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Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by Ministerial Directions 122 and 121, bringing another adjustment to processing priorities for Australian skilled migration visas.
The Department of Home Affairs updates skilled visa processing progress under the new ministerial directions for the first time
Ministerial Direction 119 repealed: what changes do Directions 121 and 122 bring?
Overall changes:
Priority occupations move back in the processing queue
Under the new ministerial directions, offshore priority occupations receive equal treatment. This brings more applications into the first priority tier, temporarily moving the lodgement dates being processed backwards for priority occupations in several categories. This is also bad news. We have already seen several grants for offshore priority occupations during this period, including civil engineers in construction and nursing, mostly for applications lodged in the second half of 2025.
Onshore non-priority occupations make substantial progress instead
Onshore non-priority occupations have benefited the most so far under the new ministerial directions. Onshore processing has continued as usual, with more occupations involved, and several categories have advanced by over six months.
Regional categories struggle to progress
The impact of reduced allocations is becoming apparent, with onshore processing progress moving backwards for both Subclass 491 and 494.
Offshore applications in non-priority occupations have made no progress at all, so the lodgement dates reached are the same regardless of whether an application includes a partner.
Offshore Subclass 191 applications are progressing faster than onshore applications — are offshore grants coming through?
Latest processing progress across skilled migration visa categories
Processing progress for skilled migration Subclasses 189, 190, 491 and 191
Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa
Priority occupations: processing has reached November 2025, moving back seven months.
Other onshore occupations: processing has reached June 2026, advancing five months.
Offshore applications with no secondary applicants: processing has reached November 2025, with no progress.
All other offshore applications: processing has also reached November 2025, with no progress.
Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa
Priority occupations: processing has reached May 2025, moving back 15 months.
Other onshore occupations: processing has reached January 2026, advancing nine months.
Offshore applications with no secondary applicants: processing has reached February 2025, with no progress.
All other offshore applications: processing has also reached February 2025, with no progress.
Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa
Onshore priority occupations: processing has reached March 2025, moving back 14 months.
Other onshore occupations: processing has reached February 2025, moving back 12 months.
Offshore applications with no secondary applicants: processing has reached February 2025, with no progress.
All other offshore applications: processing has also reached February 2025, with no progress.
Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa
Onshore applications across all occupations: processing has reached applications lodged in February 2026, with no progress.
Offshore applications with no secondary applicants: processing has reached March 2026, advancing one month.
All other offshore applications: processing has reached January 2026.
The progress of Subclass 191 is somewhat counterintuitive, which probably has a lot to do with the visa’s own characteristics.
First, Subclass 191 has no nominated occupation as such, and does not even have a work requirement. Any attempt to classify applicants by occupation would have to refer back to their Subclass 491 occupation. I suspect the department has also recognised the problem with this in practice, so this update still places all onshore applications in one tier. Subclass 191 applications have been processed recently, but grants are indeed still for applications lodged between late 2025 and February 2026.
Second, there are probably very few offshore Subclass 191 applications. Most people who received their Subclass 491 grants offshore subsequently chose to move to Australia, so they would be onshore when lodging. A reasonable guess is that, because there are so few applications and the department processed some during this period, this immediately showed up as one month of progress.
Processing progress for employer-sponsored Subclasses 482, 186 and 494
Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa
Priority occupations lodged onshore: processing has reached October 2025, with no progress.
Specialist Skills stream: processing has reached July 2026.
All other occupations lodged onshore: processing has reached January 2026, advancing one month.
Offshore applications with no secondary applicants: processing has reached October 2025, with no progress.
All other offshore applications: processing has also reached October 2025.
Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa
Priority occupations lodged onshore: processing has reached August 2024, moving back around 12 months.
Other onshore occupations: processing has reached February 2025, advancing seven months.
Offshore applications with no secondary applicants: processing has reached July 2024, with no progress.
All other offshore applications: processing has reached July 2024, with no progress.
Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa
Priority occupations lodged onshore: processing has reached September 2025. Healthcare and teaching have moved back nine months, while construction occupations have made no progress.
Other onshore occupations: processing has reached February 2025, moving back six months.
Offshore applications with no secondary applicants: processing has reached July 2024, moving back around 12 months.
All offshore occupations: processing has reached July 2024, moving back around 12 months.
Onshore Subclass 482 non-priority occupations are now progressing somewhat faster than priority occupations. This is also because the new ministerial directions have brought more applications into the first priority tier: a larger queue moves more slowly.
Practical migration planning advice for applicants with different backgrounds
Most construction priority occupations are actually trades. Tradespeople and blue-collar workers, such as those with a blue-collar construction job in Australia whose English is not particularly strong or who find it difficult to obtain a skills assessment, can focus on employer sponsorship.
If you are studying a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Australia and your field offers a difficult migration pathway, such as business or IT, you could consider taking a blue-collar course alongside it.
It is already 29 September today, and the Department of Home Affairs said Subclass 189 invitations were expected by the end of September. When will they arrive? Let’s hope for good news in these last two days!
