SenateDivision 21 · 12 Mar 2026

Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main idea

Passed24 aye · 11 no

What this vote was about

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time. In other words, they voted to agree with the main idea of the bill. This means they can now discuss it in more detail.

What does this bill do?

According to the bill homepage, the bill:

Amends the Migration Act 1958 to enable temporary restrictions on the arrival of certain classes of temporary visa holders in Australia, including when events or circumstances outside Australia mean that there is an increased risk that certain classes of temporary visa holders will not depart Australia when their visas cease to be in effect.

The explanatory memorandum (which is a document prepared by the party introducing the bill, which is the Government in this case) explains that:

Currently, the Migration Act does not contain a general power to prevent cohorts of non-citizens who hold visas that are in effect from traveling to Australia, including in circumstances where that travel may present a risk to Australia’s national interest,. Although there are powers under the Migration Act to cancel a non-citizen’s visa in those circumstances, those powers are only capable of being exercised in relation to individual non-citizens. The existing powers are therefore resource intensive, and are not suited to responding at scale to events occurring overseas where it is appropriate and in the national interest to limit or prevent travel to Australia for current holders of a temporary visa who are outside of Australia.

This may include during periods of international conflict or other rapid international developments that place unsustainable strains on the functioning of the migration system, which is desirable the Government to respond by placing limitations on the ability of certain cohorts of non-citizens from travelling to Australia.

The amendments of the Migration Act in this Bill will operate to establish a personal power of the Minister to make an arrival control determination by legislative instrument which operates to specify that a suspension of temporary visas applies to one or more specified classes of non-citizens in specified circumstances. Before making an arrival control determination, the Minister must obtain written agreement from the Prime Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister.

The Minister must also be reasonably satisfied that an event or circumstance has occurred or is occurring outside Australia, and one or both of the following apply:

having regard to the event or circumstance – non-citizens of a kind to whom the determination is to apply may, if they enter Australia on a temporary visa, remain in Australia after the visa ceases to be in effect; or

if the event or circumstance had occurred, or had been occurring, at the time non-citizens of a kind to whom the determination is to apply were to make an application for a temporary visa, the visa may not have been granted.

Context written by They Vote For You volunteers (ODbL), reproduced unchanged.

Second reading: The second reading vote decides whether the chamber agrees with the bill in principle. A second reading amendment attaches commentary or conditions to that agreement without changing the bill's text.

Related bills

Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026

By party

Party	Aye	No
Australian Labor Party	21	2
Australian Greens	1	8
Liberal–National Coalition	2	0
Independent	0	1

Every vote

Other divisions this sitting day

What the Senate divided on around this vote, in order.

12 Mar 2026Motions — Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social CohesionSenate 33–26
12 Mar 2026Motions - Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion - Bondi royal commission's special adviserSenate 26–33
12 Mar 2026Business — Consideration of LegislationSenate 33–26
12 Mar 2026Business — Consideration of LegislationSenate 27–32
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 13–34
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 13–35
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 25–42
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 8–43
12 Mar 2026Committees — Selection of Bills Committee; ReportSenate 13–28
12 Mar 2026Committees — Selection of Bills Committee; ReportSenate 29–13
12 Mar 2026Committees — Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; ReferenceSenate 26–32
12 Mar 2026Committees — Environment and Communications References Committee; ReferenceSenate 4–35
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 23–13
12 Mar 2026Business — RearrangementSenate 24–16
12 Mar 2026Committees — Select Committee on Why Gas Companies Pay Less for Offshore Liquefied Natural Gas than Australians Pay in Beer Excise; AppointmentSenate 17–23
12 Mar 2026Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026 - Third Reading - Pass the billSenate 34–10
12 Mar 2026Motions — Fuel SecuritySenate 34–28
12 Mar 2026Motions - Fuel Security - Let another motion be movedSenate 28–34
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Raise humanitarian intake numbersSenate 11–24
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Second Reading - Condemns legislationSenate 11–24
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Greens amendmentsSenate 11–26
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Strengthening preconditions, removing exclusion of rules of natural justice and compensationSenate 11–25
12 Mar 2026Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 - Limitation of Debate - Pass the billSenate 26–11