2026-27 Migration Program set at 185,000 places, with more for onshore applicants

Official release date: 12 May 2026 · Skilled migration

The 2026-27 Permanent Migration Program stays at 185,000 places, with 129,590 for people already in Australia and more Employer-Sponsored and Skilled Independent places.

Picture this: you are already living and working in Australia on a temporary visa, and you are planning your path to permanent residence. The 2026-27 Permanent Migration Program, announced on 12 May 2026, has a lot to say about where the opportunities are.

What has changed

The overall program stays at 185,000 places, split roughly 70:30 between the Skilled and Family streams, the same as in 2025-26. Here's the thing: 129,590 places are allocated to migrants who are already in Australia, which shows a strong onshore focus.

In the Skilled stream (132,240 places):

• Employer-Sponsored rises from 44,000 to 58,040
• Skilled Independent rises from 16,900 to 21,090
• State/Territory Nominated rises from 33,000 to 35,500
• Regional (subclasses 491 and 494) falls from 33,000 to 14,110
• Talent and Innovation falls from 5,300 to 3,500, including 20 Business Innovation and Investment places

In the Family stream (52,460 places):

• Partner rises from 40,500 to 41,500
• Child rises from 3,000 to 3,500
• Parent falls from 8,500 to 7,060
• Other Family falls from 500 to 400

Special Eligibility stays at 300 places.

Who is affected

Workers with employer sponsorship and people eligible for Skilled Independent visas have more places available. Partner and child visa applicants also benefit from a small increase. On the other hand, there are fewer places for regional provisional visas, Talent and Innovation, and parent visas, so competition and waiting times in those categories may increase.

At the time of writing, the 2026-27 state and territory nomination allocations had not yet been published by the Department, so we expect more detail on state numbers to follow.

How it compares

The biggest shift is the move away from regional provisional places and towards employer-sponsored and onshore pathways. This is consistent with the broader focus on people already in Australia.

What you should do

Review your pathway in light of the new numbers. If you were planning a regional provisional visa, it may be worth considering whether an employer-sponsored or state-nominated pathway suits you better.

Whatever your plan, keep your current visa valid and follow its conditions. Letting your visa expire or breaching conditions can lead to cancellation or loss of lawful status, and that can close off the very pathways these planning levels are designed to support. Planning early is the best way to make the most of the opportunities.

If you would like to talk through how this applies to you, our registered migration agents and lawyers at Auzworld Lawyers & Immigration are here to help.

Official source: Department of Home Affairs