Less than two months after introducing Direction 119, the Australian Government has replaced it with two separate instruments—Ministerial Directions 121 and 122—effective 19 September 2026. Direction 121 covers Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand/Temporary Skill Shortage) visas, while Direction 122 resets priorities for permanent and provisional skilled subclasses including 186, 189, 190, 491 and 494. The headline change is the removal of the former onshore/offshore split at the top of the queue. Highest priority now goes to applicants in critical sectors—construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law-enforcement and defence—regardless of their location. A new second tier reserves space for the Specialist Skills stream, followed by all other onshore cases, then offshore cases and finally remaining applications. For employers, this means offshore talent in priority occupations may move markedly faster, while non-priority onshore cases could wait longer than they anticipated under Direction 119. Migration advisers recommend reviewing workforce plans and, where possible, aligning nomination roles with listed sectors to secure higher priority. Permanent skilled visas see similar changes: regional subclass 491 applicants in critical sectors now outrank general subclass 190 nominees, potentially reshaping state-nomination strategies. The Department has begun re-ordering all undecided applications lodged before 19 September, so clients may notice shifts in estimated processing times. Companies sponsoring staff should ensure nomination letters clearly reference the relevant priority sector. Mobility teams are also advised to monitor for further tweaks—Direction 119 survived just 56 days, illustrating how fluid Australia’s skilled-migration settings have become.
Source: Abacus Visa
