Any move to cut Australia’s migration intake would force the Turnbull government to breach its own budget rules or find billions of dollars in new growth measures, despite doubts high immigration levels benefit the economy.

Fairfax Media can reveal that the little-known budget rules imposed by Treasury say ministers have to come up with extra revenue to offset lost economic growth caused by lowering the annual migrant intake.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott and other Coalition MPs, who want to slash migration numbers, believe the benefits of immigration do not factor in high housing costs and congestion in Australia's capital cities.

A 2016 Productivity Commission report found that an at an aggregate level, recent immigrants had a negligible impact on wages, employment and participation of the existing labour force.