank account, subject to government oversight. Annual bank statements must be submitted to confirm all income derives exclusively from the sponsoring employer. No secondary income permitted.
$10,000 Overseas Transfer Cap
Work visa holders may remit a maximum of $10,000 per year overseas. No ABN. No credit applications. Australian driver's licence required within 14 days of arrival.
Sponsor Lock & Deportation on Exit
Work visa holders may not change employers. Any departure from the sponsoring employer within 6 months triggers automatic deportation. The sponsored role defines the right to stay.
No Partner Work Rights & Medical Insurance
Partners brought under a sponsorship visa may not work, open a bank account, or access any government services. Comprehensive medical insurance — reviewed every 12 months — is a mandatory condition of the sponsorship, funded by the sponsor. Dependent partners must pass all standard ASIO and health checks independently.
V
Permanent Residents & Citizenship
Residency is a Privilege — Citizenship is Earned
Citizenship Within 12 Months of PR
Permanent residents must apply for citizenship within 12 months of receiving PR status. Failure to do so results in a direction to leave Australia. Residency is a pathway, not a destination.
Absence Over 12 Months = PR Cancelled
Any permanent resident who spends more than 12 consecutive months outside Australia automatically forfeits their permanent residency. Australia cannot be a backup country.
Annual Tax Return — Mandatory
Permanent residents must lodge a tax return every year. Failure results in loss of PR. No exceptions beyond formal Centrelink-exempt status.
Indictable Offence = Automatic Loss of Citizenship
Any citizen convicted of home invasion, rape, sexual assault, or murder automatically loses their Australian citizenship and passport and is deported. There is no pathway back. For naturalised citizens this applies at conviction. Permanent residents convicted of any criminal offence lose their residency immediately.
VI
Non-Citizens & Public Resources
Australian Resources Are for Australians
No Property or Asset Ownership
Non-citizens cannot purchase property, land, or any significant asset class in Australia. This applies to individuals, foreign-owned companies, and trust structures. Foreign investment in Australian real estate will be wound back under a mandatory divestment schedule.
No Centrelink, Medicare, or Public Housing
Centrelink, Medicare, and access to public housing are available to Australian citizens only. Non-citizens — including permanent residents — must carry and maintain private health insurance as a condition of their visa or residency status.
Family Reunion — No Special Treatment
Siblings of Australian citizens will not receive preferential treatment in immigration queues. Each applicant is assessed on their own merits under the same criteria applied to all other visa categories. The family reunion pathway is not a back-door to residency.
VII
Illegal Immigration & Overstayers
Immediate Deportation — No Exceptions
Automatic Deportation of Illegal Entrants
Any individual present in Australia without a valid visa — whether an illegal entrant or an overstayer — is subject to immediate deportation. No bridging visa. No delay. No on-soil refugee claim pathway.
Cross-Agency Intelligence Fusion
A dedicated Illegal Immigrant Detection Unit will cross-reference bank account activity, police records, real estate data, Telco records, and tax file data to locate individuals unlawfully present in Australia. This unit will operate with standing deportation authority.
Overstayer Tracking System
A national overstayer registry — combining departure card data, biometric entry records, and real-time bank and Telco activity — will be established within 18 months of government. Every person who enters Australia on a visa and does not leave will be tracked.
Adam Watson's Honest Assessment
"Some will call this extreme. I call it overdue. Australia has spent 12 years hoping the world would be fair to us if we were generous. The housing crisis, the wage pressure, the exploitation of our visa system — these are the results of that hope. I'm not interested in managing the decline. I'm interested in fixing it."
The constitutional complexity around citizenship removal for natural-born Australians is real and will require careful legislative drafting. The cross-agency data fusion model will require privacy law amendments. Adam Watson commits to pursuing these through parliament with full transparency about the legal architecture being built. Hard policy requires honest implementation.
⚠ Critical Policy Position
Refugee Convention Withdrawal

Why Australia Must
Exit the 1951 Convention

"A convention written in 1951 for post-war Europe was not designed for a world of organised people smuggling, on-soil asylum claims, and mass economic migration dressed as humanitarian need."
— Adam Watson, Liberal Candidate for Kingsford Smith
  • The Convention's non-refoulement provisions prevent Australia from removing people who arrive illegally and claim protection — regardless of the merit or legitimacy of that claim.
  • Australia has accepted more than its proportionate global share of refugees over the past 12 years by any per-capita or GDP-adjusted measure.
  • The on-soil claim mechanism is actively used by individuals — including those with criminal records — who are aware they cannot obtain a visa but can claim protection once physically inside Australia.
  • Withdrawal does not prevent Australia from choosing to accept genuine refugees — it simply returns that choice to the Australian Parliament, not an international treaty body.
  • The United Kingdom has pursued similar sovereign reforms. Australia should not be the last democratic nation to put its population first.
  • Offshore humanitarian aid — not onshore resettlement — is the appropriate vehicle for Australia's international obligations during the 10-year intake pause.
Visa Entitlements at a Glance

What You Can — and Cannot —
Do in Australia

A clear, honest statement of entitlements by visa category. No ambiguity. No loopholes.

EntitlementStatusConditions
Work legally in AustraliaNot PermittedNo working under any visa category while on a holiday visa
Open an Australian bank accountNot PermittedNo financial accounts in Australian institutions
Purchase property or assetsNot PermittedIncludes vehicles, real estate, and major asset classes
Stay beyond 90 daysNot PermittedExit loophole abolished — full re-application required after 90 days
Apply for another visa class onshoreNot PermittedCannot change visa status while on Australian soil
Drive in AustraliaConditionalInternational licence must be registered on national database; fines prevent renewal
Access Centrelink / MedicareNot PermittedCitizens only
Proof of financial capacity requiredRequiredBank statements showing adequate holiday funds must be provided at application
Return ticket requiredRequiredConfirmed return ticket is mandatory for visa approval
EntitlementStatusConditions
Work (paid employment)35 hrs/week maxPAYG tax only — no ABN, no cash arrangements
Open a bank accountOne account onlySingle account, monitored for compliance
Transfer money overseasNot PermittedNo overseas remittances during visa period
Receive money from overseasCappedMonthly cap on incoming overseas transfers (set by regulation)
Apply for credit / loansNot PermittedNo credit applications in any form
Purchase property or assetsNot PermittedIncludes vehicles, real estate, and significant assets
Maintain enrolmentMandatoryAnnual proof of enrolment required — failure = immediate cancellation
Lodge annual tax returnMandatoryNon-lodgement = visa non-renewal
Australian driver's licenceRequired — 14 daysMust be obtained within 14 days of arrival
Access Centrelink / MedicareNot PermittedCitizens only
EntitlementStatusConditions
Work for sponsor employerPermittedExclusively for the sponsoring employer — no secondary employment
Change employersNot PermittedDeparture from sponsor within 6 months triggers automatic deportation
Open a bank accountOne account onlyGovernment-monitored for income compliance
Transfer money overseas$10,000/year capMaximum annual remittance of $10,000
Register an ABNNot PermittedNo business registration under any structure
Bring partner to AustraliaConditionalFull ASIO and health checks; partner cannot work or hold a bank account
Medical insuranceMandatorySponsored and reviewed annually — sponsor's obligation
Australian driver's licenceRequired — 14 daysMust be obtained within 14 days of arrival
Lodge annual tax returnMandatoryNon-lodgement = visa non-renewal
Access Centrelink / MedicareNot PermittedCitizens and qualifying permanent residents only
EntitlementStatusConditions
Work in AustraliaPermittedFull work rights across all employment categories
Apply for citizenshipRequired — 12 monthsMust apply within 12 months of PR grant or face direction to leave
Live outside AustraliaMax 12 monthsAbsence over 12 consecutive months = automatic PR cancellation
Lodge annual tax returnMandatoryFailure = PR cancellation (Centrelink exemptions apply)
Access MedicareLimitedPrivate health insurance required until citizenship is granted
Access CentrelinkNot PermittedCitizens only
Purchase propertyNot PermittedProperty ownership restricted to Australian citizens
Criminal convictionImmediate cancellationAny criminal conviction results in immediate loss of PR and deportation
Implementation Plan

A Decade of Reform.
Delivered in Stages.

This is not a thought bubble. It is a sequenced implementation plan with legislative, administrative, and diplomatic milestones that can be achieved within the term of a federal government.

Days 1–90
Immediate Action
Emergency Intake Halt & Convention Notice
Immigration intake reduced to emergency processing levels only. Formal notice issued to the UN of Australia's intention to withdraw from the 1951 Refugee Convention. ASIO directed to begin universal entrant screening rollout. Ministerial direction issued to the ABF on overstayer detection priorities.
Ministerial Direction ABF Activation Convention Notice
Months 3–12
Legislative Package — Year One
Core Visa Compliance & Citizenship Law Reform
Migration Act amendments to codify new student, holiday, and work visa conditions. Foreign investment restrictions legislated for real estate and asset classes. Citizenship Act amended for automatic revocation on indictable offence. National driver's licence database for foreign visitors established. Centrelink and Medicare eligibility gated to citizenship.
Migration Act Citizenship Act Foreign Acquisitions Act
Year 2
Enforcement Infrastructure
Illegal Immigrant Detection Unit & Data Fusion
The national Illegal Immigrant Detection Unit stands up with cross-agency access to bank records, Telco data, real estate registries, and police databases. Privacy Act amendments to enable lawful data sharing for immigration enforcement. Overstayer tracking system goes live. Deportation pipeline established with receiving country agreements.
Enforcement Unit Privacy Act Amendment Data Fusion Platform
Years 3–5
Stabilisation Phase
Housing & Services Recovery
With immigration capped, housing supply begins to recover relative to demand. Public hospital and school pressure eases. Compliance regime beds in — visa holders not meeting conditions face non-renewal at scale. Remittance cap enforcement reviewed against financial intelligence data. Wage recovery in lower-skilled sectors monitored.
Housing Recovery Wage Monitoring Compliance Review
Years 6–10
Calibrated Re-opening
Selective, Skills-Based Immigration Resumption
After a decade of stabilisation, a new immigration framework — designed around demonstrated national need, skills gaps, and integration capacity — will be developed for parliamentary approval. Refugee intake will be reconsidered on an evidence basis with hard caps and ASIO screening as permanent features. The era of uncapped, compliance-optional immigration will not return.
Skills-Based Model Parliamentary Review Hard Cap Permanent
Kingsford Smith · Federal Election

Australia Deserves an Immigration
Policy Equal to the Challenge

Kingsford Smith is one of Australia's most diverse electorates — and one of the hardest hit by housing unaffordability and wage competition driven by uncontrolled immigration. Adam Watson will take this policy to Canberra and fight for it.

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