Australia Skilled Visa Processing Priorities: MD 121 and 122

Australia changed its skilled visa processing priorities on 19 September 2026, when two new Ministerial Directions, 121 and 122, replaced Direction 119. The Department of Home Affairs says applications linked to nine sectors, including healthcare, construction and teaching, are now processed first for employer-sponsored, skilled independent, state-nominated and regional visas.

Key facts

• In effect from 19 September 2026; the Home Affairs page was last updated on 30 September 2026.
• Direction 121 covers the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa and the former Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa.
• Direction 122 covers permanent and provisional skilled visas, including subclasses 186, 189, 190 and 491.
• Top priority: construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, and law enforcement and defence interests.
• Applicants in Australia at the time of lodging rank ahead of most offshore applicants.

What changed

Ministerial Directions tell Home Affairs which visa applications to process first. They do not change who is eligible for a visa. They change the order in which applications are decided.

Home Affairs says Directions 121 and 122 replaced Direction 119 from 19 September 2026. The change follows Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s 17 September announcement that Direction 119 would be updated to favour key sectors.

Direction 121 (Skills in Demand 482) priority order:

1. Applications linked to construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, or law enforcement and defence interests
2. Specialist Skills stream applications
3. Applicants in Australia when they lodged
4. Primary applicants outside Australia with a non-combined application
5. All other applications

Direction 122 (permanent and provisional skilled visas) priority order:

1. Applications linked to the same priority sectors
2. Applicants in Australia when they lodged
3. Primary applicants outside Australia with a non-combined application
4. All other applications

Who is affected by the skilled visa processing priorities

The change affects people waiting for an employer-sponsored visa (482 or 186), a skilled independent visa (189), a state-nominated visa (190) or a regional provisional visa (491), among others.

Applicants with an occupation in one of the priority sectors should see their application handled earlier. Applicants in other fields, such as accounting, IT or business, are not in the top group. They may wait longer, especially if they applied from outside Australia.

What it means for Nepali and Indian applicants

Many Nepali and Indian applicants in Australia work or plan to work in nursing, aged care, early childhood teaching and construction trades. Those sectors are in the top priority group.

Because applicants in Australia now rank ahead of most offshore applicants, a Nepali graduate applying for a 190 or 491 visa from inside Australia may be processed sooner than a similar applicant in Kathmandu.

Graduates in IT and accounting, two popular fields for Nepali students, are not in the listed priority sectors. Processing for those applicants may be slower. This does not affect whether they can get an invitation or a visa, only the order of processing.

For background on the current skilled program, see our guide to Australia PR 2026-27 for 189, 190 and 491.

What to do now

1. Check that your occupation and employer details in your application clearly show the sector you work in.
2. If you are in Australia, keep your current visa valid so you do not lose onshore priority.
3. Do not lodge a new application just to change priority. Ask a registered migration agent first.
4. Watch the Home Affairs skilled visa processing priorities page for further updates.
5. If you are a student planning for PR, consider how your field of study fits the priority sectors before you choose a course. See our guide on studying in Australia from Nepal.

What we don’t know yet

• Home Affairs has not explained on the page we opened how it decides whether an application is linked to a priority sector, for example by occupation code or by employer.
• Minister Burke also said the points test had been redone, including more points for housing trades. No points table or start date has been published on the pages we checked.

Frequently asked questions

Do skilled visa processing priorities affect my invitation chances?

No. They decide the order in which lodged visa applications are processed, not who is invited or eligible.

Is nursing a priority sector?

Healthcare is a top priority sector under both Directions 121 and 122.

I applied for a 189 visa from Nepal. Am I at the back of the queue?

If your occupation is not in a priority sector, offshore applications rank below onshore ones under Direction 122.

Sources

• Skilled visa processing priorities – Department of Home Affairs
• Migration reform to end rorts and bring in the skills Australia needs – Minister for Home Affairs
• Speech to the National Press Club, 17 September 2026 – Minister for Home Affairs
• New Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 – Hartman Immigration

Last checked: 2 October 2026. This is general information, not immigration advice.