The number of temporary visitors on working holidays was 137,000 last September, down from 146,000 five years earlier. There is no cap on either program but Labor is warning about the risk to jobs from the growing number of visitors who have work rights, given students can work 40 hours a fortnight when their courses are in session and unlimited hours out-of-session. Mr O’Connor, who was immigration minister during the Gillard government, raised concerns about an “uncapped scheme that is not always used appropriately” and was open to the idea of a cap if other steps did not work. “One of the problems we’ve had is we’ve had people coming to Australia, signing up to Mickey Mouse courses,” he said. “The efficacy and the reputation of our education sector is critical and it undermines that when people are here not to engage properly in real study.

“As a former immigration minister, I would start by ensuring the integrity of the system works. I would have to say capping is a last resort, but we certainly should be looking at the way in which it applies now.” An Ipsos survey of voter sentiment in June found that 11 per cent named population as one of the top three issues facing the nation, compared to 6 per cent who said the same in June 2016. There was no significant shift in voter sentiment on immigration, named by 20 per cent of respondents in June compared to 19 per cent in the prior survey. While a short-term traveller with working rights is unlikely to be counted in the population of about 25 million, students are likely to be included because of the “12/16 month rule” that counts anyone who is resident in Australia for a total period of 12 months or more during the 16 month follow-up period. Bob Birrell, a former Monash University researcher who now heads the Australian Population Research Institute, told Fairfax Media that changes to the program under Labor from 2009 to 2012 had helped drive the increase in student visas.

“We’re a honeypot,” Mr Birrell said. “If we have temporary visa settings that facilitate this movement, then this dynamic might get even stronger.” Mr Birrell suggested changes to the rules that currently allow students to switch to other visas when they finish their courses, staying in the country. The government has already done some of this by making it harder for overseas student to switch to the skilled worker program, previously the 457 visa. “I think cutting off this visa churning process would be the best way to do it, because it would not affect the bona fide students,” Mr Birrell said. The New Zealand government of Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to cut migration with measures including stricter controls on “low value” courses. Mr O’Connor expressed concern about visitors on working holidays who might take jobs from others, but did not call for a cap on the numbers.