Australia keeps 71% of migration places for skilled workers as settings stay tight

Australia’s migration settings stay tight

Australia’s permanent Migration Program remains at 185,000 places a year for 2025-26 and 2026-27, with about 71% set aside for skilled migrants and the rest for family reunification. Treasury forecasts still point to net overseas migration falling to about 260,000 in 2025-26 and 225,000 in 2026-27, but no official 2027 cut has been announced.

The Coalition opposition has pushed for deeper reductions, including a proposal to cut net overseas migration to 150,000 to 200,000 a year. Those numbers are still proposals, not policy.

What it means for expats and remote workers

For expats, the main route into long-term stay remains skilled migration and it’s still competitive. English requirements and sponsor pay thresholds have already risen and onshore visa switching is tighter after new anti-"visa hopping" rules took effect Feb. 2, 2026.

Australia still doesn’t have a dedicated digital nomad visa. Remote workers can use visitor permissions for limited stays, but they can’t take local jobs and repeated applications may face closer scrutiny. Tourist entries aren’t being overhauled by any new migration cap.

What applicants should watch next

Skilled applicants should keep an eye on state nomination limits, salary benchmarks and the next round of planning levels, which are usually set after budget consultations. The Department of Home Affairs keeps the program steady for now, so the bigger shift is in who gets priority, not in a fresh cut for 2027.

Those tracking the rule changes can follow our visa updates feed. Read our full Australia guide for the complete picture.