The Australian Government has officially confirmed that the planning level for the 2025-26 permanent Migration Program is set at 185,000 places. This decision to maintain the cap at the same level as the 2024-25 program year signals a clear policy intention to foster stability and predictability in the nation’s long-term approach to immigration. This move provides a consistent framework for employers seeking to address skills shortages, for state and territory governments planning for regional development, and for prospective migrants and their families making life-altering decisions.   

The rationale for maintaining this stability is multifaceted. For the business community, it provides a crucial degree of certainty. The Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) has characterized the decision as a “measured and rational response” in the face of ongoing skill shortages, noting that it allows employers to retain access to vital international talent pipelines. By avoiding a sudden application of the “brakes” on the permanent program, the government aims to ensure that economic growth is not unnecessarily constrained by a lack of skilled labor. For migrants, particularly those in family streams such as Partner visa applicants, the stable cap helps prevent further blowouts in processing times, which had become a significant issue in previous years. This policy of stability is therefore a cornerstone of the government’s broader strategy to restore integrity and predictability to the migration system.  

Deconstructing the 2025-26 Planning Levels: A Detailed Analysis

While the headline figure of 185,000 places for the 2025-26 permanent Migration Program projects an image of stability, a detailed analysis of its composition reveals a period of profound and deliberate realignment. The internal allocation of visas across different streams and categories has been significantly re-engineered to reflect the government’s new strategic priorities. The composition for 2025-26 is expected to mirror the detailed breakdown announced for the 2024-25 program year, which prioritizes skilled migrants with direct links to the labor market and empowers state governments to address their unique economic needs. This represents a fundamental pivot in Australian migration policy, moving away from a system that selects individuals based on personal attributes toward one where employers and governments act as the primary gatekeepers of the skilled migration program.  

The Skill Stream remains the dominant component of the program, accounting for approximately 71% of the total intake, or 132,200 places. This underscores the government’s continued focus on using migration as a key lever for economic growth, productivity enhancement, and addressing critical labor shortages. However, the distribution of places within this stream has been dramatically altered:   

• Employer-Sponsored (44,000 places): This category has received the most significant boost, increasing to 44,000 places from 36,825 in the previous year. This increase is a direct reflection of a core pillar of the government’s Migration Strategy, which is to prioritize migrants who have a guaranteed job waiting for them. By tying a visa directly to a demonstrated business need, the government aims to ensure that migrants are immediately contributing to the economy and are not competing with the domestic workforce for jobs. This also builds on reforms from November 2023 that expanded pathways to permanent residence for temporary sponsored workers.   
• Skilled Independent (16,900 places): In the most telling policy shift, the allocation for the Skilled Independent visa has been drastically reduced to 16,900 places, down from 30,375 in 2023-24. This visa category, which operates on a points-test system and allows individuals to migrate without a job offer or state nomination, was once a cornerstone of the skilled program. Its sharp decline signals a deliberate move away from a “supply-driven” model. The government is actively reducing the number of migrants who arrive without a pre-arranged job, instead favoring pathways that provide greater certainty of employment outcomes and are more directly responsive to the immediate needs of the economy. 
• State/Territory Nominated (33,000 places) & Regional (33,000 places): These two categories, which are both driven by nominations from state and territory governments, have been allocated a combined 66,000 places. This substantial figure accounts for half of the entire Skill Stream and 36% of the total Migration Program. By increasing these allocations, the federal government is effectively devolving significant power to the states and territories, enabling them to use migration to target their specific economic and demographic challenges, from skills shortages in metropolitan areas to population growth in regional centers.   
• Innovation Visas (BIIP, Global Talent, National Innovation): The architecture for attracting high-value entrepreneurs and talent is being completely overhauled. The Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP), which has faced criticism for not delivering expected economic benefits, is being permanently closed from July 2024, with a residual allocation of 1,000 places to process its final applications. It is being replaced by the new, highly targeted National Innovation Visa (NIV), which was introduced in late 2024. The NIV will absorb the existing Global Talent stream (allocated 4,000 places) and is designed to attract “exceptionally talented migrants” who can drive growth in sectors of national importance.   

B. The Enduring Role of the Family Stream (52,500 places)

The Family Stream is maintained at 52,500 places, representing approximately 28% of the total program. This stable allocation reflects the government’s recognition of the importance of family reunion to social cohesion and the successful settlement of migrants.  

• Partner Visas (40,500 places): As the largest component of the Family Stream, the Partner visa category is allocated an estimated 40,500 places for planning purposes. Crucially, this category is designated as “demand-driven.” This means the planning level is not a rigid cap; the government has the flexibility to process more applications if demand is high, with the stated aim of managing wait times and reuniting families more quickly. This insulates this socially sensitive category from the constraints of a hard quota.  

  Parent Visas (8,500 places) & Child Visas (3,000 places): The allocations for Parent and Child visas remain stable at 8,500 and 3,000 places, respectively. This provides continuity for these important family reunification pathways. Like the Partner visa, the Child visa category is also demand-driven, prioritizing the best interests of the child.   

C. Humanitarian and Special Eligibility Programs

To provide a complete picture of Australia’s immigration intake, it is important to note two other programs that operate separately from the 185,000 permanent Migration Program cap.

• The Humanitarian Program, which provides resettlement for refugees and others in humanitarian need, has a planning level of 20,000 places for 2025-26. This level has been maintained consistently in recent years and is managed as a distinct program.   
• The Special Eligibility stream, which covers visas for individuals in unique circumstances, such as former permanent residents returning to Australia, remains a very minor component of the overall program, with an allocation of 300 places.