Immigration News - Employment-based visas, Processing times, Asia-Pacific, Australia Australia | Processing times for skilled visa applications following new priorities Share this article LinkedIn Facebook X (Twitter) August 24, 2026 Australia’s Department of Home Affairs published updated processing times for skilled visa applications, including the Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Temporary Skills Shortage (subclass 482) and Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) subclasses. Key takeaways: As BAL previously reported, the department updated processing priorities for skilled visa applications under Ministerial Direction 119, effective July 25, 2026. New skilled visa processing priorities favor occupations in law enforcement and defense, as well as applicants who already reside in Australia. The updated skilled visa processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 119 also apply retroactively to all eligible applications submitted before July 25. Processing times for Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Occupation category Currently processing applications submitted in Processing times Australian law enforcement or defense July 2026 1 month Healthcare and teaching occupations July 2026 1 month Construction occupations October 2025 10 months All other applications in Australia (onshore) October 2025 10 months All other applications outside Australia (offshore) October 2025 10 months Processing times for Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Occupation category Currently processing applications submitted in Processing times Australian law enforcement or defense June 2026 2 months Healthcare and teaching occupations June 2025 14 months Construction occupations September 2024 23 months All other applications in Australia (onshore) July 2024 25 months All other applications outside Australia (offshore) July 2024 25 months This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. Copyright © 2026 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.
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