The Australian Government has announced the planning framework for the Permanent Migration Program 2026–2027, continuing its long-term focus on skilled migration, workforce shortages, regional development, and economic growth.
Australia’s migration planning system plays a major role in determining:
permanent visa allocations
skilled migration intake
family visa opportunities
regional migration priorities
employer sponsored pathways
For skilled workers, international students, employers, and families planning to migrate to Australia, understanding the latest Migration Program Planning Levels is extremely important.
The 2026–2027 migration settings are expected to continue prioritising skilled migrants while balancing family reunification and long-term population planning.
The Migration Program Planning Levels refer to the number of permanent visa places the Australian Government allocates each financial year across different migration streams.
The program is administered by the Department of Home Affairs and is designed to support Australia’s:
economic growth
labour market needs
regional development
social cohesion
long-term population planning
Australia’s Permanent Migration Program is generally divided into three major streams:
The Skilled Migration Program is designed to improve the productive capacity of the Australian economy and address labour shortages across priority industries.
This stream includes:
Skilled Independent visas
Employer Sponsored visas
State and Territory Nominated visas
Regional skilled pathways
Talent and Innovation pathways
The Skilled stream remains the largest component of the Migration Program and continues to receive the majority of visa allocations.
The Family Program allows Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens to sponsor family members for permanent migration to Australia.
This stream is predominantly made up of:
Partner visas
Parent visas
Child visas
Other family categories
The Family Program plays an important role in supporting family reunification and providing long-term settlement pathways.
The Special Eligibility stream covers visas granted under special or unique circumstances.
This category generally includes:
former permanent residents returning to Australia
individuals in special eligibility situations
certain humanitarian-related circumstances
Only a limited number of allocations are reserved for this stream each year.
On 12 May 2026, the Australian Government announced that the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program would remain at 185,000 places, maintaining an approximate 70:30 split between the Skilled and Family Programs.
The overall planning level and the Skilled–Family allocation ratio remain unchanged from the 2025–26 Migration Program.
The government also confirmed that the 2026–27 program would continue prioritising onshore applicants already living and working in Australia.
Under the 2026–27 program:
129,590 places are allocated to migrants already living in Australia
55,110 offshore places are allocated to overseas applicants
300 places are reserved under the Special Eligibility stream
The government stated that the offshore allocation would focus on attracting highly skilled migrants who can support productivity growth and address Australia’s long-term workforce shortages.
An onshore-focused migration strategy is also expected to reduce the Migration Program’s impact on Net Overseas Migration (NOM) while supporting smoother transitions to permanent residency for temporary residents already contributing to the Australian economy.
Australia’s permanent Migration Program has remained strongly focused on skilled migration in recent years, reflecting the government’s priority to address labour shortages, support economic growth, and strengthen regional workforce development.
The Australian Government sets annual Migration Program planning levels to balance skilled migration, family reunification, and long-term population planning objectives.
Data Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs
*2026–2027 planning levels are based on current government migration planning announcements and may be subject to future policy updates.
The Australian Government has maintained the permanent Migration Program at approximately 185,000 places annually while continuing to prioritise skilled migration and workforce participation across critical sectors of the economy.
More than 70% of annual allocations continue to fall under the Skill Stream, highlighting Australia’s ongoing dependence on skilled migrants to address labour shortages in healthcare, construction, engineering, education, information technology, and regional industries.
The Skill Stream remains the largest component of the Migration Program because it is designed to support:
economic productivity
workforce sustainability
regional population growth
infrastructure development
long-term fiscal outcomes
At the same time, the Family Stream continues playing an important role in supporting family reunification through partner, parent, and child visa categories.
Australia’s migration planning strategy has also become increasingly focused on regional migration pathways, employer-sponsored migration, and highly skilled applicants who can contribute to priority sectors of the Australian economy.
The Skilled Migration Program targets applicants with the skills, qualifications, and professional experience needed to support Australia’s economy and workforce demands. The program is designed to complement the existing Australian workforce while addressing current and future labour shortages across priority sectors.
Skilled migration continues to play a major role in supporting Australia’s economic growth, productivity, and regional development. The program helps fill workforce gaps in industries experiencing ongoing shortages, including:
healthcare
information technology
engineering
construction
education
aged care
trade occupations
The Skilled Migration Program also supports regional Australia by helping employers and state governments attract skilled workers to areas facing workforce challenges and population shortages.
The Department of Home Affairs processes skilled visa applications in line with annual Migration Program planning levels and skilled visa processing priorities announced by the Australian Government.
The 2026–27 Skilled Migration Program has been allocated 132,240 places, representing approximately 71% of the total permanent Migration Program.
The Skilled Program is divided into several major categories, including:
Commonwealth Program
Employer Sponsored Program
State and Territory Nominated Program
Regional Skilled pathways
The Commonwealth Program includes skilled visa categories administered directly by the Australian Government.
These visa pathways are designed to attract highly skilled migrants who can contribute to Australia’s long-term economic productivity and workforce participation.
The increase in planning levels for the Skilled Independent category reflects the government’s continued focus on attracting highly skilled migrants with strong employment outcomes and long-term economic contribution potential.
The Skilled Independent visa pathway remains one of Australia’s most competitive permanent residency programs because it:
does not require employer sponsorship
does not require state nomination
is points-tested
provides direct permanent residency
Applicants are generally selected based on:
occupation demand
points score
skilled work experience
English language ability
qualifications
The increase in allocations under this category also reflects growing demand for highly skilled independent migrants capable of filling workforce shortages across priority sectors of the economy.
The Talent and Innovation category focuses on attracting exceptionally talented individuals with internationally recognised achievements in innovation, research, investment, entrepreneurship, advanced technologies, and priority industries.
Changes to planning levels under this category reflect the government’s intention to prioritise applicants with outstanding global achievements and high-value economic contribution potential.
As part of the transition toward the National Innovation visa framework, existing applicants from previous Global Talent and Distinguished Talent pathways may continue being processed within this category.
The transition is intended to strengthen Australia’s ability to attract highly specialised global talent capable of contributing to:
innovation
advanced industries
technology development
scientific research
investment growth
national productivity
Applicants under this category are generally assessed based on their internationally recognised achievements, professional standing, and potential contribution to Australia’s future economic priorities.
Employer Sponsored migration remains one of Australia’s most important skilled migration pathways.
Under this program, Australian employers can sponsor overseas skilled workers for positions they cannot fill locally.
Common employer-sponsored pathways include:
Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482)
Regional Sponsored pathways
The Employer Program helps Australia address workforce shortages in industries such as:
healthcare
construction
hospitality
aged care
engineering
information technology
Employer-sponsored migration has become increasingly important as Australia faces ongoing labour shortages.
Australia’s states and territories continue playing a major role in skilled migration planning.
Under state nomination programs, applicants may receive nomination through:
Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)
Each Australian state sets its own nomination requirements based on local workforce needs.
Higher nomination activity is commonly seen in:
Victoria
New South Wales
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Regional states often prioritise:
healthcare occupations
trade occupations
engineering
teaching
hospitality roles
State nomination can significantly improve an applicant’s chances of receiving a migration invitation.
This program allows Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens to sponsor family members for migration to Australia.
The Family Program mainly includes:
Partner Visas
Parent Visas
Child Visas
Other Family Visas
Partner visas continue to represent the largest category within the Family Stream.
The government maintains family migration allocations to support family reunification while balancing skilled migration priorities.
Many people confuse the Permanent Migration Program with Net Overseas Migration (NOM), but both are different.
Net Overseas Migration measures the actual population change resulting from people entering and leaving Australia.
It includes:
temporary migrants
international students
temporary workers
permanent migrants
humanitarian entrants
The Permanent Migration Program only controls permanent visa allocations and does not directly determine total migration numbers.
Net Overseas Migration impacts:
housing demand
infrastructure planning
labour markets
education systems
healthcare services
Australia experienced very high NOM levels following the reopening of international borders after COVID-19.
As a result, the government has introduced migration reforms aimed at:
reducing migration pressure
improving system integrity
targeting skilled workers
managing housing supply concerns
Understanding this difference is important because temporary visa holders such as students and workers heavily influence NOM figures even when permanent migration levels remain stable.
Australia’s Permanent Migration Program for 2026–2027 reflects the government’s ongoing focus on economic growth, skilled workforce development, and sustainable migration planning.
For skilled workers, international students, employers, and families, understanding these migration planning levels is essential for long-term visa and permanent residency planning.
As migration policies continue evolving, applicants who align with Australia’s labour market needs and migration priorities are likely to remain in a stronger position for future permanent residency opportunities.
