The Albanese government will announce plans to cut migration levels on Thursday, a day before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to fly to the United States.
Senior ministers have confirmed the timing of the announcement as pressure grows on Labor to set out how it will meet its migration targets.
The Home Affairs department is expected to tighten arrangements for family and dependent visas linked to international students. Applications lodged in Australia by skilled workers will be prioritised, while family reunion visas lodged offshore will also be given priority.
Applications for bridging visas are also expected to be fast-tracked as the government works through a backlog.
The announcement follows the collapse of talks between Labor and the Coalition over migration policy, while One Nation has proposed cutting 750,000 migrants from the national intake.
New polling has indicated support for tougher migration measures. More than 60 per cent of Australians surveyed want the annual refugee intake reduced from 20,000 to 13,000, while 48 per cent support banning partner and family visas for international students.
Forty per cent said the government’s plan to reduce net migration from 301,000 to 225,000 remained too high.
