Australia Migration Program 2025-26: Why the Permanent Intake Stayed at 185,000

Australia kept its permanent Migration Program at 185,000 places for 2025-26, and that decision still shapes migration planning in 2026.

The headline was confirmed in a ministerial release dated 2 September 2025. But the more useful question is what that number actually means for skilled migrants, families and employers trying to plan their next move.

What changed

In one sense, not much changed. Minister Tony Burke announced on 2 September 2025 that the Albanese Government would maintain the 2025-26 Permanent Migration Program at the same level and settings as the 2024-25 program: 185,000 places.

The release said that after consultation, states and territories recommended keeping the size and composition of the program with a focus on skilled migration.

The release also said the Department had already been processing visas based on the previous year's level, so there was no disruption to delivery.

So the big policy message was stability, not expansion.

That does not mean the program is simple. A stable headline number can still hide strong competition within different categories.

Who this affects

The 2025-26 Migration Program matters most to:

• skilled migrants
• employer-sponsored applicants
• state-nominated applicants
• partner and family applicants
• employers planning overseas recruitment

It also matters to people already in Australia on temporary visas. Many permanent visas are granted to applicants who are already onshore and planning their next step rather than applying from outside Australia.

Key facts to know

The Department's 2025 administration paper sets out the 2025-26 composition of the permanent Migration Program:

• Skilled stream: 132,200 places
• Family stream: 52,500 places
• Special Eligibility stream: 300 places

That means the program stays heavily weighted toward skilled migration. Home Affairs says the skilled stream makes up about 71.0 per cent of the program, while the family stream is about 28.0 per cent.

The skilled stream is still the centre of gravity

Within the 132,200 skilled places, the official planning levels are:

• Employer Sponsored: 44,000
• Skilled Independent: 16,900
• Skilled Regional: 33,000
• State/Territory Nominated: 33,000
• Business Innovation and Investment Program: 1,000
• Talent and Innovation: 4,300

This tells us two practical things.

First, employer-sponsored and regional pathways continue to hold a major place in the program.

Second, the Government is still giving large weight to state nomination and regional migration, not just to pure independent points-tested migration.

The family stream remains large, but smaller than skilled

The family side of the program is planned at 52,500 places. The Department's table breaks that down as:

• Partner: 40,500
• Parent: 8,500
• Other Family: 500
• Child: 3,000

The Department also notes that the Partner category is demand driven, with indicative planning levels. That is a useful reminder that family migration does not work exactly the same way as skilled migration.

Why keep the number unchanged?

The Government's public explanation was stability and a continued focus on skilled migration.

In plain language, that means Canberra did not want to sharply expand or cut the permanent program for 2025-26. Instead, it kept the same overall size and a similar structure while still leaning toward skill shortages, regional needs and family reunion.

This is why the 185,000 figure should not be read as a sign that competition has eased. A stable cap can still mean strong pressure if demand remains high in the most popular categories.

A stable program helps planning, but does not guarantee easier outcomes

Applicants often hear "the program stayed the same" and assume the process is more predictable. It is more predictable at the policy level, but that does not make individual applications easy.

For example:

• employer-sponsored places still depend on sponsor demand and job fit
• state nomination still depends on state criteria and quotas
• skilled independent places remain limited compared with total demand
• partner processing is still affected by caseload and individual circumstances

The number 185,000 is a top-level planning figure, not a promise of lower competition.

The 2025-26 figure also followed full delivery in 2024-25

Home Affairs says the Department fully delivered the 2024-25 Migration Program against the overall planning level of 185,000 places.

The official breakdown for that outcome was:

• 132,148 places in the Skilled stream
• 52,500 places in the Family stream
• 353 places in the Special Eligibility stream

That matters because it shows the 2025-26 program was not set in a vacuum. The Government rolled forward from a year that had already been fully delivered, which helps explain the decision to keep the headline number and broad settings steady.

Many permanent grants still go to people already in Australia

The Department's administration paper says around 60 per cent of visas under the Migration Program are granted to migrants who are already onshore and living in the community when the permanent visa is granted.

That is an important planning point. For many people, the permanent program is not a separate world from the temporary system. It is the next stage after study, employer sponsorship or another lawful stay in Australia.

What this means in 2026

The 185,000 figure is important, but it is mainly a program-level signal.

What it shows in practice is:

• Australia kept a stable permanent intake setting for 2025-26
• the skilled stream remains much larger than the family stream
• employer-sponsored, regional and state-nominated pathways continue to hold major weight inside the program
• family migration remains significant, especially in the Partner category

For readers following migration news, that means the headline planning level is useful background, but the real day-to-day story still sits inside the separate streams such as Skills in Demand visa, Skilled Nominated visa, Partner visa and Partner (Provisional and Migrant) visa.

Frequently asked questions

Did Australia increase the Migration Program for 2025-26?

No. The Government kept the permanent Migration Program at 185,000 places, the same as 2024-25.

How many skilled places are in the 2025-26 program?

Home Affairs says the skilled stream has 132,200 places.

How many family places are in the 2025-26 program?

Home Affairs says the family stream has 52,500 places.

Does the 185,000 figure include temporary visas?

No. This figure refers to the permanent Migration Program, not the full temporary visa system.

Is the Partner category part of the family stream?

Yes. The official planning table shows 40,500 places for the Partner category within the family stream.

Does keeping the program the same make migration easier?

Not automatically. It improves policy stability, but individual categories can still be highly competitive.