On 19 September 2026, two new Ministerial Directions — Direction 121 and Direction 122 — took effect, replacing Direction 119. They tell the Department of Home Affairs the order in which skilled visa applications should be processed. They apply to new applications and to applications already lodged but not yet decided.
Processing priority does not change whether you are eligible for a visa. It changes how quickly your application is likely to be looked at.
Priority sectors come first
Applications for occupations in identified priority sectors move to the front of the queue. These include:
- Healthcare
- Teaching
- Construction (including certain engineering roles)
- Resources
- Agriculture, aquaculture and fishing
- Defence and law enforcement
Importantly, for the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, applicants in these priority occupations receive the same priority whether they are in Australia or overseas.
How the rest of the queue is ordered
Direction 121 covers the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and sets five priority groups:
- Priority-sector occupations (onshore and offshore treated equally)
- Specialist Skills stream applications (salary of AUD 146,576 or more)
- Other applicants who were in Australia when they applied
- Offshore applicants with no family members included
- All other applications
Direction 122 covers permanent and regional employer-sponsored visas such as Subclass 186 and 494, along with certain other skilled visas, and uses four groups: priority-sector occupations, then other onshore applicants, then offshore applicants without family members, then everyone else.
- If you work in a priority sector — nurses, doctors, teachers, construction engineers and similar roles — you sit in the top group even while applying from Kuwait.
- If your occupation is outside the priority sectors, applying from overseas with family members on your application places you in the lowest group, so plan for longer waits.
- Do not remove family members just to move up the queue without advice. Adding family later can bring extra cost and complications. We can help you weigh the options.
For typical timelines by visa subclass, see our visa processing times page.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Ministerial Directions 121 and 122. Information is current as at 26 September 2026. This article is general information only and is not migration advice for your individual circumstances.