Australia’s Migration Program Planning Levels Explained (2026-27)

The Australian Government has confirmed the 2026–27 Migration Program planning levels, maintaining a total of 185,000 permanent visa places.

While the headline number remains unchanged, the structure and allocation of these places provide important insight into where opportunities sit for individuals, employers, and families.

This article explains what migration planning levels are, how the program is structured, and what it means in practice.

What are migration program planning levels?

Migration Program planning levels are the Government’s annual allocation of permanent visa places across different visa categories. Importantly, they do not guarantee visa grants but rather act as a framework to guide processing priorities, policy settings, processing times and general skilled migration invitation volumes.

In practical terms, they determine where the Government intends to focus migration outcomes each year.

Overview of the 2026–27 Migration Program

For the 2026–27 financial year, the program is structured as follows:

• Total program: 185,000 places
• Skilled stream: 132,240 places (approximately 71%)
• Family stream: 52,460 places (approximately 28%)
• Special Eligibility: 300 places

There remains a clear policy priority towards skilled migration, with an approximate 70:30 split between Skilled and Family streams.

Key feature: Strong Onshore Focus

A notable feature of the current program is the prioritisation of onshore applicants.

• Approximately 129,590 places are allocated to migrants already in Australia
• Remaining places are allocated offshore, with a focus on highly skilled applicants

This reflects a policy approach aimed at:

• Supporting transitions from temporary to permanent residency
• Reducing pressure on net overseas migration
• Retaining migrants who are already contributing to the economy

Skilled Migration Program

The Skilled stream remains the cornerstone of Australia’s migration system designed to address labour shortages, improve the productive capacity of the economy and support long-term economic growth for Australia.

Key categories (2026–27)

Key takeaway

There is a clear increase in employer-sponsored migration, signaling continued strong demand from business with continued reliance on skilled overseas workers due to ongoing skill shortages.

Family Migration Program

The Family stream ensures Australians can reunite with close family members to support family unity, promote long-term social cohesion and provide pathways to residency and citizenship for family members of Australian’s.

Key categories (2026–27)

• Partner visas: 41,500 places
• Child visas: 3,500 places
• Parent visas: 7,060 places
• Other family visas: 400 places

Partner visas remain the dominant component of this stream.

Special Eligibility Stream

A small number of places (300) are allocated to individuals in special circumstances, such as former permanent residents returning to Australia.

Final thoughts

Australia’s Migration Program planning levels provide a clear roadmap of government priorities, balancing economic needs with family reunification.

For applicants and employers, the key takeaways are that skilled migration, particularly employer sponsored pathways remain a major focus, onshore applicants are increasingly being prioritsed and strategic planning is essential.

Further advice & information

At Ethos Migration Lawyers, we provide strategic, advice tailored to your circumstances.

Whether you are a business looking to sponsor skilled workers, o an individual exploring your immigration options in Australia, we can guide you through the most suitable pathway under the current program settings.

Contact us for further assistance.