The short answer
Australia grants about the same number of permanent visas every year — what changes is which visas get them. Over the ten program years from 2015-16 to 2024-25, the total stayed between 140,000 and 195,000. Inside that total, the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) fell to less than 40% of its 2015-16 level, state nomination (190) grew by about 70%, and the regional visas grew nearly five-fold.
The 2026-27 planning levels turn part of that around: the employer-sponsored category rises 32% to 58,040, the highest in the decade, while the regional category falls 57% to 14,110 — though part of that swing may be a change in where the 494 visa is counted (see below). Every figure below comes from Home Affairs — grants from the BP0068 permanent migration dataset, plans from the Migration Program planning levels.
The total barely moved
Permanent visa grants (main applicants plus family members) were lowest in 2019-20 at 140,366 and highest in 2022-23 at 195,004. In 2024-25 Home Affairs granted 185,001 — the planning level was 185,000 — and the 2025-26 and 2026-27 planning levels are both 185,000.
So “is Australia still taking migrants?” is the wrong question. The useful one is which pathway the places go to.
Where the skilled places went
Across the four main skilled pathways, 189 made up 37% of grants in 2015-16 and 13% in 2024-25. State nomination and the regional visas together went from 22% to 52% — more than half. The 2026-27 plan shifts the mix again, towards employer sponsorship (45%) and away from regional (11%).
2015-16
2024-25
2026-27 plan
| Pathway | 2015-16 | 2024-25 | 2026-27 plan (vs 2025-26) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 | 43,525 | 16,900 | 21,090 +25% |
| 190 | 19,484 | 33,000 | 35,500 +8% |
| Regional 489/491/494 | 6,718 | 32,304 | 14,110 −57% |
| Employer 186/187 | 48,139 | 44,217 | 58,040 +32% |
The four pathways together: 117,866 grants in 2015-16, 126,421 in 2024-25 and 128,740 planned for 2026-27. Talent, business and other skilled visas are not included.
189: from 43,525 to 16,900
189 grants fell through the COVID years to 5,882 in 2021-22, recovered to 32,100 in 2022-23, then dropped to 16,900 in 2024-25 — exactly that year’s planning level. Home Affairs’ monthly releases put 2025-26 at 17,076 (preliminary: the full year, final figures due in the next annual release). The 2026-27 planning level is 21,090, 25% above 2025-26’s 16,900, and still less than half of 2015-16.
Because 189 invitations are capped per occupation, a bigger program does not lift every occupation equally — the 189 prediction shows what the next round means for yours.
190: up about 70%
State-nominated 190 grants rose from 19,484 to 33,000, above 30,000 every year since 2022-23. 2025-26 preliminary grants were 33,210, and the 2026-27 planning level is 35,500 (+8% on 2025-26). In 2024-25 there were nearly two 190 grants for every 189 grant.
Regional: nearly 5×, then a lower plan
The regional visas grew faster than any other skilled pathway: from 6,718 grants in 2015-16 to 32,304 in 2024-25. The provisional 489 was replaced by the 491 from November 2019; following the Home Affairs regional category, the employer-sponsored regional 494 is counted here too.
Employer: down, back, and up
Employer-sponsored grants (186, plus the closed 187) fell from about 48,000 to 25,677 in 2020-21 — nearly half — and recovered to 44,217 in 2024-25. The 2026-27 planning level is 58,040, 32% above 2025-26’s 44,000 and the highest of the decade (possibly including the 494 — see the regional section).
Partner: the COVID spike
Partner visas cover married spouses, de facto partners (including same-sex couples) and fiancé(e)s on the Prospective Marriage visa. In 2020-21, with the border closed, partner grants reached 72,376 — nearly double the year before, and the same year 189 granted 7,837. They have since settled at about 40,000–46,000 a year (40,500 in 2024-25, exactly the planning level). Partner places are demand-driven, so the planning levels (40,500 and 41,500) are indicative.
2026-27 plan vs 2025-26
Planning level against planning level, so the comparison is like for like (for 189 and 190 the charts show actual 2025-26 grants, but the % still compares plans):
| Category | 2025-26 plan | 2026-27 plan | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employer sponsored* | 44,217 | 44,000 | 58,040 | +32% |
| 190 State nominated | 33,000 | 33,000 | 35,500 | +8% |
| 189 Skilled Independent | 16,900 | 16,900 | 21,090 | +25% |
| Regional* | 32,304 | 33,000 | 14,110 | −57% |
| Partner (indicative) | 40,500 | 40,500 | 41,500 | +2% |
| Total program | 185,001 | 185,000 | 185,000 | Flat |
* Where the 494 visa is counted in 2026-27 is not stated; if it moved from Regional to Employer-Sponsored, part of these two changes is reclassification.
What it means for you
- Look past 189. Each pathway has its own places and its own occupation rules — 190, 491 and 186 each need you to meet their own requirements, but together they now carry most skilled grants.
- Read the plan and the grants together. The plan is the ceiling; grants are the result. In 2024-25, 189, 190 and 186 grants matched their planning levels exactly, and plans can change every year.
- Check your own occupation. The visa grants hub has all 62 subclasses; your occupation page shows ten years of grants by visa, state and citizenship; and grant trends ranks the occupations gaining and losing share.
Data and definitions
- Grants: Home Affairs BP0068 permanent migration program data, release to 30 June 2025. Counts are people — main applicants and family members — by program year (1 July to 30 June).
- 2025-26 preliminary: 189 and 190 only, summed from the twelve monthly Home Affairs data-access releases (July 2025 to June 2026). The next BP0068 release, expected late 2026, can revise them.
- Plans: Migration Program planning levels, Home Affairs, updated 21 September 2026. Grant groupings: Regional = 489 + 491 + 494 and Employer Sponsored = 186 + 187 — the split that matches the 2024-25 planning levels (186 alone equalled the 44,000 employer level). The 2026-27 table names only the 491 under Regional and does not say where 494 is counted. Partner = 300 + 309/100 + 820/801.
Common questions
›How many permanent visas does Australia grant each year?
Between 140,366 (2019-20) and 195,004 (2022-23) over the ten program years to 2024-25, counting main applicants and family members. Home Affairs granted 185,001 permanent visas in 2024-25, and the planning level is 185,000 for both 2025-26 and 2026-27 (Home Affairs BP0068 data and Migration Program planning levels).
›How many 189 visas were granted in 2024-25?
16,900 — exactly that year’s planning level, down from 43,525 in 2015-16. Home Affairs’ monthly releases put 2025-26 at 17,076 (preliminary). The 2026-27 planning level for Skilled Independent (189) is 21,090, 25% above 2025-26’s 16,900.
›How many 190 state-nominated visas are granted?
33,000 in 2024-25, up from 19,484 in 2015-16 and above 30,000 every year since 2022-23. 2025-26 preliminary grants were 33,210, and the 2026-27 planning level is 35,500 (+8% on 2025-26).
›Is the regional visa program being cut in 2026-27?
The Regional planning level is 14,110 in 2026-27, down 57% from 33,000 in 2025-26. The 2026-27 table names only the 491 in the Regional category and does not say where the employer-sponsored regional 494 is counted, so part of the fall may be reclassification. Regional grants (489, 491 and 494 together) grew from 6,718 in 2015-16 to 32,304 in 2024-25. A planning level is a ceiling, not a count of grants.
›What is the 2026-27 employer-sponsored planning level?
58,040, up 32% from 44,000 in 2025-26 and the highest of the past decade (Home Affairs does not say whether it now includes the regional 494). Employer-sponsored grants (186 and the closed 187) fell to 25,677 in 2020-21 and were 44,217 in 2024-25.
›Where do these numbers come from, and do they include family members?
Grants are from the Home Affairs BP0068 permanent migration dataset (release to 30 June 2025) and count people — main applicants and family members — by program year (1 July to 30 June). The 2025-26 figures for 189 and 190 are preliminary, summed from twelve monthly Home Affairs releases; planning levels are from Home Affairs, updated 21 September 2026.