Australia's 2026-27 Migration Program and Direction 119 (Now 121 and 122): Why Applicants in India Wait Longer

Australia's 2026-27 permanent Migration Program has 185,000 places, unchanged from 2025-26, but 129,590 of them are allocated to people already living in Australia. Ministerial Direction 119, in force from 25 July 2026, put most primary applicants outside Australia last in the processing order. On 19 September 2026 Home Affairs replaced it with Directions 121 and 122. They still place onshore applicants ahead of offshore ones, except in a list of priority sectors. For an applicant in India, the wait is longer unless your occupation is on that list or you are already in Australia.

What the 2026-27 Migration Program Looks Like

The Government announced the program on 12 May 2026. The total and the roughly 70:30 split between Skilled and Family match 2025-26. The mix inside the skilled stream changed a lot.

By our subtraction, Skilled Independent gains 4,190 places and Employer-Sponsored 14,040, while Regional loses 18,890 and Parent loses 1,440. Home Affairs ties the 189 rise to that visa's record of highly skilled employment. The Regional cut matters for anyone counting on a 491 as the easier route. See our pages on the subclass 189, 190 and 491.

Why the Onshore Focus Matters for Applicants in India

Home Affairs says the Government will prioritise onshore migrants across the Skilled and Family programs, allocating 129,590 places to people already living in Australia plus 300 for Special Eligibility. That is about 70 per cent of the total (our arithmetic), which leaves 55,110 places not reserved for onshore applicants. Home Affairs gives the reason as timely transitions to permanent residence for people already living and working in Australia, and a smaller effect on Net Overseas Migration. In 2024-25, 61 per cent of permanent skilled visas and 39 per cent of permanent family visas went to people already onshore.

Direction 119 and Its Replacements, 121 and 122

Direction 119 was signed on 24 July 2026 and commenced the next day. For visa applications it set five tiers, highest first:

• Primary applicants in Australia in law enforcement or defence occupations.
• Primary applicants outside Australia in the same occupations.
• Primary applicants in Australia in healthcare, teaching or construction occupations.
• All other primary applicants in Australia.
• All other primary applicants outside Australia.

An applicant in India outside law enforcement and defence sat in the fifth tier, behind every onshore applicant. On 17 September 2026 the Minister announced that construction, agriculture, fisheries, resources and teaching would be added to the priority list, and that the old single direction, with almost identical rules for the permanent and temporary programs, would be updated. Home Affairs now publishes two Directions, in force from 19 September 2026.

The change that matters most for India is in the first tier. Direction 122 defines it by occupation, not location, so an offshore nurse, teacher or civil engineer no longer ranks behind onshore applicants. The lists use ANZSCO codes: construction trades, architects, civil engineering professionals and electricians; all health professionals and many support roles; school teachers and child care workers; and roles in agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources defined by what the position does. Software engineers, accountants and most ICT occupations are not named. Read your own code in Direction 122.

What Home Affairs Is Processing Now

Each visa page shows the lodgement months Home Affairs is working through for each group. These were the banners on 6 November 2026:

Each cell is the lodgement month up to which applications have been allocated, not a promised timeline. For the 482, Specialist Skills applications were being processed up to July 2026. Home Affairs warns that dates may fluctuate and some timeframes may temporarily increase as applications are reprioritised. The gap between groups is the point: on the 189, offshore applications lodged by December 2025 were being worked on while onshore applications lodged by June 2026 were.

How State Nomination Allocations Changed

An allocation is the number of new primary applicants a state or territory can nominate in a year, and it does not determine the number of visas granted. The 2025-26 allocations, set on 4 November 2025, were 12,850 for the 190 and 7,500 for the 491, a total of 20,350. The allocations page, last updated on 21 September 2026, still shows only those figures, so we cannot report 2026-27 allocations. What has changed is the planning level: State/Territory Nominated rose to 35,500, and Regional, which includes the 491, fell to 14,110.

The invitation rounds page shows nominations received from 1 July to 30 September 2026. For the 190 they were mostly Tasmania (271), Northern Territory (188) and Western Australia (17). For the 491 they were Northern Territory (208), Western Australia (120) and Tasmania (96). South Australia and Victoria show 0 for both. Treat this as a snapshot of timing, not a ranking. Our state nomination page explains how states select candidates.

What Applicants in India Should Do

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Direction 119 still in force?

No. Direction 119 applied from 25 July 2026. Home Affairs says Directions 121 and 122 came into effect on 19 September 2026 and replaced all processing priorities under it. Direction 121 covers the Skills in Demand (482) visa. Direction 122 covers the 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 489, 491, 494, 887 and 888.

Does the unchanged 185,000 total mean fewer places for Indian applicants?

Home Affairs publishes no split by nationality. The total is unchanged, but 129,590 places are allocated to migrants already living in Australia and the Regional category fell from 33,000 to 14,110. An applicant outside Australia competes for the places that are not reserved for onshore applicants.

I live in India and my occupation is nursing, teaching or civil engineering. Am I behind onshore applicants?

Not under the current text. Direction 122 puts primary applicants in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources occupations in the first tier, set by occupation and not by location. Under Direction 119, offshore applicants in healthcare, teaching and construction ranked below onshore ones. Check the exact ANZSCO code, because the lists work by code and not by job title.

Do my partner and children get the same priority?

Yes, if they are on the same application. Both Directions give applications combined with a primary applicant's in a way the Migration Regulations permit the same priority as the primary applicant.

Does a processing priority change my points, occupation list or eligibility?

No. Direction 122 says it does not change the skilled occupation lists and that applicants must still meet the requirements in the Act and Regulations. It only sets the order in which Home Affairs considers applications.

Have the 2026-27 state nomination allocations been published?

Not on the Home Affairs allocations page when we checked on 6 November 2026. The page, last updated on 21 September 2026, still lists 12,850 for the 190 and 7,500 for the 491 in 2025-26, a total of 20,350. Check it and your state's migration website before you plan around a nomination.