Australia | New skilled visa processing priorities effective Sept. 19

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs issued two new Ministerial Directions with updated processing priorities for temporary and permanent skilled visa applications, effective Sept. 19, 2026.

Key takeaways:

Following a government announcement of several immigration forms, the department issued Ministerial Directions 121 and 122, replacing all processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 119 announced earlier this year.

There are a variety of changes; however, one major change is that applications are now prioritized based primarily on whether the occupation falls within a designated priority sector, rather than on the applicant’s location.

The new directions apply to newly lodged applications and retrospectively to all pending applications as of Sept. 19.

Specialist Skills stream receives updated processing priority

Under Ministerial Direction 121, Skills in Demand (subclass 482) applications filed through the Specialist Skills stream are assigned the second highest processing priority with significantly improved processing times.

New processing priorities for subclass 482 visa applications are:

1. Priority sector occupations (onshore and offshore) relating to construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defense
2. Specialist Skills stream applications (onshore and offshore)
3. Other onshore applications
4. Offshore applicants applying without family members
5. All other applications

Processing times for Specialist Skills stream applications

The department is currently processing Specialist Skills stream applications lodged in July 2026, an approximate processing period of two months. Applicants may view current processing timeframes on the department’s website.

BAL will continue to monitor and provide updates as more information becomes available. Employers are encouraged to consult with their BAL attorney for case-specific guidance.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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