Specialist immigration consultancy Interstaff reports that Ministerial Directions 121 and 122—signed on 18 September and operational from 19 September 2026—have overhauled the Department of Home Affairs’ priority framework for skilled-visa processing. The article, published 22 September, outlines how the government has expanded top-tier priority to resources, agriculture and fisheries occupations alongside existing priority fields such as defence, healthcare, construction and teaching. Direction 121 targets Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visas, while Direction 122 covers permanent and regional skilled categories. Offshore applications in key industries now receive the same priority as onshore cases, eliminating a previous disadvantage for overseas hires. For multinational employers, the shift could shorten sponsorship lead-times for hard-to-fill roles in mining and agri-business, smoothing project staffing for the 2026–27 fiscal year. Companies outside the favoured sectors, however, may experience longer queues as Home Affairs re-orders the existing caseload. Mobility programme managers should audit current visa pipelines to anticipate revised decision dates and communicate updates to business stakeholders. Agents also advise preparing robust labour-market testing evidence and health assessments early to capitalise on faster decision windows in the newly prioritised streams.
Source: Interstaff Immigration News
