𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔–𝟐𝟕 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝

Introduction

The Australian Government has confirmed that the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program will remain at 185,000 places, maintaining the same overall program size and Skill-to-Family ratio as the 2025–26 program. The Department of Home Affairs has now published the detailed planning levels for each migration stream, providing valuable insight into the Government's migration priorities for the coming financial year.

While the headline figure remains unchanged, the distribution of places across visa categories reveals a significant policy shift. The Government has clearly signalled a stronger preference for employer-sponsored migration, an increased focus on highly skilled migrants already living in Australia, and a substantial reduction in regional migration allocations.

For visa applicants, employers, temporary visa holders and migration professionals, these planning levels provide an important indication of where opportunities may exist in 2026–27.

What Are Migration Program Planning Levels?

Migration Program planning levels represent the number of permanent visa places the Australian Government intends to allocate across various migration categories during a financial year.

Importantly, planning levels are not quotas guaranteeing visa grants. They do not create an entitlement to a visa, nor do they override legislative requirements under the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994. Rather, they serve as a policy framework that guides:

• Processing priorities

• Invitation volumes

• Resource allocation

• Strategic migration outcomes

• Economic and workforce planning

In practical terms, planning levels provide an indication of where the Government intends to focus permanent migration outcomes during a particular year.

2026–27 Migration Program Overview

The 2026–27 Migration Program is structured as follows:

Stream	Places
Skill Stream	132,240
Family Stream	52,460
Special Eligibility	300
Total Program	185,000

Approximately 71% of the program remains allocated to skilled migration, reinforcing the Government's continued commitment to attracting migrants who can contribute to Australia's economic productivity and labour market needs.

Strong Focus on Onshore Applicants

One of the most significant policy settings for 2026–27 is the continued prioritisation of migrants already living in Australia.

The Department has allocated:

• 129,590 places to onshore applicants

• 55,110 places to offshore applicants

The Department has indicated that offshore allocations will focus on highly skilled migrants capable of addressing long-term workforce shortages and enhancing Australia's productive capacity.

Why This Matters

This approach aligns with broader Government objectives to:

• Retain skilled workers already contributing to the Australian economy

• Reduce pressure associated with net overseas migration

• Facilitate transitions from temporary visas to permanent residency

• Improve workforce participation in key sectors

For current holders of visas such as:

• Subclass 482 Skills in Demand

• Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate

• Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional

• Bridging visas linked to skilled pathways

the policy direction is particularly favourable.

The Biggest Winner: Employer Sponsored Migration

The most striking feature of the 2026–27 program is the dramatic increase in employer-sponsored migration.

Employer Sponsored Category

Year	Places
2025–26	44,000
2026–27	58,040

Increase: 14,040 places

This represents the largest increase of any visa category within the Migration Program.

Strategic Analysis

The Government is clearly signalling that employer sponsorship will become one of the primary pathways to permanent residence.

This reflects ongoing labour shortages in sectors such as:

• Health and aged care

• Construction

• Engineering

• Information Technology

• Education

• Trades

• Hospitality

For many temporary skilled migrants, employer sponsorship may now represent the most realistic and achievable pathway to permanent residency.

In particular, increased planning levels are likely to benefit applicants pursuing:

• Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)

• Skills in Demand Visa pathways leading to permanent residence

• Regional employer-sponsored pathways

Employers should also expect stronger Government support for sponsorship programs that address genuine labour shortages.

Skilled Independent Migration Receives a Significant Boost

The Skilled Independent category also received a substantial increase.

Skilled Independent Category

Year	Places
2025–26	16,900
2026–27	21,090

Increase: 4,190 places.

What This Means

The increase suggests the Government continues to value highly skilled migrants who can contribute independently without requiring employer sponsorship or state nomination.

However, applicants should not assume invitations will become easier.

Competition for invitations remains intense, particularly in occupations such as:

• Software Engineering

• ICT

• Nursing

• Teaching

• Engineering

• Accounting

While additional places may increase invitation opportunities, applicants will still require highly competitive points scores.

State Nominated Visas Continue to Grow

The State and Territory Nominated category has also received an increase.

State/Territory Nominated

Year	Places
2025–26	33,000
2026–27	35,500

Increase: 2,500 places.

Analysis

The increase confirms that state governments will continue to play a critical role in addressing local workforce shortages.

Applicants seeking nomination should continue monitoring state-specific requirements, as individual jurisdictions are expected to remain highly selective and focused on occupations experiencing genuine labour market demand.

Regional Migration Suffers a Major Reduction

Perhaps the most surprising change is the significant reduction in regional migration allocations.

Regional Category

Year	Places
2025–26	33,000
2026–27	14,010

Reduction: 18,990 places.

Strategic Implications

This is arguably the most significant policy shift in the entire program.

The reduction suggests the Government may be moving away from heavily incentivised regional migration and placing greater emphasis on:

• Employer-sponsored migration

• Skilled Independent pathways

• State nomination pathways

For current and prospective regional applicants, this likely means:

• Greater competition

• More selective nomination criteria

• Increased importance of employer sponsorship

Applicants relying solely on regional pathways should carefully review alternative permanent residency strategies.

Talent and Innovation Program Reduced

The Talent and Innovation category has been reduced.

Talent & Innovation

Year	Places
2025–26	5,300
2026–27	3,500

Reduction: 1,800 places.

While the National Innovation Visa remains available, the reduced allocation indicates a more targeted approach to attracting exceptional talent and innovators.

Family Migration Program Changes

The Family Stream remains largely stable.

Family Stream Overview

Category	2025–26	2026–27
Child	3,000	3,500
Parent	8,500	7,060
Other Family	500	400

Key Observations

Child Visas: The increase in Child visas reflects the Government's continuing commitment to family unity.

Parent Visas: The reduction in Parent visa places is likely to place further pressure on already lengthy processing queues. Applicants considering Parent visa pathways should anticipate continued delays and increasingly competitive processing environments.

Other Family Visas: The reduction further reinforces the Government's long-standing preference for immediate family migration over extended family migration pathways.

What Does This Mean for Visa Applicants?

The Department's planning levels reveal several clear policy priorities:

Priority 1: Employer Sponsored Migration

Employer sponsorship has become the dominant skilled migration pathway.

Priority 2: Skilled Migrants Already in Australia

Onshore applicants remain strongly favoured.

Priority 3: State Nomination

States continue to receive substantial allocations.

Priority 4: Family Reunion

Partner and Child visas remain fundamental components of Australia's migration framework.

Reduced Priority: Regional Migration

Regional pathways appear less central to the Government's long-term migration strategy than in previous years.

Our Professional View

The 2026–27 Migration Program confirms a migration landscape increasingly focused on economic participation and workforce contribution.

The strongest message from the Government is clear:

Migrants who are already working, contributing to the economy, and supported by Australian employers are likely to be among the best positioned for permanent residency opportunities in 2026–27.

For temporary visa holders currently working in Australia, this may represent one of the strongest opportunities in recent years to transition to permanent residency through employer-sponsored pathways.

At the same time, applicants relying solely on regional migration or speculative skilled migration strategies should review their options carefully and consider alternative pathways.

The planning levels do not guarantee visa grants. However, they provide an important insight into where the Government intends to direct migration outcomes during the coming financial year.

For many applicants, a proactive review of their migration strategy now may significantly improve their prospects of securing permanent residency in Australia.

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