Australia's 2026-27 Migration Program: The Onshore vs Offshore Split
Australia's permanent Migration Program for 2026-27 stays at 185,000 places, but the mix behind that number changed sharply: 129,590 places are now reserved for people already living in Australia and only 55,110 — about 30% of the program — for offshore applicants. Regional (subclass 491) places were cut by more than half while employer-sponsored (subclass 186) places grew the most. This guide sets out the published numbers and what they factually imply for someone applying from India who is not yet in Australia.
The headline number: 185,000, unchanged
The Australian Government's 2026-27 permanent Migration Program was announced with the 2026-27 Federal Budget, with the planning-level detail published on 12 May 2026. The total program size stays at 185,000 places, the same total as 2025-26 (Department of Home Affairs, permanent Migration Program planning levels, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, accessed 17 July 2026). What changed is not the total, but how it is split — by stream, and by whether the applicant is already in Australia.
Skill stream vs Family stream
| Stream | 2026-27 places | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Skill | 132,240 | ~71.5% |
| Family | 52,460 | ~28.4% |
| Special Eligibility | 300 | ~0.2% |
| Total | 185,000 | 100% |
(Department of Home Affairs, permanent Migration Program planning levels, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, accessed 17 July 2026.)
The onshore vs offshore split
This is the structural change most relevant to an applicant currently living in India. Of the 185,000 total places:
- 129,590 places (about 70%) are allocated to migrants already living in Australia on a temporary visa.
- 55,110 places (about 30%) are allocated to offshore applicants — people applying from outside Australia, including India.
(Department of Home Affairs, permanent Migration Program planning levels, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, accessed 17 July 2026.) The allocation reflects the government's stated focus for 2026-27 on applicants already in Australia on a temporary visa — people closer to being work- or study-ready — over new arrivals starting a multi-year pathway from offshore.
What shrank: regional visas
The Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) category — along with the related regional pathways reported together as 491/494/191 — was cut from 33,000 places in 2025-26 to 14,110 places in 2026-27, a reduction of 18,890 places, or roughly 57% (Department of Home Affairs, permanent Migration Program planning levels, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, accessed 17 July 2026). This is the largest cut to any category in the program.
What grew: employer sponsorship
The Employer Sponsored (subclass 186) category grew from 44,000 places in 2025-26 to 58,040 places in 2026-27, an increase of 14,040 places — the largest increase of any category and now the single largest pathway within the Skill stream (Department of Home Affairs, permanent Migration Program planning levels, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, accessed 17 July 2026).
Full category comparison
| Category | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent (189) | 16,900 | 21,090 | +4,190 |
| State/Territory Nominated (190) | 33,000 | 35,500 | +2,500 |
| Employer Sponsored (186) | 44,000 | 58,040 | +14,040 |
| Regional (491/494/191) | 33,000 | 14,110 | -18,890 |
| Partner visas | 40,500 | 41,500 | +1,000 |
| Parent visas | 8,500 | 7,060 | -1,440 |
| Talent & Innovation | 5,300 | 3,500 | -1,800 |
| Total program | 185,000 | 185,000 | 0 |
(Department of Home Affairs, permanent Migration Program planning levels, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, accessed 17 July 2026 — full category table verified directly against the live planning-levels page.)
The factual implication for offshore applicants from India
This guide describes what the numbers mean structurally, not what any individual should do about them. Three factual points follow directly from the published figures:
- A limited offshore pool. Roughly 30% of the fixed 185,000-place program is reserved for offshore applicants, so an applicant applying from India competes within a pool of 55,110 places, while 129,590 places sit with the onshore cohort.
- Regional offshore pathways specifically have shrunk. The subclass 491 cut (33,000 → 14,110, about 57%) is the largest single-category reduction in the program, and 491 has historically been one of the more accessible offshore points-tested pathways for applicants without an existing Australian employer or family sponsor.
- Employer sponsorship is now the largest growth pathway, but it depends on having an employer. The subclass 186 increase (44,000 → 58,040) is the biggest single change in the program, but subclass 186 nomination requires an Australian employer willing to sponsor the applicant — it is not a points-tested, employer-independent pathway.
Taken together, the published numbers describe longer relative odds and a narrower set of accessible categories for an offshore, employer-independent applicant in 2026-27 compared with 2025-26. This is a description of the program's structure, not advice about which visa subclass to pursue — that assessment depends on individual circumstances and belongs with a registered migration agent.
A note on sourcing
Every figure above was verified directly against the Department of Home Affairs' permanent Migration Program planning-levels page (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au), confirmed on 17 July 2026.