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Australia's Skilled Visa Queue After 19 September 2026: A Clear Breakdown for Applicants

News · 2026-09-21 · 4 min read

From 19 September 2026, the order in which Australia handles skilled visa applications has changed. The Department of Home Affairs issued two new Ministerial Directions, MD 121 and MD 122, and these take over from the earlier priority framework set by MD 119. Between them, they cover nearly every main skilled visa route, so anyone planning an Australia work visa from Pakistan or elsewhere should understand where their file is likely to land.

The core idea in brief

Applications are not all treated the same way. They are ranked according to government priorities, and your position in that ranking can decide whether you hear back quickly or wait a long time.

Ranking for temporary skilled visas under MD 121

MD 121 applies to the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, as well as the Temporary Skill Shortage visa it replaced, which has now been retired. Applications are handled in this sequence:

1. Priority industries: Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing and Resources, along with any application connected to defence or law enforcement.
2. The Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa.
3. Applicants who were inside Australia at the time of lodging.
4. Applicants lodging alone from outside Australia, meaning the application is not combined with a partner or family application.
5. All remaining applications.

In plain terms: if your occupation is not in one of those priority industries and you are lodging from overseas as part of a combined family application, expect to be near the end of the queue.

Ranking for provisional and permanent skilled visas under MD 122

MD 122 reaches across a far wider set of subclasses. It includes the Skilled Independent (189) and Skilled Nominated (190) visas, the Employer Nomination Scheme (186), regional provisional visas such as 491, 494 and 489, and permanent pathways including the 191 and 887.

The order here is a shorter version of the MD 121 list:

1. Priority sector and national-interest cases, using the same industries listed above.
2. Applicants who were in Australia when they lodged.
3. Applicants lodging alone from overseas.
4. Every other application.

Where different applicants now stand

• Priority sector workers: your file should progress faster than it would have under MD 119.
• Onshore applicants: you now sit ahead of most people applying from offshore.
• Combined applications from overseas: these are at the lowest level of the new order, so plan for a longer wait.

Earlier directions that remain active

MD 121 and MD 122 do not cover everything. Two older directions still apply:

• MD 114 applies to the Business Innovation and Investment (188) and Business Talent (132) visas, both of which are now closed.
• MD 120, in effect since 25 July 2026, applies to Class BX (858) visas. This includes the National Innovation visa as well as the closed Distinguished Talent and Global Talent programs.

How to read published processing times

Home Affairs' processing time tool is a guide only. It reflects how long recently finalised applications took, not a forecast for your own case, and it does not look at the details of your application. Use its figures as a rough benchmark, not a commitment.

Preparing a file that holds its place

Because priority now depends so much on how and where you lodge, a complete and accurate application carries more weight than before. A mistake or a missing document can take you out of a faster track altogether. If you are not sure where your application will fall under these rules, seek professional advice before you submit.

For applicants in Pakistan, practical preparation helps: keep an English CV ready, sit IELTS or PTE if your visa or employer asks for it, and arrange a police character certificate if a police certificate is requested. Before travelling, complete Pakistan's emigration formalities, such as registration with the Protector of Emigrants, and check current requirements with the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment.

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