From 19 September 2026, Ministerial Directions No. 121 and No. 122 have replaced the skilled visa processing priorities previously set out in Ministerial Direction No. 119, which was introduced in July 2026.
The Directions change only the order in which applications are considered and decided. They do not change who is eligible for a visa or which occupations sit on the skilled occupation lists. In a program where processing capacity is finite, that order can be the difference between a role being filled in a matter of weeks rather than months.
Key changes at a glance
- The priorities are now set across two Directions: Direction 121 for the temporary program (Subclass 482) and Direction 122 for the provisional and permanent skilled visas.
- Applications in defined priority-sector occupations receive the highest processing priority whether the applicant is onshore or offshore at the time of lodgement.
- Within the Subclass 482 program, Specialist Skills stream applications are prioritised immediately after the priority-sector cohort.
- The new priorities apply both to applications lodged before 19 September 2026 that have not yet been finally decided, and to applications lodged on or after that date.
- These Directions change when an application is considered, not whether an applicant meets the visa requirements. A higher processing priority does not create a new pathway to a visa, and being in a priority category does not guarantee approval or a decision within any particular timeframe.
Who is affected?
These changes are relevant to:
- Applicants for temporary skilled work visas (Subclass 482), including the Specialist Skills stream
- Applicants for permanent and provisional skilled visas, being the employer-sponsored (Subclass 186, 187 and 494), points-tested (Subclass 189, 190 and 491) and other skilled residence visas (Subclass 191, 489, 887 and 888)
- Employers and sponsors of skilled workers
- Anyone who already has a skilled visa application lodged and awaiting a decision
- Employers and applicants connected with construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources and other priority areas
What happens to applications already lodged?
The new priorities are not limited to fresh lodgements. They apply both to applications made on or after 19 September 2026 and to applications made before that date that have not yet been finally decided. Applications already in the Department’s queue are therefore re-ordered under the new framework rather than the priorities that applied when they were lodged, so an application’s position may have shifted up or down from 19 September 2026 depending on the occupation and the applicant’s location at lodgement.
Temporary skilled visas (Subclass 482): what is the processing priority order?
Under Direction 121, applications are considered and decided in the following order, from highest to lowest priority.
Priority | Who it applies to |
1 | Primary applicant whose nominated occupation is in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing or resources, or an occupation related to Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests, whether onshore or offshore |
2 | Skills in Demand applications in the Specialist Skills stream |
3 | Other applications where the primary applicant is in Australia at the time of lodgement |
4 | Primary applicant who is offshore at the time of lodgement and applying on their own, whose application is not combined with anyone else’s at any time |
5 | All other applications |
Permanent and provisional skilled visas: what is the processing priority order?
Direction 122 applies to the Subclass 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 489, 491, 494, 887 and 888. Applications are considered and decided in the following order, from highest to lowest priority.
Priority | Who it applies to |
1 | Primary applicant whose nominated occupation is in a priority sector (the same sectors listed above), whether onshore or offshore |
2 | Other applications where the primary applicant is in Australia at the time of lodgement |
3 | Primary applicant who is offshore at the time of lodgement and applying on their own, whose application is not combined with anyone else’s at any time |
| 4 | All other applications |
Which occupations receive priority?
Whether an application qualifies for priority processing is determined by the specific occupation nominated, not simply by the industry in which the employer operates. The Directions define each sector as set out below, and within each sector the listed occupations are treated as being of equal priority.
Construction
- Sub-Major Group 33 (Construction Trades Workers) and Sub-Major Group 82 (Construction and Mining Labourers)
- Unit Group 1331 (Construction Managers) and 1332 (Engineering Managers)
- Unit Group 2321 (Architects and Landscape Architects) and 2332 (Civil Engineering Professionals)
- Unit Group 3121 (Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians), 3122 (Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians), 3126 (Safety Inspectors) and 3129 (Other Building and Engineering Technicians)
- Unit Group 3222 (Sheetmetal Workers) and 3223 (Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers)
- Unit Group 7111 (Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing Machine Operators), 7121 (Crane, Hoist and Lift Operators) and 7212 (Earthmoving Plant Operators)
- Electrician (General) 341111 and Electrician (Special Class) 341112
Healthcare
- Sub-Major Group 25 (Health Professionals)
- Minor Group 411 (Health and Welfare Support Workers)
- Unit Group 2346 (Medical Scientists), 2721 (Counsellors), 2723 (Psychologists), 2725 (Social Workers) and 3112 (Medical Technicians)
- Aged or Disabled Carer 423111, Nursing Support Worker 423312 and Personal Care Assistant 423313
Teaching
- Minor Group 241 (School Teachers)
- Unit Group 1341 (Child Care Centre Managers)
- School Principal 134311, Faculty Head 134411, University Lecturer 242111, Vocational Education Teacher (AUS) / Polytechnic Teacher (NZ) 242211 and Child Care Worker 421111
Resources
An occupation where the nominated position directly supports the exploration, extraction and production of minerals, oil and gas, or coal resources, including mine closure, decommissioning and rehabilitation. This includes:
- Unit Group 2336 (Mining Engineers), 2344 (Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists) and 7122 (Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers)
- Production Manager (Mining) 133513, Surveyor 232212, Other Spatial Scientist 232214 and Metallurgist 234912
- Fitter (General) 323211, Fitter and Turner 323212, Fitter-Welder 323213, Metal Machinist (First Class) 323214 and Metal Fitters and Machinists nec 323299
Agriculture, aquaculture or fishing
This sector is defined by the nature of the work rather than by ANZSCO code. It covers an occupation where the nominated position is directly involved in primary produce production or supporting productivity, including:
- the cultivation, production or harvesting of crops
- the capture (fishing), breeding, raising, management or production of livestock, poultry, seafood or other primary agricultural products
- agricultural production support activities, including animal health, irrigation, quality assurance, inspection or farm supervision
- the slaughter, dressing, boning, slicing, processing, preparation or inspection of livestock, poultry, seafood or other primary agricultural products for sale, distribution or consumption
Australia's law enforcement interests
An occupation in Unit Group 4413 (Police) where the applicant is nominated or sponsored by the Australian Federal Police or a state or territory police force.
Australia's defence interests
An occupation that supports the delivery of AUKUS Pillar I (conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines) or Pillar II (advanced capability development), or one where the applicant is nominated or sponsored by, or holds a letter of support from, the Australian Defence Force or the Department of Defence, and either will ordinarily be undertaken at a defence facility or supports the production or supply of defence-related materiel or technology.
What other rules affect the processing order?
Family and combined applications
Where an application is combined with a primary applicant’s application in a way permitted by the Migration Regulations 1994, it takes the same priority as the primary applicant’s application. A family applying together therefore moves through processing as a single cohort at the primary applicant’s level.
Capped permanent visa classes
Where a permanent visa class is subject to an annual planning limit (a section 85 cap), Direction 122 confirms that affected applications are still considered in the same priority order, unless an exception applies.
Exceptions
A decision-maker may depart from the standard order where an application involves compelling circumstances, such as those affecting community safety or the continuity of essential religious, cultural or community services in Australia. For the temporary program under Direction 121, this also extends to circumstances affecting Australia’s international relations. These are discretionary exceptions considered case by case.
Key takeaways
From 19 September 2026, where a skilled visa application sits in the processing queue depends on:
- the occupation nominated, with priority-sector occupations processed first;
- the applicant’s location at lodgement, which sets the order for occupations outside the priority sectors; and
- for the Subclass 482, whether the application is in the Specialist Skills stream.
The changes affect the order of processing only, not eligibility, and apply to applications already awaiting a decision as well as to new ones.
Other changes still in force
Directions 121 and 122 apply to the skilled visa program only. Separate priority changes made in July 2026 remain in force for other visa types, including the National Innovation (Subclass 858) visa and the family visa program. We set these out in our earlier article, Australia’s new visa processing priorities (July 2026).
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