28/07/2026
2026–27 MIGRATION PROGRAM: SAME TOTAL, VERY DIFFERENT DOORS 🇦🇺
Almost every write-up has led with the same number — regional places cut 57%. It's accurate. On its own, it's misleading.
Here's the figure nobody is quoting 👇
The total Skilled Migration Program went from 132,200 places to 132,240.
Forty extra places. Nationally.
This was not a cut. It was a reallocation of roughly 19,000 places:
✅ Employer Sponsored — 44,000 → 58,040 (+32%)
✅ Skilled Independent 189 — 16,900 → 21,090 (+25%)
✅ State/Territory 190 — 33,000 → 35,500 (+8%)
🔻 Regional 491 — 33,000 → 14,110 (−57%)
Same pie. Very different slices.
📌 And the clearest signal in the whole document, which most coverage skipped: of the 185,000 total places, 129,590 are for migrants already living in Australia. Only 55,110 for offshore applicants.
Roughly 7 in 10 permanent places this year are reserved for people already here.
⚠️ One technical point that's frequently reported wrong: in the planning levels, "Regional" means subclass 491 ONLY. The 494 is a regional visa but sits under Employer Sponsored, because it's employer sponsored. Mixing these up makes the cut look bigger or smaller than it is.
⚠️ And a caution — planning levels are ceilings, not guarantees. More places in a category means more capacity, not an easier application. They say nothing about whether your occupation is listed, whether your points are competitive, or whether a state will nominate you.
📊 Full breakdown with the official table:
https://ovec.com.au/migration-program-planning-levels-2026-27/
Not sure which category your circumstances actually fit? Contact us to book a consultation.
📞 0430 586 030
Sohail Cheema — Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1170438
Canberra-based, assisting clients Australia-wide and overseas.