Australia’s permanent migration program stays at 185,000 places for 2026-27, but only 55,110 of those remain for applicants outside the country, while the federal government plans to cut net migration to 225,000 a year by 2028.
In short
- One Nation is proposing a temporary negative net migration flow for 3 years — this is an election proposal, not law.
- Australia keeps its permanent program at 185,000 places for 2026-27, but only 55,110 of those remain for applicants outside the country.
- Canada is cutting its 2026 residency plan to 380,000 people amid 6.5% unemployment.
- The US employment-based immigration cap for 2026 is just 186,000 people, even though green cards overall go to more than a million.
- The UK plans to double its naturalization period from 5 to 10 years, while its net migration has already dropped almost ninefold in two years.
What the One Nation Party Is Proposing on Immigration to Australia
The One Nation Party has proposed a three-year period of negative net migration — a scenario where more people leave the country than arrive. To achieve this, the party proposes cutting the flow of international students by 66% and reducing the number of graduate visas (subclass 485) by 85%.
The party also proposes cutting the number of work visas and introducing a temporary immigration ban from a number of developing countries, including Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Undocumented migrants would be given 3 months to leave the country voluntarily before legal measures are applied to them. After this transition period, the party proposes fixing net migration at 130,000 people a year.
Undocumented migrants would be given 3 months to leave the country voluntarily before legal measures are applied to them.
So far this is only a political proposal, not current policy: for it to become law, One Nation would need to win an election. That said, similar ideas are also coming from the opposition coalition, which argues that student or work visas should be issued only to the applicant, without the right to bring family members along.
What One Nation Is Proposing
| Measure | Parameter |
|---|---|
| Negative net migration | for 3 years |
| Cut in international student intake | by 66% |
| Cut in graduate visas (subclass 485) | by 85% |
| Voluntary departure window for undocumented migrants | 3 months |
| Target net migration level after transition | 130,000 people a year |
One Nation proposes three years of negative net migration, a 66% cut to student visas and an 85% cut to subclass 485 visas. This is only an election platform — it becomes policy only if the party wins.
Australia’s Actual Quotas for 2026-27
Negative net migration has happened in Australian history only four times — during the depressions of the 1890s and 1930s, and during the two World Wars. No Australian government has ever deliberately pursued a net outflow of population — the One Nation scenario described above is not a typical trajectory for the country.
The current federal government is taking a different route: it plans to cut net migration to 225,000 people a year by 2028 — the year of the next election. The flow is already noticeably slowing. In 2024-25, 568,000 people arrived in Australia, 263,000 left, and net migration came to 306,000. Earlier estimates for the same period put net migration at around 301,000, but the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirm the final number at 306,000. For comparison, right after borders reopened post-COVID, the figure reached 556,000. This means the country isn’t closing its doors, but the rapid post-COVID surge is over.
The Permanent Migration Program for 2026-27 stays at 185,000 places. Of those, 132,000 — almost 70% — go to skilled migration.
Within that quota, a key priority emerges: the government plans to allocate 129,500 places to migrants who are already in Australia. That leaves just 55,110 places for applicants outside the country. Priority in selection goes to highly skilled specialists the Australian economy needs.
So Australia keeps accepting migrants, but is becoming more selective: those not yet in the country get places primarily based on occupation and qualifications.
Australia’s Permanent Migration Program for 2026-27
Of the 185,000 places, almost 70% goes to skilled migration, and most places go to those already in the country.
- Total places in the program185,000
- Skilled migration132,000
- Places for those already in Australia129,500
- Places for applicants outside the country55,110
Of the 185,000 places in the 2026-27 permanent program, 129,500 go to people already in Australia. That leaves only 55,110 places for applicants outside the country.
Immigration to Canada: the 2026 Plan and the Labor Market
In 2025, 393,500 people obtained permanent residence in Canada. For 2026, the plan has been cut to 380,000. In addition, the country plans to admit 385,000 new temporary residents — 230,000 workers and only 155,000 international students.
Another 33,000 people already working in Canada on temporary visas may be fast-tracked to permanent residence in 2026-27.
The cut in temporary migration in Canada comes against a weak labor market: unemployment sits at 6.5%, and in August employment fell by 42,000 people. The old route of entering through study or work and later obtaining residence is becoming less predictable — quotas for students and temporary workers are dropping at the same time unemployment is rising. Canada remains a workable option for gaining residence, but it’s no longer the predictable pathway it used to be.
Unemployment in Canada sits at 6.5%, while quotas for students and temporary workers for 2026 are being cut at the same time — the old predictable route through study and work is breaking down.
The US Employment-Based Immigration Cap for 2026
The US granted green cards to more than a million people over the last reporting period — but that figure is misleading. It covers various migration categories, including people already in the country under other statuses. For skilled, employment-based migration, the system is far tighter: in 2026, the employment based preference immigration cap is just 186,000 people. Additional per-country limits shrink the available quota even further for applicants from densely populated nations.
The US remains a large market with high salaries, but also high costs — healthcare above all. The path to permanent resident status for an average professional here is noticeably harder and longer than in Australia.
The UK: A Sharp Drop in Migration and a Longer Path to Naturalization
In 2025, 813,000 people arrived in the UK and 642,000 left — net migration came to 171,000. A year earlier, in 2024, the country took in more than a million migrants, and at the 2023 peak, annual migration reached 1.5 million people. Over two years, the figure has dropped almost ninefold.
Beyond cutting the inflow, the British government plans to tighten conditions for those already in the country: the naturalization period is set to double — from the current 5 years to 10 years. That means the path to British citizenship for new applicants will stretch out over a decade.
the naturalization period is set to double — from the current 5 years to 10 years
Naturalization Period in the UK
The government plans to double the path to citizenship.
- Naturalization period
New Zealand: Three Immigration Streams and an Outflow of Its Own Citizens
Over the year, 134,500 migrants arrived in New Zealand and 114,000 left — a net population gain of just over 20,000 people. At the same time, the country recorded a net outflow of more than 38,000 of its own citizens, offset by the inflow of foreigners.
As of this year, New Zealand runs three immigration streams. In practice, moving there comes down to two paths: through study, where a candidate looks for an employer during or after their studies, or through a remote employer who invites a candidate to come work in the country. There’s no equivalent of Australia’s skilled migration stream in New Zealand — moving there from abroad is harder.
The labor market is smaller than Australia’s: the country’s population is just over 5 million, and unemployment exceeds 5.5%. The economic situation is weaker than in Australia: income levels are lower, the New Zealand dollar is cheaper, and the cost of living in some cities is higher than in Sydney. That’s why New Zealand is usually considered by those who no longer qualify for Australia by age.
Wealth Levels: Australia, the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand According to UBS
The UBS Global Wealth Report 2026 ranks countries on two measures: average wealth per adult and median wealth — the wealth of a person sitting exactly in the middle of the distribution. The difference between the two matters: a small group of very wealthy people can push the average sharply upward, while the median shows how wealth is actually distributed.
By the average measure, the US ranks second among all markets — $696,000 per adult. Australia is fifth with $616,000, New Zealand eighth at $445,000, Canada thirteenth at $400,000, and the UK twenty-first at $290,000.
The picture changes when looking at the median: here Australia ranks third at $211,000, New Zealand fourth at $206,000, Canada at $148,000, and the UK at $125,000. The US, despite having the highest average, has a median of just $67,000 — a third of Australia’s figure.
| Country | Rank by average | Average, $ | Rank by median | Median, $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 2 | 696,000 | — | 67,000 |
| Australia | 5 | 616,000 | 3 | 211,000 |
| New Zealand | 8 | 445,000 | 4 | 206,000 |
| Canada | 13 | 400,000 | — | 148,000 |
| UK | 21 | 290,000 | — | 125,000 |
The gap between the average and median figures in the US shows that wealth there is concentrated among a narrow group rather than spread evenly. This doesn’t prove Australia is the best country to live in, but it does show a more even distribution of wealth among its residents.
Wealth Levels According to UBS Global Wealth Report 2026
Table scrolls sideways
| Country | US | Australia | New Zealand | Canada | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank by average wealth | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 21 |
| Average wealth per adult, $ | 696,000 | 616,000 | 445,000 | 400,000 | 290,000 |
| Rank by median | — | 3 | 4 | — | — |
| Median wealth, $ | 67,000 | 211,000 | 206,000 | 148,000 | 125,000 |
The gap between the average and median in the US shows that wealth is concentrated among a narrow group of people.
Which Ways into Australia Still Work in 2026
The era of moving to Australia without a pre-arranged status and figuring out a way to stay once you’re already there is ending. English courses, short vocational programs, TAFE, and a tourist visa followed by an on-the-ground job search — these routes no longer work.
The era of moving to Australia without a pre-arranged status and figuring out a way to stay once you’re already there is ending.
Even the familiar skilled migration route has weakened: an applicant can get their qualifications verified, pass the English test at the minimum required score, submit an application — and then simply wait for the documents to expire, with no guarantee a quota place will even be available.
What still works:
- finding an employer on your own — especially in construction, mining and engineering;
- aged care work — this niche is less restricted than healthcare and education, which are practically closed markets for foreigners;
- research master’s and PhD programs — these grant full work rights and substantial tuition discounts, and for a genuinely unique research project, a full grant and free schooling for children in some states’ public schools are possible.
After finishing a research master’s, applicants can move on to a PhD, and after the PhD, apply for the National Innovation Visa (formerly the Global Talent visa) — considered one of Australia’s best visas.
A research master’s and PhD grant full work rights, tuition discounts, and sometimes a grant. After the PhD, the path to the National Innovation Visa opens up.
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