21/09/2026
Ministerial Direction 121 (MD 121).
Ministerial Direction 121 now governs Subclass 482 visa applications on their own, while Ministerial Direction 122 takes over the remaining permanent and provisional skilled visa subclasses that Direction 119 previously governed. Both directions were signed on 18 September 2026 and commenced on 19 September 2026.
MD121 sets out five processing priority groups for visa applications. The order of priority is:
(01) Construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence occupations – applications by a primary applicant in an occupation in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing or the resources sector, or in an occupation related to Australia's law enforcement or defence interests, as defined in the Direction. This tier applies regardless of whether the applicant was in or outside Australia when the application was made.
(02) Specialist Skills stream – applications for a Skills in Demand (Class GK) visa where the applicant seeks to satisfy the criteria for the Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa in the Specialist Skills stream. This tier applies regardless of whether the applicant was in or outside Australia when the application was made.
(03)All other onshore applications – other applications where the applicant is a primary applicant who was in Australia when the application was made.
(04) All other offshore applications, not combined – applications where the applicant is a primary applicant who was outside Australia when the application was made, and whose application is not combined with another person's application at any time.
(05) All remaining applications – all other visa applications not otherwise covered.
MIA Extract.
