Ministerial Direction 119 and New Visa Processing Priorities...
@gregormendel (4H ago| Updated 3H ago)Ministerial Direction 119 and New Visa Processing Priorities
Processing priorities for nomination and visa applications for certain Skilled visas
Nomination and visa applications for certain Skilled visas are processed according to Government policy priorities, which are outlined in Ministerial Direction 119 (3MB PDF) and came into effect on 25 July 2026.
From this date, Ministerial Direction 119 has replaced all processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 105. Ministerial Direction 119 applies to all on hand applications, including for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) program, which was not previously included under Ministerial Direction 105. Prioritisation under Ministerial Direction 119 is afforded according to both occupation and the location of applicants at the time of application. - Occupations supporting Australia’s law enforcement and defence interests are afforded the highest priority, followed by those in construction, healthcare, and teaching. - Applicants who are already in Australia have higher priority than those who are outside Australia.
Processing priorities for nomination and visa applications
Skilled nomination and visa applications are processed in the following order of priority: 1. The first and highest priority is given to nomination and visa applications that support Australia's law enforcement or defence interests where the applicant is in Australia at the time of application. 2. The second priority is given to nomination and visa applications that support Australia's law enforcement or defence interests where the applicant is outside Australia at the time of application. 3. The third priority is given to nomination and visa applications relating to construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations where the applicant is in Australia at the time of application. 4. The fourth priority is given to all other nomination and visa applications where the applicant is in Australia at the time of application. 5. The fifth and final priority is given to all other nomination and visa applications where the applicant is outside Australia at the time of application.
Visa classes and subclasses included in this Direction
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) visa Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)(subclass 191) visa Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 489) visa Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visa Skilled Regional (subclass 887) visa Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visa.
Showing 11 comments
If offshore applicants have been invited, lodged and paid their fee then surely they will be eventually granted? but by this order of priority it suggests that they can never be.
How will they use the 55k offshore quota then ? As 189 are treated quickly, does it mean that they will be filling up the quota with refilled onshore applicants or can we expect a sort of a 30% reserved grant budget throughout SC to slowly accommodate for the offshore applications ?
How is this likely to change state behaviour for future 190 invites? Ditch offshore EOO/ROIs?
Hi. If I have applied for 189 offshore.. now looking at a long wait. Can you apply and be granted a 482 visa or will this invalidate your 189 application?
dont do this as 482 also fall under this ministral direction.
yes but 482 is surely going to be quicker. the skilled stream is saying 7 days
So many offshore applicants will be waking up to this news that could change their life. There has to be some clarification on how/when they will be granting offshore.
Hi. How does this make sense. If there are always onshore applications on hand (which there always will be) then offshore applications would never get looked at.
we will know in some weeks, from the sample of grants accumulated. Obviously, it can't be that they wont process offshore even if 1 onshore is waiting.
Hold on, so like, this tells us, An offshore Registered Nurse is given waaay less priority than an Onshore Tennis Coach?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Wtf 🤣
New onshore designation unlocked.
Then the 189 tier system for the occupation ceiling would change as well?
Looks like they’ll just throw in the rubbish all offshore applicants even if they’ve been waiting for more than 15 months.
doesnt this mean offshore candidates will just never get processed? there is always around 2-1, even higher, onshore to offshore lodged. so there will ALWAYS be onshore lodged at all times, so then the offshore never get touched?
a new processing time will emerge for offshore over next 1 to 2 months. We will update this website to reflect the new direction 119 classification, hopefully in couple days. So instead of current priority vs non-priority it will be: - ONSHORE PRIORITY - ONSHORE NON-PRIORITY - ALL OFFSHORE
@gregormendel - I had been following the info on official DHA websites till now. So all of that is going to be modified now? I had seen 234111 as priority and in demand till now. I dont see this code today in priority list shared. Do we get to know how many candidates applied and waiting for how long ANZcode wise?
There is nothing to be modified with DHA processing time. DHA only provides a single overall time (25/50/75/90) for all occupations+applicants. They didn't give priority vs. non-priority split before, so unlikely they will do anything similar now with 119.
FYI: 234111 was never priority for visa processing as per direction 105
I have read state wise websites earlier and I dont remember it well if it was DHA or state wise websites. But I think state wise websites have priority and in demand occupation codes right?
@gregormendel thanks, but surely offshore won’t get touched at all? If there are onshore lodged, they take the attention?
Alright- Though its not specified as priority, it doesn't mean it will never be invited. Isn't it? There will be invitations still for those codes and we can hope for it? I remember I have seen on your website here, 234111 being mentioned as priority or in demand. I think i have taken a screenshot of it. May be it was on this website. I think its link is still available here.
Feeling disheartened as an offshore applicant. preference for priority applications were always a given, but now preference is for onshore clearly. @gregormendel @biotechy would it be possible to make an FOI request and get an answer if they will get back to offshore only after exhausting onshore or would there be a fixed percentage of offshore grants every month. Just to be clear I am not asking you to create an FOI request, I am just asking if this kind of request will come under FOI category or not
this seems too broad, and from past experience, it will most likely be refused. But you can try, worst they say is no. Best is yes.
@gregormendel With the new 119 direction in effect, as a 491 offshore, non-priority applicant, lodged application in July 2025, should expect further delay as now offshore non-priority has become "No proirity"/"we dont need you, we already got your money" applicant?
Probably they won’t touch offshore for another few years. Frustrating. No visibility on offshore despite the fact that they are allotted slots to offshore. Looks like 100% of processing power is focused on onshore
a new processing time will emerge for offshore over next 1 to 2 months. We will update this website to reflect the new direction 119 classification, hopefully in couple days. So instead of current priority vs non-priority it will be: - ONSHORE PRIORITY - ONSHORE NON-PRIORITY - ALL OFFSHORE
There is an update on DHA site - Applications for the Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190) visa are prioritised in accordance with Ministerial Direction No. 119. Applications currently being allocated for processing were generally lodged in:
As received – related to Australian law enforcement or defence interests April 2025 for construction, healthcare and teaching occupations (onshore applicants) April 2025 – all other applications where the applicant was in Australia at the time of application February 2025 – all other applications where the applicant was outside Australia at the time of application. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-nominated-190 @gregormendel
Will there be any serious impact on already lodged application, apart from delay?