Australia Skilled Visa Processing Priorities 2026: Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 Explained

Australia's Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, signed Ministerial Direction 121 (MD 121) and Ministerial Direction 122 (MD 122) on 18 September 2026, and both took effect on 19 September 2026, replacing Direction 119, which had only applied since 25 July. Under the new order, applications in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, and law enforcement or defence occupations come first. After that, applicants who were in Australia when they applied are processed ahead of those outside Australia, and offshore applicants who lodged on their own come before offshore applications that include family members, which now sit at the very end of the queue.

A ministerial direction changes who is processed first, not who is eligible. Occupation lists, points, English and sponsorship requirements are unchanged. But the order matters a great deal for waiting times: according to figures Home Affairs published in early November 2026, priority-sector Skills in Demand (subclass 482) applications are up to June 2026 lodgements, while general offshore 482 applications are still at October 2025 lodgements.

This guide is based on the Home Affairs "Skilled visa processing priorities" page and the text of Directions 119, 121 and 122. It covers which visas are affected, each priority tier, what changed from the previous Direction, current processing months for each visa, and what international applicants should do. Information is current as at 8 November 2026.

Table of contents

• 1. MD 121 and MD 122 at a glance
• 2. Timeline: MD 105, MD 119, then MD 121 and 122
• 3. MD 121: the five priority tiers for the 482 visa
• 4. MD 122: the four tiers for 186, 189, 190, 491, 494 and more
• 5. Which occupations count as priority sectors?
• 6. Where is each visa up to?
• 7. What it means for applications already lodged
• 8. Practical advice for international applicants
• Frequently asked questions

1. MD 121 and MD 122 at a glance

Note that the subclass 407 Training visa is not listed in either Direction, and subclass 858 Global Talent and National Innovation visas are covered separately by Direction 120.

2. Timeline: MD 105, MD 119, then MD 121 and 122

Skilled processing priorities have changed twice in 2026, and online reports often mix the two changes up:

1. MD 105 (dated 14 December 2023): the previous framework, revoked by MD 119 in July 2026.
2. MD 119 (signed 24 July 2026, in effect 25 July 2026): covered both employer nominations and visa applications. Onshore law enforcement and defence applicants came first, then offshore law enforcement and defence applicants, followed by onshore healthcare, teaching and construction applicants, then all other onshore applicants, with all remaining offshore applications last. It contained no separate priority for regional employers or accredited sponsors.
3. MD 121 and MD 122 (signed 18 September 2026, in effect 19 September 2026): replaced all processing priorities under MD 119, split into temporary and provisional/permanent Directions.

Compared with MD 119, there are three major changes. The priority sectors are wider, adding agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, and the construction and teaching definitions also gained a few occupations (such as engineering managers and faculty heads). Priority sectors no longer depend on being in Australia, so an offshore nurse or electrician now sits in the top tier. And 482 Specialist Skills stream applications have their own second tier. MD 121 and 122 also only address visa applications, not employer nominations; as at 8 November 2026, Home Affairs has not stated whether nominations are ordered separately.

3. MD 121: the five priority tiers for the 482 visa

1. Primary applicants in a construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing or resources occupation, or an occupation related to Australia's law enforcement or defence interests.
2. Applications in the 482 Specialist Skills stream.
3. All other primary applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
4. Primary applicants who were outside Australia when they applied and whose application has never been combined with another person's.
5. All other applications, which in practice means offshore applications that include family members.

Family members included in a combined application share the primary applicant's tier. So an offshore Core Skills stream applicant outside the priority sectors lands in tier 4, or tier 5 if a partner or children are included.

4. MD 122: the four tiers for 186, 189, 190, 491, 494 and more

1. Primary applicants in a priority sector or a law enforcement or defence occupation.
2. All other primary applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
3. Offshore primary applicants whose application is not combined with anyone else's.
4. All other applications.

MD 122 has no Specialist Skills tier but otherwise follows the same logic. It covers the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, 187, 189 Skilled Independent, 190 Skilled Nominated, 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional), 489, 491 Skilled Work Regional, 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional, 887 and 888 visas.

5. Which occupations count as priority sectors?

The Directions define each sector using ANZSCO. Highlights are below; check the Direction text for the full lists.

Common occupations such as chefs, accountants, ICT professionals, marketing and hospitality managers are not among the occupations listed in the Directions. For these, lodging onshore is generally the main way to move up the queue (for the 482, the Specialist Skills stream also has its own tier 2).

6. Where is each visa up to?

Home Affairs publishes the lodgement month currently being processed for each tier (updated in early November 2026):

The 482 Specialist Skills stream is at July 2026 lodgements. For the 191 visa, onshore and offshore sole applications are at March 2026 and other offshore applications at January 2026. Home Affairs warns that while it transitions to the new priorities, published dates and timeframes may fluctuate and some may temporarily increase as applications are reprioritised.

7. What it means for applications already lodged

• Pending applications are included: both Directions apply to applications made but not finally determined before 19 September 2026.
• Location is fixed at lodgement: onshore or offshore is assessed at the time the application is made.
• No change to eligibility: a higher tier does not make approval more likely, and applications that clearly do not meet the criteria fall outside the ordering altogether.
• Exceptions: case officers must depart from the order where there are compelling circumstances, such as community safety or the continuity of essential religious, cultural or community services (MD 121 also lists Australia's international relations).
• Not covered: applications remitted by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) or where the ART substituted a new decision, and separate later applications by family members where the primary visa holder applied onshore.

8. Practical advice for international applicants

If you are already in Australia on a student, graduate or working holiday visa and have an employer willing to sponsor you, lodging while you are onshore and still hold a valid visa puts you in the onshore tier. For the 482, general onshore applications are currently up to January 2026 lodgements and offshore ones to October 2025, a gap of about three lodgement months (not the same as actual waiting time). Check your current visa expiry and conditions, and make sure your employer's nomination can be ready in time.

If your occupation is in a priority sector, such as nursing, aged care, early childhood education, electrical trades or mining, you are in the top tier wherever you apply from. That applies equally to a mining engineer from South Africa or a nurse from Colombia; focus on getting your skills assessment, professional registration and English results ready.

If you are applying from overseas outside the priority sectors, expect a longer wait, and note that including family members in a combined application places you in the lowest tier. Get advice on your own situation before deciding how to lodge.

English: 189 and 190 applicants still need at least competent English. Only passport holders from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland are exempt; everyone else, including South African and Latin American applicants, needs a test result such as IELTS 6 in each band, or PTE Academic Listening 47, Reading 48, Writing 51 and Speaking 54 for tests taken from 7 August 2025.

Frequently asked questions

Q1: When did the new skilled visa processing priorities start?

Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 were signed on 18 September 2026 and took effect on 19 September 2026, replacing Direction 119, which took effect on 25 July 2026. They also apply to applications lodged earlier that had not yet been decided.

Q2: Does the Ministerial Direction affect whether I get the visa?

No. The Directions only set the order of processing and state that they do not change the skilled occupation lists. You must still meet every requirement of the Migration Act and Regulations, and a higher tier does not make approval more likely.

Q3: Which occupations get top priority?

Occupations in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, and occupations related to Australia's law enforcement or defence interests, such as nurses, aged carers, child care workers, electricians, carpenters and mining engineers. Chefs, accountants and ICT roles are not among the listed occupations.

Q4: How long will an offshore 482 application take?

According to Home Affairs figures from early November 2026, offshore 482 applications (sole or combined) are up to October 2025 lodgements, onshore general applications are up to January 2026 lodgements, and priority sectors are up to June 2026 lodgements. Home Affairs warns that timeframes may fluctuate during the transition.

Q5: Does my nationality affect my place in the queue?

No. The Directions do not distinguish by nationality. They look only at your occupation, whether you were in Australia when you applied, and whether an offshore application is combined with family members. Applicants from South Africa, Latin America or anywhere else follow the same order.

Q6: Do regional employers or accredited sponsors still get priority?

No. Neither MD 119 nor the current MD 121 and MD 122 include a priority category for regional employers or accredited sponsors. Regional visas such as the 491 and 494 are ordered by sector and location like the others.

Further reading

• SkillSelect 189 invitation round, October 2026
• Australian state nomination 2026–27: 190 and 491 by state
• Victoria 190/491 state nomination 2026–27

Disclaimer: This article is based on the Department of Home Affairs website (Skilled visa processing priorities, Ministerial Direction 121, Ministerial Direction 122, Ministerial Direction 119, Visa processing times, Competent English). It is general information only and does not constitute migration legal advice. Processing priorities and timeframes can change at any time; always refer to official announcements. A higher priority does not guarantee a visa grant. Information updated: 8 November 2026. Official sources accessed: 8 November 2026.