From 19 September 2026, Ministerial Direction 122 officially introduced a new processing priority framework for certain temporary and permanent skilled visas in Australia.
Direction 122 determines which applications are considered first, but it does not change visa eligibility requirements, skilled occupation lists, Migration Program allocations, or the criteria for visa grant.
Ministerial Direction 122 applies to applications under the following visa subclasses:
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa – Subclass 186
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa – Subclass 187
- Skilled Independent visa – Subclass 189
- Skilled Nominated visa – Subclass 190
- Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa – Subclass 191
- Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa – Subclass 489
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – Subclass 491
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa – Subclass 494
- Skilled Regional visa – Subclass 887
- Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa – Subclass 888
Subclass 482 visa applications and Subclass 482 nomination applications are not covered by Ministerial Direction 122.
Processing Priority Order Under Ministerial Direction 122
Visa applications covered by Ministerial Direction 122 are processed under four priority groups, from highest to lowest.
Specifically, Priority 1 applies to applications from primary applicants working in designated priority sectors. Priority 2 applies to applications from other primary applicants who were in Australia at the time of lodgement but do not fall within Priority 1. Priority 3 applies to primary applicants who were outside Australia at the time of lodgement and whose applications were lodged independently and not combined with another person’s application. Finally, Priority 4 applies to all remaining applications that do not fall within the three groups above.
In simple terms, applications in a higher-priority group will be considered first. However, this does not mean the application is guaranteed to be approved or that a decision will be made immediately. Actual processing times will still depend on the visa subclass, the completeness of the application, and other relevant factors.
Which Sectors Receive the Highest Priority?
Occupations in the following sectors receive the highest processing priority:
- Construction
- Healthcare
- Teaching
- Agriculture
- Aquaculture
- Fishing
- Resources
- Law enforcement
- Defence
This means that primary applicants who fall within the relevant priority occupation or sector requirements will be placed in Priority 1, regardless of whether they were onshore or offshore at the time of lodgement.
Priority Construction Occupations
Priority construction occupations cover a broad range of roles across direct construction work, design, engineering and construction management, including:
- ANZSCO Sub-Major Group 33 - Construction Trades Workers
- ANZSCO Sub-Major Group 82 - Construction and Mining Labourers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 1331 - Construction Managers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 1332 - Engineering Managers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2321 - Architects and Landscape Architects
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2332 - Civil Engineering Professionals
- ANZSCO Unit Group 3121 - Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians
- ANZSCO Unit Group 3122 - Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians
- ANZSCO Unit Group 3126 - Safety Inspectors
- ANZSCO Unit Group 3129 - Other Building and Engineering Technicians
- ANZSCO Unit Group 3222 - Sheetmetal Workers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 3223 - Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 7111 - Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing Machine Operators
- ANZSCO Unit Group 7121 - Crane, Hoist and Lift Operators
- ANZSCO Unit Group 7212 - Earthmoving Plant Operators
- ANZSCO 341111 – Electrician (General)
- ANZSCO 341112 – Electrician (Special Class)
Priority Healthcare Occupations
Priority healthcare occupations include a broad range of roles across healthcare, care support and social welfare, including:
- ANZSCO Sub-Major Group 25 - Health Professionals
- ANZSCO Minor Group 411 - Health and Welfare Support Workers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2346 - Medical Scientists
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2721 - Counsellors
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2723 - Psychologists
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2725 - Social Workers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 3112 - Medical Technicians
- ANZSCO 423311 – Aged or Disabled Carer
- ANZSCO 423312 – Nursing Support Worker
- ANZSCO 423313 – Personal Care Assistant
Priority Teaching Occupations
In addition to healthcare, the priority list also includes occupations in education, ranging from early childhood care to teaching and education management, including:
- ANZSCO Minor Group 241 - School Teachers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 1341 - Child Care Centre Managers
- ANZSCO 134311 – School Principal
- ANZSCO 134411 – Faculty Head
- ANZSCO 242111 – University Lecturer
- ANZSCO 242211 – Vocational Education Teacher
- ANZSCO 421111 – Child Care Worker
All occupations listed within this category receive the same level of processing priority.
Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fishing
In agriculture, aquaculture and fishing, priority applies to positions directly involved in or supporting activities such as:
- Crop cultivation, production and harvesting
- Livestock and poultry production
- Fishing and seafood production
- Animal health and irrigation
- Quality assurance and inspection
- Farm supervision
- Processing primary products for sale or consumption
The key requirement is that the work must have a direct connection to production or contribute to improving productivity. Therefore, whether a position qualifies for priority depends on the actual duties of the position and how those duties support the production process.
Priority Resources Occupations
The resources sector is also included in the priority list, covering:
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2336 - Mining Engineers
- ANZSCO Unit Group 2344 - Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists
- ANZSCO Unit Group 7122 - Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers
- ANZSCO 133513 – Production Manager (Mining)
- ANZSCO 232212 – Surveyor
- ANZSCO 232214 – Other Spatial Scientist
- ANZSCO 234912 – Metallurgist
- ANZSCO 323211 – Fitter (General)
- ANZSCO 323212 – Fitter and Turner
- ANZSCO 323213 – Fitter-Welder
- ANZSCO 323214 – Metal Machinist (First Class)
- ANZSCO 323299 – Metal Fitters and Machinists nec
To fall within the priority resources category, the actual role must directly support resource exploration, extraction, production or mine rehabilitation activities
Priority Law Enforcement and Defence Occupations
For law enforcement, priority applies to ANZSCO Unit Group 4413 – Police where the applicant is sponsored or nominated by an eligible Australian police force. For defence, occupations may receive priority where they:
- Support AUKUS Pillar I or Pillar II
- Sponsored or nominated by Defence
- Supported by an ADF or Defence letter
- Undertaken at a defence facility
- Support defence-related technology or materials
Do Family Members Receive the Same Processing Priority?
For family members, processing priority depends on whether they are included in the same application as the primary applicant or lodge a separate application later.
Where family members are included in the same application, they receive the same processing priority as the primary applicant. However, the Direction does not apply to certain cases where a family member lodges a separate application to join a primary visa holder who was already in Australia at the time the original application was lodged. It is therefore important to distinguish between family members included in the primary applicant’s combined application and family members who lodge a separate subsequent application after the primary applicant has been granted a visa.
Which Applications Are Affected?
Ministerial Direction 122 applies to both applications lodged from 19/09/2026 and applications lodged before that date that had not yet been finally determined. This means that applications already awaiting a decision may also be reordered under the new processing priority framework.
The Direction does not apply to applications remitted by the AAT or ART for reconsideration, cases where those bodies have substituted a decision, or applications that clearly do not meet the relevant visa criteria. Decision-making by the ART also falls outside the scope of the Direction.
To understand how this change may affect your application, you need to consider both your priority group and the current status of your application, rather than relying solely on the lodgement date. If you are unsure which priority group applies to your circumstances, contact Skill Direct for tailored advice and to prepare proactively for the next steps in your Australian migration journey.
