Labor has accused the Turnbull government of snobbery as it vowed to oppose tougher citizenship laws.
But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull hit back, telling the opposition Labor it was not valuing Australian citizenship.
Labor MPs meeting on Tuesday unanimously rejected government calls for bipartisanship on legislation before parliament that requires migrants to sit astand-alone English language test before being allowed to even apply for citizenship.
The government also wants to increase the minimum permanent residency period from one year to four, introduce a new values test, and require stronger character checks.
Labor labelled the bill a "massive over-reach".
"They have taken some steps, which, put simply, Australia should never take and are inconsistent with who we are as a country," frontbencher Tony Burke told reporters in Canberra.
Nor did the changes have anything to do with national security as claimed by the government.
"If there is a national security problem for these people, then why on earth does the government have them already living here permanently?" Mr Burke said.
Labor also took exception to the longer waiting time and the English language test, which Mr Burke, said was as an "act of snobbery".
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton dismissed that claim as nonsense and insisted he would be not be compromising on his legislation.
"I'm confident we can get this bill through the Senate because I think ultimately Labor will change their position," he said.
Mr Turnbull said citizenship shouldn't just be an outcome of an administrative process.
"(Labor) are disrespecting Australian citizenship by failing to recognise that integration, citizenship, the harmony and the mutual respect that comes from shared political values that unite us, that requires a respect for citizenship," the prime minister said.
The government will have to rely on the crossbench for support and that doesn't look promising.
Nick Xenophon is doubtful about English language requirements being necessary for Australia's safety.
"I support the government in ensuring that we have an orderly migration program, that we control our borders, but I don't think we should have a punitive test," the senator earlier told reporters.
