On September 2, 2025, the Australian Government announced that the 2025–26 permanent Migration Program will be set at 185,000 places, maintaining 2024-25 program settings.
The 2025–26 permanent Migration Program has the following composition:
- Skill stream (132,200 places, approximately 71 per cent of the program) – designed to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labor market, particularly those in regional Australia.
- Family stream (52,500 places, approximately 28 per cent of the program) – This stream 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 stream (300 places) – This stream covers visas for those in special circumstances. This includes permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.
As part of the transition to the new National Innovation visa, existing applicants of the Global Talent and Distinguished Talent visa will be counted within the new Talent and Innovation category. Existing Global Talent and Distinguished Talent visa applicants will not be adversely affected by the transition. Visa applicants will be assessed against the eligibility criteria at the time of their application.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.