Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Tony Burke has issued Direction 122, establishing a new order of priority for processing applications across a range of provisional and permanent skilled visa subclasses. It was commenced on 19 September 2026.
It applies to a broad range of skilled visa subclasses, including subclasses 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 489, 491, 494, 887 and 888.
Order of priority for processing applications:
- Primary applicants in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources occupations, or occupations linked to Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests
- Other primary applicants who are onshore in Australia at the time of application
- Primary applicants offshore at the time of application, whose application is not combined with another person’s
- All other applications
As with Direction 121, delegates may depart from this order of priority where an application involves compelling circumstances affecting community safety or the continuity of essential religious, cultural or community services in Australia.
Click here: Ministerial Direction 122 – Migration Act 1958
