The government has acted swiftly to realign skilled visa processing priorities with migration reforms announced by the Home Affairs Minister on 17 September 2026.
Ministerial Directions 121 and 122, signed on 18 September and in effect from 19 September, replace Ministerial Direction 119 and introduce a revised framework for prioritising skilled visa applications.
Applications that are already on hand are being reordered by the Department of Home Affairs in line with the new processing priorities.
A key change under these directions is the expansion of priority visa processing to the resources, agriculture, and fisheries sectors, alongside existing priority industries of defence, law enforcement, construction, healthcare, and teaching.
The new directions also remove a distinction that previously placed offshore applicants in construction, healthcare, and teaching at a lower processing priority.
Ministerial Direction 121 prioritises visa processing for Subclass 482 Temporary Employer Sponsored Visas only. Other skilled visas are prioritised under Ministerial Direction 122.
Interstaff provides an overview of each direction, including the prioritised occupations and key implications for employers and skilled visa applicants.
Ministerial Direction 121: Subclass 482 Visas
New priority processing order for Subclass 482 visas
-
- 482 Visa applicants with an eligible resources, construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, law enforcement and defence occupation, regardless of being onshore or offshore.
- 482 Visa – Specialist Skills Stream applicants, regardless of being onshore or offshore.
- All other onshore applicants for a 482 Visa (where the primary applicant was onshore at the time of application, and their application is not combined with another person’s application).
- All remaining applications.
Compared to the previous Ministerial Direction 119, the new direction reduces delays in accessing skilled talent for a wider range of critical sectors.
Several sectors are now grouped in a single highest-priority tier, with no separate processing distinction between onshore and offshore applicants.
Subclass 482 Visa Specialist Stream applicants are assigned a tier 2 priority, reflecting the stream’s intended design as a priority pathway within the 482 Skills in Demand Visa framework.
Ministerial Direction 122: Other Skilled Visas
Ministerial Direction 122 applies the below priority processing order to:
- Otheremployer-sponsored visas: Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme Visas (Permanent Residence), 494 Regional Visas and 187 Visas.
- Independent skilled and business visas: Subclass 189, 190, 191, 491, 887 and 888 Visas.
New priority order for other skilled visas
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- Applicants with an eligible resources, construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, law enforcement and defence occupation, regardless of being onshore or offshore.
- All other onshore applications.
- All other offshore applications (where the primary applicant was offshore at the time of application, and their application is not combined with another person’s application).
- All remaining applications.
Similar to the approach for Subclass 482 Visas, Ministerial Direction 122 assigns the highest priority to the same industries, with no distinction between onshore and offshore applicants.
Applications in tier 2 onwards are then prioritised by the applicant’s location at the time of visa application.
How Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 apply
Both Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 cover relevant skilled visa applications only, not company Nomination applications.
Exceptions to the processing order may apply for compelling circumstances, such as those affecting community safety, essential services, or Australia’s international relations.
The directions do not apply to:
- Some applications undergoing processes by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)
- Visa applications where it is clear that the visa criteria are not met
- Applications lodged separately by family unit members of a primary visa holder, where the primary visa holder was onshore at the time of lodgement.
Eligible occupations
Eligible occupations for each priority industry are specified in Ministerial Directions 121 and 122. They currently include the below occupations (as of 22 September 2026).
Resources sector
| Resources occupations prioritised | ANZSCO Reference |
|---|---|
| Mining Engineers | Unit Group 2336 |
| Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists | Unit Group 2344 |
| Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers | Unit Group 7122 |
| Production Manager (Mining) | 133513 |
| Surveyor | 232212 |
| Other Spatial Scientist | 232214 |
| Metallurgist | 234912 |
| Fitter (General) | 323211 |
| Fitter and Turner | 323213 |
| Fitter-Welder | 323213 |
| Metal Machinist (First Class) | 323214 |
| Metal Fitters and Machinists nec | 323299 |
Construction sector
| Construction occupations prioritised | ANZSCO Reference |
|---|---|
| Construction Trades Workers | Sub-Major Group 33 |
| Construction and Mining Labourers | Sub-Major Group 82 |
| Construction Managers | Unit Group 1331 |
| Engineering Managers* | Unit Group 1332 |
| Architects and Landscape Architects | Unit Group 2321 |
| Civil Engineering Professionals | Unit Group 2332 |
| Architectural, Building, and Surveying Technicians | Unit Group 3121 |
| Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians* | Unit Group 3122 |
| Safety Inspectors | Unit Group 3126 |
| Other Building and Engineering Technicians | Unit Group 3129 |
| Sheetmetal Workers | Unit Group 3222 |
| Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers | Unit Group 3223 |
| Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing Machine Operators | Unit Group 7111 |
| Crane, Hoist, and Lift Operators | Unit Group 7121 |
| Earthmoving Plant Operators | Unit Group 7212 |
| Electrician (General) | Occupation 341111 |
| Electrician (Special Class) | Occupation 341112 |
*New occupations added for priority processing under Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 that were not eligible for priority processing under the previous Ministerial Direction 119.
Healthcare sector
| Healthcare occupations prioritised | ANZSCO Reference |
|---|---|
| Health Professionals | Sub-Major Group 25 |
| Health and Welfare Support Workers | Minor Group 411 |
| Medical Scientists | Unit Group 2346 |
| Counsellors | Unit Group 2721 |
| Psychologists | Unit Group 2723 |
| Social Workers | Unit Group 2725 |
| Medical Technicians | Unit Group 3112 |
| Aged or Disabled Carer | Occupation 423111 |
| Nursing Support Worker | Occupation 423312 |
| Personal Care Assistant | Occupation 423313 |
Teaching sector
| Teaching occupations prioritised | ANZSCO Reference |
|---|---|
| School Teachers | Minor Group 241 |
| Child Care Centre Managers | Unit Group 1341 |
| School Principal | Occupation 134311 |
| Vocational Education Teacher (AUS) / Polytechnic Teacher (NZ) | Occupation 242211 |
| Child Care Worker | Occupation 421111 |
| University Lecturer | Occupation 242111 |
| Faculty Head* | Occupation 134411 |
*New occupation added for priority processing under Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 that were not eligible for priority processing under the previous Ministerial Direction 119.
Law enforcement sector
| Law enforcement occupation prioritised | ANZSCO Reference |
|---|---|
| Police* | Unit Group 4413 |
*Nominated or sponsored by the Australian Federal Police or state/territory police forces.
Defence sector
Rather than specifying occupations for Defence as per the previous Ministerial Direction 119, the new Ministerial Direction 121 assigns priority processing more broadly to occupations supporting AUKUS, or one sponsored or endorsed by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) or Department of Defence, including roles performed at defence facilities or supporting defence-related technology.
Agriculture, aquaculture and fishing sectors
Ministerial Direction 121 also assigns priority processing more broadly for these sectors.
Prioritised occupations are directly involved in or supporting the production, harvesting, processing or support of agricultural, aquaculture or fishing activities, including crop production, livestock, poultry and seafood operations.
Sustainable people strategy: Global talent
The changes reinforce the government’s shift towards a more targeted skilled migration program and response to business concerns that previous processing priorities were delaying access to critical skills.
We expect the expansion of priority industries and removal of onshore/offshore distinctions for priority sectors will benefit a broader range of employers and skilled visa applicants, including businesses that relied on regional locations or accredited sponsor status to obtain priority processing in previous years.
For skilled visa applications in occupations outside the priority industry categories, onshore applicants will continue to receive processing priority over offshore applicants.
This may encourage employers to place greater emphasis on engaging visa holders already in Australia, including temporary visa holders seeking to change employers, individuals transitioning to new visa pathways, and existing sponsored employees eligible for permanent residence.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
