Australia’s Skilled Visa Priorities Have Changed: Construction, Healthcare & Teaching Go First

Overview

The video explains changes to Australia’s skilled visa processing priorities introduced by the Department of Home Affairs through two updated ministerial directives (121 and 122), replacing an earlier directive (119). The presenter— a Sydney migration lawyer—frames the update as a reordering of which occupations and applicant circumstances (onshore vs offshore; whether there are additional family applicants) receive higher priority.

Key updates and priority categories

Directive 119 is canceled

• Directive 119 is cancelled.
• It previously “put all offshore applications on the back burner.”

Directive 121 (focused on subclass 482)

Directive 121 applies to subclass 482 visas and reclassifies all 482 applications into a priority ranking:

1. Priority 1 (highest): Applications for priority industries.

   • Example industries mentioned: healthcare, education, construction, law enforcement, defense, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing
   • Applies whether the application is made onshore or offshore.

2. Priority 2: Specialized Stream 482 applications.

   • Requires meeting a high-income threshold
   • Applies regardless of filing location and presence of family members.

3. Priority 3: All other applications filed domestically (inside Australia).

4. Priority 4: Offshore applications with no additional applicants (i.e., single-person applications).

5. Priority 5: All other offshore applications (e.g., with additional applicants).

Presenter’s advice

• The presenter suggests that the “best way to succeed” is typically to be nominated for an occupation in one of the priority industries, placing the application in Priority 1.

Processing time note

• The video notes that while the Department previously promised 7 days processing for the prioritized pathway, it reportedly now takes around a month.

Directive 122 (non-482-focused offshore/onshore reshuffle)

Directive 122 is described as using the same general category logic, but:

• It does not cover 482 visas, which is why its categories differ (notably lacking the specialized-stream 482 category).

The priority categories discussed under Directive 122 (for the relevant visa group covered in the video) are:

1. Priority 1: Applications made inside or outside Australia, with or without additional applicants, where the occupation fits the priority industry list.

2. Priority 2: Applications filed outside Australia.

3. Priority 3: Offshore applications with no additional applicants.

4. Priority 4: All other offshore applications.

Fix to treatment of additional applicants (family members)

A major clarification concerns how additional applicants (family members) are handled:

• The presenter explains that the directives’ wording focuses on the main applicant.
• They added a clause so that additional applicants receive the same priority tier as the main applicant when included in the same visa application.
• This is described as a correction to a previous issue under Directive 119, where family members could end up lower in the queue.

Other mention: Directive 117

• Directive 117 remains in force and concerns family visa priorities (partners, parents, children).
• The presenter says it is not covered in detail in the video.

Presenter / contributor

• Johnny — Sydney-based migration lawyer and video presenter.