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FY2026-27 Migration Planning Level Announcement
On 12 May 2026, the Australian Government announced that the 2026–27 permanent Migration Program (Migration Program) will be set at 185,000 places, with an approximate 70:30 split between the Skilled and Family Programs. The overall planning level and the Skill and Family split of the program are unchanged from 2025-26.
Across both the Skill and Family streams of the permanent Migration Program, the government will prioritise applications from onshore migrants, allocating 129,590 places to migrants already living in Australia, with an additional 300 places allocated to Special Eligibility. The remaining 55,110 offshore places will prioritise high‑skilled migrants that help boost productivity and address Australia’s long‑term skill needs, complementing Australia’s working-age population.
An onshore-focused program will support timely transitions to permanent residency for migrants already living, working and contributing to Australia, and further reduces the program’s impact on Net Overseas Migration (NOM).
The 2026–27 Migration Program is comprised of:
- Skilled Migration Program (132,240 places, approximately 71 per cent of the program) – this program is designed to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labour market.
- Australian Family Program (52,460 places, approximately 28 per cent of the program) – this program is predominantly made up of Partner visas. It enables Australians to reunite with family members from overseas and provide them with pathways to citizenship.
- Special Eligibility (300 places) – this stream covers visas for those in special circumstances. It includes permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.
Migration Program planning levels by financial year
| Visa Category | FY2024–25 | FY2025–26 | FY2026–27 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Migration Program | ||||
| Commonwealth Program | Skilled Independent | 16,900 | 16,900 | 21,090 |
| Talent and Innovation¹ | 5,300 | 5,300 | 3,500 | |
| Employer Program | Employer-Sponsored | 44,000 | 44,000 | 58,040 |
| State and Territory Program | Regional | 33,000 | 33,000 | 14,110 |
| State/Territory Nominated | 33,000 | 33,000 | 35,500 | |
| Total Skilled Program | 132,200 | 132,200 | 132,240 | |
| Australian Family Program | ||||
| Partner & Child² | Partner | 40,500 | 40,500 | 41,500 |
| Child | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,500 | |
| Parent & Other Family | Parent | 8,500 | 8,500 | 7,060 |
| Other Family | 500 | 500 | 400 | |
| Total Family Program | 52,500 | 52,500 | 52,460 | |
| Special Eligibility | 300 | 300 | 300 | |
| Total Migration Program | 185,000 | 185,000 | 185,000 |
📙 Daily Activity Report: 15 May 2026
This report summarises visa grant activity and S56 requests reported by the community on 15 May 2026, providing insights into processing times and trends across different visa subclasses and states.
Visa Grants
| Subclass State | Location Occupation | Lodge → Grant Date | S56 Date Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 190 NSW | Onshore Mechanical Engineer | 22 Jan 2026 → 15 May 2026 | Direct Grant |
| 190 NSW | Onshore Architectural Draftsperson | 02 Feb 2026 → 15 May 2026 | Direct Grant |
| 190 WA | Unknown Civil Engineer | 10 Jan 2025 → 14 May 2026 | 18 Mar 2026 (Unknown) |
| 190 TAS | Unknown Scientist, nec | 28 Feb 2025 → 15 May 2026 | Direct Grant |
| 190 Unknown | Offshore Social Worker | 28 Mar 2025 → 14 May 2026 | 11 May 2026 (Remedicals) |
S56 Trends
| Subclass State | Location Occupation | Lodge Date | S56 Date Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 190 WA | Unknown Civil Engineer | 10 Jan 2025 | 18 Mar 2026 - |
| 190 Unknown | Offshore Social Worker | 28 Mar 2025 | 11 May 2026 Remedicals |
Trends and Patterns in S56 Requests
Two S56 requests were reported today. One case involved remedicals requested on 11 May 2026 for a Social Worker application lodged in March 2025, where a baby was added to the application in November 2025. The second case involved an S56 issued on 18 March 2026 for a Civil Engineer application lodged in January 2025, though the specific content of the request was not disclosed.
The Social Worker case demonstrates that family composition changes during visa processing can trigger additional medical requirements. The Civil Engineer case shows S56 requests can occur over a year after lodgement.
Additional Observations
NSW 190 Processing: Two NSW 190 grants were reported with processing times of approximately 3.5 months. Both were direct grants with no S56 requests. One applicant (Mechanical Engineer, 100 points) had lodged a concurrent 186 Direct Entry visa but received the 190 grant first. The other applicant (Architectural Draftsperson, 80 points) received their grant in 3 months and 13 days.
WA 190 Processing: One WA 190 grant for a Civil Engineer (90 points total) took approximately 16 months from lodgement to grant, with an S56 issued 14 months after lodgement.
TAS 190 Processing: One TAS 190 grant for a Scientist, nec was processed in approximately 14.5 months as a direct grant.
Offshore Social Worker: An offshore Social Worker who studied in Australia received their grant after approximately 13.5 months, with remedicals requested shortly before grant.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog post is an AI summary of the comments below and may be refreshed as more comments arrive. Due to the nature of crowdsourced and AI-generated content, mistakes and discrepancies are possible. This information should be consumed with caution.
📊 This data is crowdsourced and represents only a subset of total visa activity. Only the Department of Home Affairs has complete grant data.
Useful Links
👨🏻🏫 Book IELTS 💾 FOI 🧮 Calculator 🗳️ FY2025-26 Guide to Australian PR
📗 FY2025-26 Migration Planning Levels 🔖 Frequently Asked Questions 📞 Useful phone numbers and emails 📋 Visa Application Document List 🏘️ Guide to Housing, Jobs and Community 📲 Whatsapp Groups ☎️ Book Consultation to explore your 189/190/491 Skilled Visa Options
