11/06/2026
The Department of Home Affairs processes many skilled visa applications under Ministerial Direction No. 105, which sets the priority order for several skilled, employer-sponsored, regional and business visa subclasses.
This includes visa subclasses such as:
Employer Nomination Scheme visa subclass 186
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa subclass 187
Skilled Independent visa subclass 189
Skilled Nominated visa subclass 190
Permanent Residence Skilled Regional visa subclass 191
Temporary Skill Shortage visa subclass 482
Skilled Work Regional visa subclass 491
Employer Sponsored Regional visa subclass 494
Skilled Regional visa subclass 887
Business Innovation and Investment visas subclass 188 and 888
National Innovation visa subclass 858
Under Ministerial Direction No. 105, priority is generally given in the following order:
First, employer-sponsored visa applications for positions located in designated regional areas.
Second, visa applications for healthcare or teaching occupations.
Third, employer-sponsored visa applications where the applicant is nominated by an approved sponsor with accredited status.
Fourth, permanent and provisional skilled visa applications that count towards the migration program, excluding the subclass 188 Business Innovation and Investment Provisional visa.
Finally, all other skilled visa applications are generally processed in order of lodgement.
Healthcare and teaching priority occupations include health professionals, school teachers, health and welfare support workers, child care centre managers, medical scientists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, medical technicians, school principals, child care workers, aged or disabled carers, nursing support workers and personal care assistants.
Applicants should also note that subclass 191 visa applications are not linked to a specific occupation. This means they are generally processed under “all other visa applications” in the order they are received.
The Department has also made it clear that lower priority applications may take longer than the published global processing times.
At Provisa, we encourage applicants to lodge complete and decision-ready applications from the beginning. This means providing all required documents, including health checks, character documents, skills assessments, employment evidence, nomination documents and any other supporting evidence required for your visa subclass.
The Department may not always ask for further documents before making a decision, so missing or incomplete evidence can affect your outcome.
If you are preparing for a skilled visa, employer-sponsored visa or regional visa pathway, understanding processing priorities can help you plan your next step more realistically.
Book a consultation with Provisa at provisa.setmore.com or call 02 9007 4409.
