The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has clarified how regional permanent planning levels are applied under the 2026-27 Migration Program, providing greater certainty for regional skilled migration applicants.
According to the Department, the regional planning level includes only the following visa subclasses:
Subclass 491 - Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
Subclass 494 - Employer Sponsored Regional
Subclass 187 - Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
Importantly, most Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence - Skilled Regional) visa grants will not count towards the regional planning level. This is because applicants are generally counted when they are granted their first-stage Subclass 491 or Subclass 494 visa, rather than when they later transition to permanent residency through the Subclass 191 visa.
A Subclass 191 visa grant will only count towards the planning level in limited circumstances where the applicant has not previously been granted a Subclass 491 or 494 visa. For example, this may apply when a newly added family member is included in a Subclass 191 application.
The Department also confirmed that the Employer Sponsored stream includes only the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS), with a planning level of 58,040 places for the 2026-27 Migration Program.
Further clarification on the rationale behind the reduction in regional permanent planning levels is expected following the Department's next stakeholder consultation in August 2026.
