Another policy shake-up.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs dropped Ministerial Direction 119 on July 25, 2026. It replaced Direction 105.
The queue changed. The rules shifted.
Panic? Unnecessary. Action? Essential.
Here is the exact breakdown. No fluff. Just facts.
What is Ministerial Direction 119?
It sets processing priorities.
For skilled visas. For employer nominations.
It does not change visa criteria. It only changes the order.
If your application sits in the queue, your spot just got rearranged.
Which Visas Are Affected?
Almost every major skilled and work visa category.
- Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme)
- Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme)
- Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent)
- Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated)
- Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence – Regional)
- Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage / Skills in Demand)
- Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional)
- Subclass 887, 888, and regional provisional subclasses.
If you applied under these, Direction 119 applies to you. Even if you lodged months ago.
The New Core Factors: Occupation and Location
Two things drive your priority now.
- Your occupation group.
- Your location when you lodged (Onshore vs. Offshore).
Onshore applicants now hold a massive advantage over offshore applicants.
Regional preference? Gone. Accredited sponsor tiers? Removed.
Location and critical sectors rule the list now.
The Official Priority Tiers
Here is how Home Affairs ranks applications under Direction 119:
Priority 1 (Highest)
- Law enforcement or defence interests.
- Onshore applicants at time of lodgement.
Priority 2
- Law enforcement or defence interests.
- Offshore applicants at time of lodgement.
Priority 3
- Construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations.
- Onshore applicants at time of lodgement.
Priority 4
- All other skilled and employer-sponsored occupations.
- Onshore applicants at time of lodgement.
Priority 5 (Lowest)
- All other skilled and employer-sponsored occupations.
- Offshore applicants at time of lodgement.
Read that again.
If you are offshore in a standard professional occupation (IT, accounting, marketing), you sit at the very back.
If you are onshore, you jump ahead of offshore applicants in your exact same category.
Critical Sectors Highlighted
Four main sectors command attention:
- Law Enforcement & Defence: Police, defence personnel.
- Construction: Civil engineers, project managers, architects, surveyors, technicians, plant operators.
- Healthcare: Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals.
- Teaching: School teachers and registered educators.
If your role sits here, expect faster movement. Especially if you lodged from within Australia.
What Changed From Ministerial Direction 105?
Direction 105 had different favorites.
Regional employer-sponsored visas used to hold top spots. Accredited sponsors had dedicated priority lanes.
Direction 119 trashed those tiers.
Now, onshore presence outweighs regional status for standard queues.
If you banked on regional processing speed while sitting overseas, your timeline just lengthened.
Oops. Time to adapt.
What Should You Do Right Now?
Don’t wait. Review your file.
- Verify your lodgement location status: Confirm whether your application officially registered as onshore or offshore.
- Check your occupation code: Ensure your ANZSCO code aligns with the priority sectors (construction, health, teaching).
- Assess processing times: Expect delays for non-priority offshore applications.
- Seek expert guidance: Complex visa queues require strategic intervention.
Learn More & Take Action
Unsure where your application stands under Direction 119?
Stop guessing. Speak with our Principal Consultant, Ashish Thapa, registered migration agent in Adelaide. We analyze your file, assess your priority tier, and map out realistic solutions.
Discover our full range of services on our services page.
Learn more about Skillage Nimbus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ministerial Direction 119 apply to existing visa applications?
Yes. Direction 119 applies to all eligible visa applications and employer nominations currently in the processing queue, regardless of when they were lodged.
What is the biggest change in Direction 119 compared to Direction 105?
Direction 119 places heavy emphasis on whether the applicant was onshore or offshore at lodgement, while removing separate priority tiers for regional employer-sponsored visas and accredited sponsors.
Are offshore applicants disqualified under Direction 119?
Not disqualified. However, offshore applicants in non-priority categories now fall into Priority 5 (the lowest processing tier), meaning significantly longer wait times.
Which occupations get top priority?
Law enforcement/defence, construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations receive the highest priority tiers, especially when lodged onshore.