The Australian Government has introduced three new Ministerial Directions that took effect on July 25, 2026, reshaping visa processing priorities across key migration programs. The changes are designed to support the government’s policy of prioritizing applicants already in Australia and reducing net overseas migration.
The most significant update for employers and skilled migrants is the introduction of Ministerial Direction 119, which establishes a new hierarchy for processing skilled visa nominations and applications based on both the applicant’s occupation and whether the applicant is located in Australia at the time of application.
New Skilled Visa Processing Priorities
Under Ministerial Direction 119, applications are no longer prioritized solely by occupation or workforce need. The location of the applicant now plays a major role in determining processing priority.
The new order of priority is:
- Priority 1: Applications supporting Australia’s law enforcement or defense interests where the applicant is already in Australia.
- Priority 2: Applications supporting Australia’s law enforcement or defense interests where the applicant is outside Australia.
- Priority 3: Applications for construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations where the applicant is already in Australia.
- Priority 4: All other skilled nomination and visa applications where the applicant is already in Australia.
- Priority 5: All other skilled nomination and visa applications where the applicant is outside Australia.
Shift Toward Onshore Migration
A key feature of the new direction is the government’s clear preference for applicants who are already living and working in Australia.
While priority occupations such as healthcare, teaching, and construction remain important, onshore applicants will generally receive faster processing than offshore applicants within the same broad category.
The changes align with the government’s broader migration strategy of supporting workforce needs while managing migration levels through a stronger focus on existing temporary residents already in Australia.
Which Visa Categories Are Affected?
Ministerial Direction 119 applies to a wide range of employer-sponsored, skilled, and regional visa programs, including:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187)
- Skilled Independent (subclass 189)
- Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)
- Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191)
- Skills in Demand (subclass 482)
- Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482)
- Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 489)
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494)
- Skilled Regional (subclass 887)
- Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888)
Importantly, the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is now expressly included within the priority framework. The subclass 482 program was not previously covered under Ministerial Direction 105.
Ministerial Direction 105 Replaced
Effective July 25, 2026, Ministerial Direction 119 replaces the processing priorities that previously existed under Ministerial Direction 105.
The new direction applies not only to future filings but also to applications that were already on hand when the direction came into effect.
As a result, some pending applications may experience changes in processing order depending on the applicant’s location and occupation category.
Other New Ministerial Directions
The government also announced additional directions affecting other migration streams.
Ministerial Direction 120
Ministerial Direction 120 governs processing priorities for:
- National Innovation Visa (subclass 858)
- Global Talent visa applications
- Distinguished Talent visa applications
The direction took effect on July 25, 2026.
Ministerial Direction 114
Ministerial Direction 114 remains in effect for:
- Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188)
- Business Talent (subclass 132)
These programs are closed to new applicants but continue to have pending cases requiring processing.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
The new framework may offer advantages for employers sponsoring workers who are already in Australia, particularly in sectors identified as national priorities.
Employers in construction, healthcare, education, defense-related industries, and law enforcement support sectors may benefit from higher placement in the processing queue.
For offshore applicants, especially those outside priority occupations, processing timelines could become comparatively longer as the government increasingly allocates resources toward onshore applications.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.