2026-27 Migration Program Planning Levels: Every Number That Changed

The Full Planning Levels Table: 2024-25 to 2026-27

On 12 May 2026, the Department of Home Affairs published the official 2026-27 Migration Program planning levels. The total stays at 185,000 places. But inside the skilled stream, the allocations have shifted more significantly than any year since the post-COVID rebuild.

Here is the full table across the last three program years:

The headline is flat. The detail is not.

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Employer-Sponsored: The Biggest Winner

The permanent employer-sponsored category (subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme) has jumped from 44,000 to 58,040 places. That is an increase of 14,040 places, or 32%, in a single year.

This is the single largest change in the entire 2026-27 program.

The logic is straightforward. Most subclass 186 applicants are already in Australia on a Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). They have an employer who has vouched for them, they are filling a genuine skills gap, and they are contributing to the economy. Granting them permanent residence costs nothing in terms of new arrivals and does not add to Net Overseas Migration.

For anyone on a 482 visa whose employer has not yet started the subclass 186 ENS process, this is the clearest signal yet that permanent sponsorship should be on the agenda. The department has significantly more room to grant these visas in 2026-27.

[Talk to our team about your 186 eligibility and what your employer needs to do to sponsor you permanently.]

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Regional 491: The Biggest Cut

The Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) has been cut from 33,000 to 14,110 places. That is a reduction of 18,890 places, or 57%, in one year.

This is the sharpest single-year cut to any visa category in recent memory.

The 491 is a provisional visa. It requires you to live and work in a designated regional area for three years before you can apply for the subclass 191 permanent residence visa. The government's view, stated clearly in the planning level announcement, is that the focus is shifting to onshore migrants who are closer to permanent residence, rather than new offshore arrivals starting a multi-year provisional pathway.

If you are currently on a 491 visa and working toward your 191, this announcement does not affect you. The 191 permanent visa has its own separate pathway and is not subject to the same planning level reduction.

If you are not yet on a 491 and your strategy was built around getting one, the reduction from 33,000 to 14,110 places means state nomination invitation rounds will be more competitive. You need to revisit your options.

[Book a consultation to reassess your PR pathway given the 491 reduction.]

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Skilled Independent 189: Quietly Improved

The Skilled Independent (subclass 189) has increased from 16,900 to 21,090 places. That is an extra 4,190 places, a 25% increase.

The 189 is points-tested, requires no employer sponsor, and requires no state government nomination. It is one of the most self-sufficient pathways in the program. The government cited the 189's strong record of highly skilled employment outcomes and positive fiscal contribution as the reason for the increase.

More places means more invitations per SkillSelect round and, over time, lower score cutoffs as demand spreads across a larger allocation. If you have a competitive points score and an Expression of Interest lodged, keep it current. If you have not lodged yet, do so now before any points test reforms take effect.

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State-Nominated 190: Steady

The Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) increases modestly from 33,000 to 35,500 places. The 190 is a permanent visa and has been largely protected from the cuts that hit the 491.

States retain their role in selecting candidates based on local skills needs, and each state has its own occupation list, criteria, and invitation schedule. With fewer 491 places available, competition for 190 state nomination spots is likely to increase as applicants who would have targeted a 491 now redirect toward the permanent pathway.

Watch your state's nomination program carefully and ensure your occupation remains on your state's skills list.

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Talent and Innovation: Continued Contraction

The Talent and Innovation category, which includes the National Innovation Visa as well as the Global Talent and Distinguished Talent visas (both closed to new applications), has dropped from 5,300 to 3,500 places.

The government has been clear that this category is being narrowed to applicants with a genuinely exceptional and internationally recognised record of achievement. If you are exploring the National Innovation Visa, the bar is high and the allocation is shrinking.

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Family Stream: Minor Adjustments

The family stream holds at 52,460 places, down just 40 from 52,500 last year. Within that:

• Partner visas: up from 40,500 to 41,500
• Child visas: up from 3,000 to 3,500
• Parent visas: down from 8,500 to 7,060
• Other Family: down from 500 to 400

Parent visas were already the slowest category in the entire program, with processing times measured in years. A reduction from 8,500 to 7,060 places will not improve that wait. If you are sponsoring a parent, manage expectations accordingly.

Partner and child visa categories are demand-driven. The planning levels for these are indicative only, and the department processes them based on applications received rather than cutting off at a hard cap.

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The Onshore-First Principle Explained

The government's framing of this program is explicit. Of the 185,000 total places, 129,590 are allocated to migrants already living in Australia. Only 55,110 places are earmarked for offshore applicants.

This is not accidental. The government is using the permanent program to create faster transitions to permanent residence for the large cohort of temporary visa holders already in the country. Fewer new offshore arrivals mean less upward pressure on Net Overseas Migration, which has become a politically significant issue given housing and infrastructure constraints.

For the individual applicant, the message is clear. If you are already in Australia on a temporary visa, any category of it, you are the priority. If you are offshore and planning to migrate through a points-tested pathway, the competition for the smaller offshore allocation will be meaningful.

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Processing Priorities: What Has Not Changed

Ministerial Direction 105 remains in effect, unchanged. The order of priority for processing skilled visa applications is:

1. Employer-sponsored visas for positions in a designated regional area
2. Healthcare or teaching occupations
3. Employer-sponsored visas where the sponsor holds accredited status
4. All other program visas (190, 189, 491, 191 and others)
5. All other applications, processed in order of lodgement date

Note that the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) sits entirely outside Ministerial Direction 105. It is demand-driven, has no planning level cap, and is not subject to this priority order.

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What to Do Based on Your Situation

On a 482 Skills in Demand visa: Talk to your employer about starting the subclass 186 ENS process now. With 58,040 places available, this is the widest the employer-sponsored permanent pathway has been in years.

Planning a 491 strategy: Get advice urgently. The drop from 33,000 to 14,110 places materially changes how competitive state nomination rounds will be. You may need to reconsider whether a 190 or 189 pathway is more realistic for your situation.

High points score in SkillSelect for a 189: Keep your Expression of Interest current and your skills assessment valid. The increase to 21,090 places is the best news the 189 has had in three years.

On a 190 pathway: The modest increase is stable. Continue engaging with your state's nomination program and monitor occupation list updates, particularly if your occupation sits in a contested category.

Offshore and planning to come to Australia: The data now strongly favours coming onshore first, building Australian experience, and transitioning to permanent residence from inside the country. Offshore competition for the 55,110 available places will be significant.

[Speak with a registered migration agent at Studynash to map out the right pathway for your situation.]