Published: 10.09.2026
From 25 July 2026, family visa applications receive higher priority when the applicant is in Australia and the relevant visa can be granted onshore. For the 2026–27 financial year, the parent visa allocation was reduced from 8,500 to 7,060 places, while the overall family migration program is set at 52,460 places.
The change primarily affects processing priority rather than removing visa requirements, quotas or the queue system. Parent visa applicants who are in Australia and can be granted the relevant visa onshore receive higher priority than some other applicants. At the same time, the lower parent visa allocation makes category selection and queue position more consequential, while 41,500 places are allocated to partner visas. Families planning reunification with parents or an onshore family visa application should therefore pay close attention to the new priority order.