Hiring Skilled Overseas Workers? New Visa Processing Priorities Mean Decision Ready Applications Matter More Than Ever
Commencing on 25 July 2026, the new Ministerial Direction No. 119 replaced Direction No. 105, setting new processing priorities for skilled visas. Most importantly, the new Direction No. 119 also applies to the Skills in Demand (SID) – subclass 482 visas.
Nominations and visa applications currently have the following processing priorities:
Applications for an occupation related to Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests and the nominee is onshore at the time of lodgement;
Applications for an occupation related to Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests and the nominee is offshore at time of lodgement;
Applications in relation to an occupation that is in the field of Healthcare, Teaching or Construction and the nominee is onshore at time of lodgement;
Applications in relation to a nominee who is in Australia at the time of lodgement;
Applications in relation to a nominee who is outside Australia at the time of lodgement.
Effectively, this means that if an application is for an occupation currently prioritised in the Direction that falls within the ANZSCO Unit Group included (please see below for the list of prioritised occupations), it is more likely that these applications would be processed within the Department’s published processing timelines.
In comparison with the previous Direction No. 105, the current processing priorities focus on onshore visa applicants and the nominated occupations that are in shortage in Australia. Regional applications and nominations provided by accredited sponsors do not receive the same processing priority in this new change.
If you are affected by the above changes, one very good tip is to ensure the application put in is decision-ready. At Ruppert Legal, we understand the struggles small businesses experience in finding someone who has the skills and work ethics that align with the business’ needs. It is especially frustrating when you find the right fit, but the employee is unable to keep or expand their work commitment due to visa constraints.
We are committed to ensuring applications put forward to the Department are decision-ready, aiming to minimise additional costs and time incurred for employers and employees in responding to further requests from the Department, which often result in further delays in processing time.
If you are a business struggling to find or retain the right person, give us a call today to assess whether migration options may be suitable for you.
We currently offer a free 15-minute Discovery Call with a solicitor to discuss your circumstances and outline immigration pathways that might be available to you.
Book your free Discovery Call today via our booking link here.
Have questions? Contact our team today and find out what we could do for you.
📞: (02) 0421 1090 📮: info@ruppertlegal.com.au
List of Prioritised Occupations:
Defence and law enforcement occupations include:
ANZSCO Unit Group 4411 – Defence Force Members – Other Ranks
ANZSCO Occupations:
11212 – Defence Force Senior Officer
139111 – Commissioned Defence Force Officer
139211 – Senior Non-Commissioned Defence Force Member
ANZSCO Unit Group 4413 – Police
Construction occupations include:
ANZSCO Sub-Major Group 33 – Construction Trades Workers
ANZSCO Sub-Major Group 82 - Construction and Mining Labourers
ANZSCO Unit Group 1331 - Construction Managers
ANZSCO Unit Group 2321 - Architects and Landscape Architects
ANZSCO Unit Group 2332 - Civil Engineering Professionals
ANZSCO Until Group 3121 - Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians
ANZSCO Unit Group 3126 - Safety Inspectors
ANZSCO Unit Group 3129 - Other Building and Engineering Technicians
ANZSCO Unit Group 3222 - Sheetmetal Workers
ANZSCO Unit Group 3223 - Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers
ANZSCO Unit Group 7111 - Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing
Machine Operators
ANZSCO Unit Group 7121 - Crane, Hoist and Lift Operators
ANZSCO Unit Group 7212 - Earthmoving Plant Operators
ANZSCO 341111 – Electrician (General)
ANZSCO 341112 – Electrician (Special Class)
Healthcare occupations include:
ANZSCO Sub-major Group 25 - Health Professionals
ANZSCO Minor Group 411 - Health and Welfare Support Workers
ANZSCO Unit Group 2346 - Medical Scientists
ANZSCO Unit Group 2721 - Counsellors
ANZSCO Unit Group 2723 - Psychologists
ANZSCO Unit Group 2725 - Social Workers
ANZSCO Unit Group 3112 - Medical Technicians
ANZSCO 423111 – Aged or Disabled Carer
ANZSCO 423312 – Nursing Support Worker
ANZSCO 423313 – Personal Care Assistant
Teaching occupations include:
ANZSCO Minor Group 241 – School Teachers
ANZSCO Unit Group 1341 – Child Care Centre Managers
ANZSCO 134311 – School Principal
ANZSCO 242211 – Vocational Education Teacher (AUS) / Polytechnic Teacher (NZ)
ANZSCO 421111 – Child Care Worker
ANZSCO 242111 – University Lecturer
