As of 25 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 119 sets the new order in which the Department of Home Affairs processes skilled visa nominations and applications. It replaces Ministerial Direction 105 entirely, and it applies to all applications currently on hand, not just new lodgements. If you have a skilled visa application in progress, this direction already affects your place in the queue.
What Changes Under Direction 119
Two factors now determine where your application sits in the processing order: your occupation and your location at the time you lodge. Being onshore in Australia when you apply gives you a meaningful processing advantage over offshore applicants in the same occupation category. That is the most significant structural shift from the previous direction.
One additional change worth noting: the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is now expressly included within the priority framework for the first time. It was not covered under Ministerial Direction 105.
The Priority Groups
Direction 119 organises applications into the following tiers, processed in this order:
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Law enforcement and defence, onshore applicants. Applications tied to occupations supporting Australia's law enforcement or defence interests, where the applicant is already in Australia at the time of lodgement. This group receives the highest processing priority.
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Law enforcement and defence, offshore applicants. The same occupation category, where the applicant is located outside Australia at the time of lodgement.
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Healthcare, teaching, and construction, onshore applicants. Applications in occupations across healthcare, teaching, and construction, where the applicant is already in Australia. Construction is specifically recognised in connection with Australia's housing and infrastructure objectives.
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All other skilled visa applications, onshore applicants. Applications that do not fall into the priority occupation categories, where the applicant is in Australia.
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All other skilled visa applications, offshore applicants. Applications outside the priority occupation categories, where the applicant is outside Australia.Â
Which occupations receive priority?
Healthcare occupations The healthcare category includes a wide range of occupations, including:
- Health Professionals
- Medical Scientists
- Medical Technicians
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Counsellors
- Aged or Disabled Carers
- Nursing Support Workers
- Personal Care Assistants
These occupations continue to be recognised as critical to Australia’s healthcare system and workforce requirements.
Teaching occupations The teaching category includes:
- School Teachers
- School Principals
- Child Care Centre Managers
- Child Care Workers
- Vocational Education Teachers
- University Lecturers
The inclusion of these occupations reflects ongoing workforce demand across the education and childcare sectors.
Construction occupations The construction category includes a broad range of occupations, including:
- Construction Managers
- Architects
- Civil Engineers
- Building and Surveying Technicians
- Safety Inspectors
- Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers
- Sheetmetal Workers
- Earthmoving Plant Operators
- Crane Operators
- Electricians
Ministerial Direction 119 specifically identifies construction occupations as a priority area supporting Australia’s housing and infrastructure needs.
Which Visas Are Covered
Ministerial Direction 119 applies across a range of employer-sponsored, skilled, and regional visa programs, including:
- 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 482 Skills in Demand
- Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (legacy applications)
- Subclass 489 Skilled Regional (Provisional)
- Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)
- Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional
- Subclass 887 Skilled Regional
- Subclass 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent)
Ministerial Direction 120, which also came into effect on 25 July 2026, separately governs processing priorities for the National Innovation (subclass 858), Global Talent and Distinguished Talent visa applications.
What This Means in Practice
Priority processing does not change the legal criteria for visa approval, you still need to meet every eligibility requirement for your visa subclass. What it changes is the order in which the Department turns its attention to your file.
For employers, the occupation you nominate and whether your candidate is already in Australia will increasingly determine how long a sponsorship takes to process. Onshore candidates in healthcare, teaching, construction, or law enforcement and defence roles are likely to move fastest under the new framework.
For individual applicants, if you are offshore and your occupation does not fall into a priority category, you are now sitting in the lowest processing tier.
Recap
Ministerial Direction 119 took effect on 25 July 2026 and replaces Ministerial Direction 105. Processing priority is now determined by occupation category and whether the applicant is in Australia at the time of lodgement. Onshore applicants receive higher priority than offshore applicants across all occupation tiers. The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is included in this framework for the first time. If your application was already on hand when the direction came into effect, your queue position may have already shifted.
