Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by the new Ministerial Directions 121 and 122, again changing processing priorities for Australian skilled migration and some employer-sponsored visas.
The new MD 121 and MD 122 took effect on 19 September 2026. They apply respectively to temporary skilled visas and to certain temporary, permanent and transitional skilled visas, replacing the previous priority arrangements under MD 119. Immigration and citizenship Website
Following the change, the Department of Home Affairs has updated the lodgement months currently being processed for the relevant skilled visas under the new ministerial directions for the first time. The new priorities do not mean all priority occupations will be processed faster: the published lodgement months reached have actually moved backwards in some categories.
Several clear changes to skilled migration processing under the new ministerial directions
First, processing progress for some priority occupations has moved backwards.
The new ministerial directions place offshore priority occupations in the same first priority tier as other priority occupations. This increases the number of applications covered by that tier, so the lodgement months currently being processed for some priority occupations have moved backwards.
For example, the department’s published Subclass 189 figures show that applications relating to Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing, Resources, law enforcement and defence have reached November 2025, while other onshore applications have reached June 2026.
Second, onshore non-priority occupations have instead become some of the faster-progressing categories following this adjustment.
The new MD 122 places other occupations lodged onshore in the second priority tier as a whole, bringing substantial forward progress for some onshore non-priority occupations.
Third, progress in regional categories such as Subclass 491 and 494 has been relatively weak. The original figures show substantial backward movement for both onshore priority and other occupations under Subclass 491, with varying degrees of backward movement under Subclass 494 as well. Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by Ministerial Directions 122 and 121.
Meanwhile, offshore non-priority applications have generally made no significant progress. Including secondary applicants affects priority in some offshore application categories, but there is currently no significant difference in actual processing progress.
Subclass 189 skilled independent migration: onshore applications advance as priority occupations move backwards
Subclass 189 visas are currently prioritised under MD 122.
The department’s latest published Subclass 189 processing progress is:
Applications in priority fields have reached November 2025;
Other applications lodged onshore have reached June 2026;
Applications lodged offshore that have never been combined with another person’s application have reached November 2025;
Other offshore applications have also reached November 2025.
In terms of the change, priority occupations are now around November 2025, a backward movement from the previous figures, while other onshore occupations have reached June 2026 and are progressing noticeably faster.
This means that Subclass 189 processing speed cannot simply be judged by whether an occupation falls within a priority field. The application’s location and priority tier are also very important.
Subclass 190 state nomination: substantial progress for other onshore occupations
Subclass 190 is also currently processed under MD 122.
The department’s latest figures show that applications relating to Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing, Resources, law enforcement and defence have reached May 2025; other onshore occupations have reached January 2026; and both offshore applications without secondary applicants and other offshore applications have reached February 2025.
Compared with the previous figures, processing progress for Subclass 190 priority occupations has moved markedly backwards, while other onshore occupations have made noticeable progress.
Applicants currently in Australia whose occupations are outside the new priority fields may therefore find that actual processing progress is further ahead than for some priority occupations.
Subclass 491 regional state nomination: processing progress moves backwards
Subclass 491 is one of the categories that warrants particular attention following this adjustment.
The original figures show that onshore priority occupations have reached March 2025 and other onshore occupations February 2025. Both offshore applications without secondary applicants and other offshore applications have also reached February 2025. Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by Ministerial Directions 122 and 121.
Compared with previously published figures, the different onshore Subclass 491 categories have all moved markedly backwards.
This relates to changes in Regional category allocations and the new priority structure, so future Subclass 491 grant dates cannot simply be projected from processing speeds over the past few months.
Subclass 191 regional permanent residency: processing differs from other skilled visas
Subclass 191 is a somewhat unusual case.
Onshore applications overall have reached around February 2026, with no significant progress. Offshore applications without secondary applicants have reached March 2026, advancing about one month, while other offshore applications have reached January 2026. Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by Ministerial Directions 122 and 121.
Unlike Subclass 189, 190 and 491, Subclass 191 has no nominated occupation or work requirement, so its processing priorities cannot simply be compared by applicants’ occupations.
The current figures show relatively few offshore Subclass 191 applications, so even a small number of cases entering processing may produce a noticeable change in the lodgement month shown in the official figures. Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by Ministerial Directions 122 and 121.
Subclass 482 employer sponsorship: Specialist Skills continues to advance relatively quickly
The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa is currently processed under MD 121.
The department’s published progress shows that applications relating to Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing, Resources, law enforcement and defence have reached October 2025; the Specialist Skills Stream has reached July 2026; other onshore occupations have reached January 2026; and both offshore applications without secondary applicants and other offshore applications have reached October 2025.
This means that onshore Subclass 482 non-priority occupations may actually be further ahead in processing than some priority occupations.
One important reason is that the new MD 121 expands the scope of the first priority tier. With more applications included in the priority occupation queue, the queue itself has grown, which may affect actual progress.
For the Specialist Skills Stream, the officially reported lodgement month being processed has reached July 2026, noticeably ahead of other categories.
Subclass 186 employer-sponsored permanent residency: faster progress for onshore non-priority occupations
Subclass 186 is currently processed under MD 122.
The original figures show that onshore priority occupations have reached August 2024, moving back around 12 months, while other onshore occupations have reached February 2025, advancing around seven months.
Both offshore applications without secondary applicants and other offshore applications have reached around July 2024. Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by Ministerial Directions 122 and 121.
The department’s official webpage also shows that Subclass 186 processing priorities first cover fields relating to Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing, Resources, law enforcement and defence, followed by onshore applications and then eligible offshore applications. Immigration and citizenship Website
Subclass 186 therefore also cannot simply be understood as a visa where “priority occupations are always processed faster than other occupations”.
Subclass 494 regional employer-sponsored visas: slow progress overall
The changes for Subclass 494 are also quite apparent.
Onshore priority occupations relating to Healthcare and Teaching have reached September 2025, while Construction occupations have made no significant progress.
Other onshore occupations have reached February 2025, while both offshore applications without secondary applicants and other offshore applications have reached around July 2024. Ministerial Direction 119, which had been in effect for less than three months, has been replaced by Ministerial Directions 122 and 121.
The current figures show relatively slow progress for Subclass 494 overall, particularly for offshore applications.
Blue-collar construction applicants can consider employer sponsorship
Construction occupations remain a key field in Australian skilled migration and Subclass 482 employer-sponsored visa processing.
Applicants already working in blue-collar construction roles in Australia whose English is relatively modest or who face some difficulty with a skills assessment can focus on exploring employer sponsorship.
Students already studying a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Australia whose original field, such as business or IT, makes it difficult to secure long-term status through skilled migration can also consider adding a construction trade skills course according to their circumstances, and plan their employment and employer sponsorship pathways.
