Skilled Visa Processing Priorities Introduced Under Ministerial Direction 122

Ministerial Direction 122 (MD122), which commenced on 19 September 2026, changes the order in which certain provisional and permanent skilled visa applications are considered and finalised.

MD122 replaces the permanent and provisional skilled visa processing priorities previously contained within Ministerial Direction 119. The Direction applies not only to new applications but also to unfinalised visa applications lodged before 19 September 2026., meaning applications already in the processing queue may be reprioritised under the new framework.

The key changes are expanded priority sectors, higher priority for many onshore applicants, removal of nominations from the framework and a new discretion for compelling circumstances.

Applicants for the following visa subclasses:

• Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme
• Subclass 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
• Subclass 189 Skilled Independent
• Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated
• Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)
• Subclass 489 Skilled Regional (Provisional)
• Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
• Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)
• Subclass 887 Skilled (Residence)
• Subclass 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent)

Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa applications are dealt with separately under Ministerial Direction 121.

Processing priority affects when an application is considered, not whether it meets the relevant visa criteria. Applications linked to priority sectors may move through the queue sooner, while other applications may continue to experience delays.

MD122 directs decision-makers on the order in which eligible visa applications are considered and finalised; it does not change visa criteria, program settings or occupation lists.

Priority 2

All other applications lodged by primary applicants who were in Australia at the time the application was made.

Priority 3

Applications lodged by primary applicants who were outside Australia at the time of application, where the application is not combined with another person’s application.

Priority 4

All remaining applications.

Where family members are included in a combined application, they will generally receive the same processing priority as the primary applicant.

There are several important changes.

Expanded Priority Industries:

Under MD119, priority processing focused primarily on healthcare, teaching and construction occupations.

MD122 expands priority processing to include:

• Agriculture
• Aquaculture
• Fishing
• Resources

This is likely to be welcomed by employers operating in regional Australia and the resources sector, who continue to experience persistent workforce shortages.

Although MD122 has now commenced, it is still early days.

As we have seen following the introduction of MD121, processing priorities can have a significant impact on where applications sit within the Department’s queue and may result in published processing times fluctuating while existing applications are reprioritised.

At present:

• We continue to see limited movement in some offshore permanent skilled visa applications.
• Processing times remain significant across many permanent residence pathways – about 18 to 20 months.
• Applications linked to priority sectors may benefit as resources are redirected under the new Direction.

We expect greater visibility on the practical impact of MD122 over the coming months as the Department works through existing application backlogs.

✅ MD122 commenced on 19 September 2026 and replaces the permanent and provisional skilled visa priority arrangements under MD119.

✅ Employers and applicants should review whether an occupation falls within a priority sector and allow for ongoing delays when planning recruitment, sponsorship and visa timelines.

✅ The Direction applies to undecided applications already on hand, not just new lodgements.

✅ The priority framework has expanded beyond construction, healthcare and teaching to include agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources.

✅ Law enforcement and defence-related occupations remain a top priority.

✅ Applicants who were in Australia at lodgement generally receive higher priority than offshore applicants outside the designated priority sectors.

✅ MD122 applies only to visa applications and no longer covers nominations.

✅ Planning ahead remains critical given ongoing processing delays across many skilled visa pathways.

MD122 may affect workforce planning by changing when skilled visa applications are considered, particularly where an applicant’s occupation, industry sector or location at lodgement determines their place in the processing queue.

For advice on how MD122 may affect your organisation, sponsored employees, future migration strategy, please contact the Mapien Migration team below.