Over the weekend the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship issued three new ministerial directions that reshape the processing order for skilled, family and Global Talent visas. The changes take effect from 25 July 2026 for most applications and introduce a clear on‑shore versus off‑shore hierarchy, with additional priority tiers for certain occupations and sectors.
Skilled visa applications – Ministerial Direction 119
Replaces Direction 105 (effective December 2023).
- Scope – Applies to all nomination and visa applications under consideration and to all new applications from 25 July 2026.
- Exemptions – Does not affect:
- Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) or former Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) matters,
- Applications that are clearly unapprovable,
- Nomination applications to change sponsor,
- Subsequent visa applications made by family members of a temporary skilled visa holder.
Processing schedules
| Schedule | Visa subclasses covered |
|---|---|
| A – employer‑sponsored nominations | 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme), 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme), 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage), 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional – Provisional) |
| B – all other skilled visas | 189 (Skilled – Independent), 190 (Skilled – Nominated), 191 (Permanent Residence – Skilled Regional), 489 (Skilled – Regional – Provisional), 491 (Skilled Work Regional – Provisional), 887 (Skilled – Regional), 888 (Business Innovation and Investment – Permanent) |
Nomination priority order
- Nominees in Australia whose occupation is 441311 Detective or 441312 Police Officer, nominated by the Australian Federal Police or a state/territory police force, or defence‑force occupations (e.g., 441111 Defence Force Member – Other Ranks) nominated by the Australian Defence Force/Department of Defence and linked to AUKUS Pillars I or II.
- Same as (1) but the nominee is outside Australia.
- All other nominations where the nominee is in Australia at the time of application.
- All other nominations where the nominee is outside Australia at the time of application.
Visa‑application priority order
- Primary applicant in Australia with a police or defence‑related nomination (matches priority 1 or 2 above).
- Primary applicant outside Australia with a police or defence‑related nomination.
- Primary applicant in Australia with a nomination in healthcare, teaching or construction (full ANZSCO list on the Department website).
- Primary applicant outside Australia with a healthcare, teaching or construction nomination.
- Primary applicant in Australia with any other nomination.
- Primary applicant outside Australia with any other nomination.
Implication: On‑shore applicants now move ahead of off‑shore ones, but processing times for subclass 482 (Core stream) remain around 10 months for 90 % of cases, potentially limiting rapid access to skilled labour for businesses not covered by the top priority categories.
Family visa applications – Ministerial Direction 117
- Effective date – Same day as Direction 119.
- Core principle – Prioritises applications where the primary applicant is already in Australia over those lodged from abroad, unless compassionate or compelling circumstances justify a deviation.
Hierarchy of family‑visa priorities (within the on‑shore/off‑shore framework)
- Ministerial substitution of a more favourable decision than that made by the ART/AAT.
- Partner, prospective marriage, or dependent‑child visas.
- Orphan relative visas.
- Contributory parent and contributory aged‑parent visas.
- Carer visas.
- Parent, aged‑parent, remaining relative, and aged‑dependent‑relative visas.
These priorities operate alongside Ministerial Direction 103, which already gives precedence to applications subject to caps and queue systems. Apart from the on‑shore versus off‑shore shift, the direction introduces no substantive procedural changes.
Global Talent visas – Ministerial Direction 120
Applies to subclass 858 (Global Talent) visas. The processing order mirrors the invitation‑priority framework published on the Department of Home Affairs website:
- Top‑field award winners (the highest priority).
- Applicants nominated by an expert Australian Government agency or a state/territory government agency.
- Tier One sectors – critical technologies, renewables & low‑emission technologies, and health industries.
- Tier Two sectors – agri‑food & AgTech, defence capabilities & space, education, financial services & FinTech, infrastructure & transport, and resources.
Practical takeaways
- On‑shore applicants for both skilled and family visas now enjoy a systematic advantage; offshore applicants should anticipate longer processing times unless they fall within the top occupational or sectoral categories.
- Police, defence and certain healthcare/teaching/construction occupations receive the highest skilled‑visa priority; businesses needing other skilled workers may face the standard 10‑month timeline for subclass 482.
- Family‑visa applicants with compassionate or compelling circumstances can request a departure from the on‑shore priority, but must provide substantive evidence.
- Global Talent candidates should align their applications with the tiered sector list and, where possible, secure top‑field awards or government nominations to improve processing speed.
Stakeholders planning migration pathways should review the new schedules and priority lists to adjust timelines, sponsorship strategies, and, where relevant, seek professional advice on meeting the revised criteria.
Source article: www.peakmigration.com.au
