POLICY ANALYSIS · 2026-27 MIGRATION PROGRAM
The 491 Just Got Cut In Half. The People Who Moved Regional Were Never Told.
On 12 May 2026, the Australian government cut the regional skilled visa program by 57 percent.
Most of the people whose lives depend on that program found out on Reddit.
Not from a press release. Not from a letter. Not from the agent who told them three years ago that regional was the smart move. They found out from a quiet thread on r/AusVisa titled "Planning levels and 491 visa backlog?" with three upvotes and three comments. Someone asking the question that nobody at Home Affairs had bothered to answer.
This guide is for those people. The ones already on a 491. The ones halfway through a skills assessment?. The ones who moved to Tasmania or Adelaide or the Sunshine Coast because the points test? maths said so. The ones now wondering if they just lost two years of their life.
The short answer is no. The 491 is not dead. But the deal changed, the change was big, and without notice.
Here is what actually happened.
General information about the 491 visa and the 2026-27 Migration Program. Not advice for your situation. For advice on what to do in your particular case, talk to a Registered Migration Agent at mara.gov.au.
WHAT THIS IS BASED ON
Department of Home Affairs, Migration and Temporary visa program quarterly report on visa processing times, 2024-25 Q4 (figures as at 30 June 2025): 165,000+ applications in capped/queued programs; 53.1% Q-on-Q lift in permanent skilled lodgements; 768,000 total on-hand.
immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels (2026-27 program planning levels, announced 12 May 2026): 33,000 → 14,110 Regional cut.
Per-stream 2026-27 numbers for 189/190/Employer-Sponsored/Talent and Innovation, against the IMMI planning-levels page (2026-05-30). The redistribution from Regional into other skilled streams is confirmed.
Subclass 191 commencement date (16 November 2022): multiple legal sources align.