Australia's New Skilled Visa Queue: A Friendly Guide to MD 121 and MD 122

News · 2026-09-21 · 4 min read

If you have been dreaming of working in Australia, whether you are on a contract in the Middle East right now or back home in the Philippines, there is news worth knowing. From 19 September 2026, the order in which skilled visa applications get decided has changed, and it may affect how long you wait for an answer.

The Department of Home Affairs introduced two fresh Ministerial Directions, called MD 121 and MD 122. They take over from MD 119, the earlier priority framework, and between them they touch nearly every main skilled visa route.

Why the queue order matters to you

Home Affairs does not simply work through applications on a first come, first served basis. Each one is placed according to government priority, and that placement can decide whether you hear back quickly or wait a long time.

MD 121: the line-up for temporary skilled visas

This direction applies to the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, as well as the Temporary Skill Shortage visa it replaced, which has now been retired. Applications are handled in this sequence:

Jobs in priority sectors: Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing and Resources, together with roles linked to defence or law enforcement
People applying in the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa
Applicants who were physically in Australia at the time of lodging
Applicants lodging on their own, with no partner or family member joined to the application, from outside Australia
All remaining applications

Put simply, if your occupation is not in one of those priority industries and you lodged a combined family application from overseas, expect to be near the end of the line.

MD 122: provisional and permanent skilled visas

MD 122 looks after a far wider group of permanent skilled visas and provisional ones. These include the Skilled Independent (189) and Skilled Nominated (190) visas, the Employer Nomination Scheme (186), regional provisional visas such as the 491, 494 and 489, and permanent pathways like the 191 and the 887.

Its ranking follows the same idea, with fewer steps:

Applications in priority sectors or in the national interest, using the same industry list as MD 121
Applicants located in Australia when they lodged
Applicants lodging alone from overseas
Everything else

How this could play out for you

Working in a priority industry such as healthcare or construction? You can look forward to a quicker path than you would have had under MD 119.
Lodging while already in Australia? You now sit ahead of most people applying offshore.
Applying from abroad with your family on one application? This group is placed lowest, so plan for a longer wait and prepare your loved ones for it too.

Directions that remain unchanged

MD 121 and MD 122 do not cover everything. Two older directions still apply:

MD 114 for the closed Business Innovation and Investment (188) visa and the Business Talent (132) visa
MD 120, in effect from 25 July 2026, for Class BX (858) visas, which include the National Innovation visa and the closed Distinguished Talent and Global Talent programs

Do not treat the processing tool as a promise

Home Affairs' processing time tool is helpful, but it is only a guide. Its figures come from how long recently finalised applications took, not from a forecast of your own case, and it does not look at your personal details. Use it as a rough reference point and nothing more.

Your best move: a complete, careful application

Because priority now depends so much on how and where you lodge, a tidy and complete application is more important than ever. A mistake or a missing document can take you out of the faster track altogether. If you are not sure where you will land under these rules, getting professional advice before you submit is a sensible step.

Whatever your background, check whether your occupation fits one of the priority sectors, gather every document with care, and keep your expectations on timing realistic. With good preparation, you give yourself the best chance. Kaya mo 'yan!

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