As at 2 October 2026, the 190 visa processing time in the Department’s guide is 4 months for half of recently decided Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) applications, and 16 months for 90% of them. For the Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional) state or territory nominated stream, the figures are 5 months and 18 months.
Those figures cover everyone, though, and since 19 September 2026 everyone is not standing in the same line. Ministerial Direction 122 now decides which skilled applications a case officer picks up first. Where your file sits in that order can matter more than the headline number.
Status as at 2 October 2026: Ministerial Direction 122 has applied to 189, 190 and 491 applications since 19 September 2026, including applications already lodged. The new points test announced on 17 September 2026 is not law and has no start date.
190 visa processing time, with 491 and 189 figures
The Department publishes each processing time as two points: the time within which 50% of recently decided applications were processed, and the time within which 90% were. These are the figures from its visa processing times guide, checked on 2 October 2026.
| Visa | 50% processed in | 90% processed in |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated | 4 months | 16 months |
| Subclass 491, state or territory nominated | 5 months | 18 months |
| Subclass 491, family sponsored | 4 months | 7 months |
| Subclass 189 Skilled Independent, points-tested stream | 61 days | 8 months |
Two things about these numbers tend to get lost.
They look backwards. The Department says the guide “gives an indication of how long a visa application may take to process” and that the estimate “is based on how long it has taken to process recently decided applications.” It describes the queue as it was, not where it is heading, and it is not a promise about any one file.
They also cover the visa application only. The time it takes to get a skills assessment, lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and receive a state nomination all comes before the visa clock starts.
For the 190, the gap between the 50% and 90% marks is a full year. The Department lists individual factors that can stretch a file, such as requests for more information and health and character checks. The order in which it picks applications up also matters, and that order is what Direction 122 controls.
What Ministerial Direction 122 says
A ministerial direction under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958 tells the Department’s decision makers how to exercise their powers. Direction 122 was signed by the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, on 18 September 2026 and “commences on the day after it is signed”, so it has applied since 19 September 2026.
It sets this order, highest priority first:
(a) visa applications made by a primary applicant in relation to an occupation in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, and resources sectors, or an occupation related to Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests;
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(b) all other visa applications where the applicant is a primary applicant who is in Australia at the time the application is made;
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(c) visa applications where the applicant is a primary applicant who is outside Australia at the time the application is made and whose application is not combined with another person’s application at any time;
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(d) all other visa applications, except for those covered by subsection (4).
Subsection (4) keeps families together in the queue: “Visa applications that are combined with a primary applicant’s application in a way permitted by the Regulations are given the same priority as the primary applicant’s application under this section.”
The Direction covers these visas: Subclass 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 489, 491, 494, 887 and 888. The temporary Subclass 482 sits under a separate direction, 121, which we cover in our guide to 482 visa processing times.
A few lines in the text matter more than they first appear.
It reaches applications already lodged. The Direction says it “applies to visa applications made, but not finally determined, before the commencement of this Direction”. If you lodged in 2025 and were still waiting on 19 September 2026, your file has been under the new order since that day.
Location is fixed on the day you lodge. Tiers (b) and (c) ask where the primary applicant was “at the time the application is made”. Moving onshore or offshore after lodging does not change that.
The first tier has no location test. A nurse applying from overseas sits in tier (a) alongside a nurse applying from Sydney.
It does not change occupation lists. In its own words, “This Direction does not change the composition of the skilled migration occupation lists.”
Exceptions are narrow. A delegate is to depart from the order only if satisfied that the application “involves compelling circumstances affecting community safety, or the continuity of essential religious, cultural or community services in Australia.”
How the Direction defines the priority sectors
The Direction defines each sector itself. Several are defined by Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) codes, and the rest by what the position involves.
| Sector | How Direction 122 defines it | Examples from the Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Listed ANZSCO groups and occupations | Sub-Major Group 33 Construction Trades Workers; Sub-Major Group 82 Construction and Mining Labourers; 341111 Electrician (General) |
| Healthcare | Listed ANZSCO groups and occupations | Sub-major Group 25 Health Professionals; Minor Group 411 Health and Welfare Support Workers; 423111 Aged or Disabled Carer |
| Teaching | Listed ANZSCO groups and occupations | Minor Group 241 School Teachers; 242111 University Lecturer; 421111 Child Care Worker |
| Agriculture, aquaculture or fishing | What the nominated position involves | A position “directly involved in primary produce production or supporting productivity” |
| Resources | What the nominated position supports, plus listed groups | Unit Group 2336 Mining Engineers; Unit Group 7122 Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers; 323211 Fitter (General) |
| Law enforcement | ANZSCO Unit Group 4413 Police | Nominated or sponsored by the Australian Federal Police or a state or Northern Territory police force |
| Defence | AUKUS Pillar I or II work, or Defence backing | Nominated or sponsored by the Australian Defence Force or the Department of Defence, or holding a qualifying letter of support |
One gap is worth flagging. Agriculture, aquaculture and fishing, and part of resources, turn on “the nominated position” rather than an occupation code. The Direction does not explain how that wording applies to points-tested applicants, who nominate an occupation rather than a position with an employer. If your 189, 190 or 491 claim to tier (a) depends on those sectors, it is worth getting that checked rather than assumed.
How the queue order changed since July
Direction 122 is the second rewrite of skilled processing in two months.
- Until 24 July 2026: Direction 105, dated 14 December 2023.
- 25 July to 18 September 2026: Direction 119, which revoked Direction 105 and “commences on the day after it is signed”. Direction 121 records it as dated 24 July 2026.
- From 19 September 2026: Direction 121 for the temporary 482, which formally revoked Direction 119, and Direction 122 for permanent and provisional skilled visas.
Here is how the two recent orders compare for visa applications.
| Priority | Direction 119 (25 July to 18 September 2026) | Direction 122 (from 19 September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onshore primary applicants, law enforcement or defence | Priority sectors, onshore or offshore |
| 2 | Offshore primary applicants, law enforcement or defence | All other onshore primary applicants |
| 3 | Onshore primary applicants, healthcare, teaching or construction | Offshore primary applicants not combined with another person’s application |
| 4 | All other onshore primary applicants | All other applications |
| 5 | All other offshore primary applicants | No fifth tier |
The biggest movers are offshore applicants in healthcare, teaching and construction. Under Direction 119 they sat in the last tier with every other offshore applicant. Under Direction 122 they are in the first. Agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources, which had no priority under 119, joined them.
Direction 119 also set an order for nomination applications. Direction 122 deals only with visa applications.
Where the 190 queue is up to
The Department also publishes the lodgement dates it is working on, tier by tier. On the Subclass 190 page, in a notice updated on 2 October 2026, it says it is “currently processing applications that were lodged in or before”:
| Group under Direction 122 | Lodged in or before |
|---|---|
| Construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence | March 2026 |
| Primary applicant in Australia at lodgement | January 2026 |
| Primary applicant outside Australia, application not combined with another person’s | February 2025 |
| All other applications from applicants outside Australia | February 2025 |
Read across the rows and the Direction’s effect is plain. On these dates, an onshore 190 applicant outside the priority sectors is being reached at lodgements about 9 months old. An offshore applicant outside those sectors is being reached at lodgements about 20 months old.
If you lodged offshore in early 2025 and have watched people who lodged onshore months later move ahead of you, that is not your imagination. It is the order working as written.
The same notice carries a warning: “While the Department transitions to the new processing priorities under Ministerial Direction No. 122, published allocation dates and processing timeframes may fluctuate. Some timeframes may temporarily increase as applications are reprioritised.”
The 190 page also lists what moves an individual file, including “how quickly you respond to any requests for additional information” and “how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements”. It confirms the points-tested minimum too: “If you do not obtain a score of 65 points you will not be invited to apply for this visa.”
The state nomination itself is a separate step with its own timing. Each state and territory sets its own criteria and nominates through SkillSelect, and the visa figures above only start once you lodge the visa application.
491 visa processing time and queue
The 491 has two streams with very different figures in the guide. State or territory nominated applications were 50% processed in 5 months and 90% in 18 months. Family sponsored applications, where an eligible relative sponsors you instead of a state, were 50% processed in 4 months and 90% in 7 months.
The Subclass 491 page notice, updated on 2 October 2026, gives these lodgement dates:
| Group under Direction 122 | Lodged in or before |
|---|---|
| Construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence | March 2025 |
| Primary applicant in Australia at lodgement | March 2025 |
| Primary applicant outside Australia, application not combined with another person’s | February 2025 |
| All other applications from applicants outside Australia | February 2025 |
The 491 queue sits well behind the 190’s, except offshore, where both are at February 2025. Onshore applicants outside the priority sectors are at March 2025 for the 491, against January 2026 for the 190. Even the priority sectors are being worked at March 2025 lodgements.
Fewer Regional places in 2026-27
The planning levels for the 2026-27 Permanent Migration Program, announced on 12 May 2026, change sharply across the points-tested categories. The Department’s planning levels page says the 190 sits “within the State and Territory Nominated visa category” and the 491 “within the Regional visa category”.
| Category | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent | 16,900 | 21,090 |
| State/Territory Nominated (190) | 33,000 | 35,500 |
| Regional (491) | 33,000 | 14,110 |
The Regional category falls from 33,000 places to 14,110, a cut of more than half. The same page says the government “will prioritise applications from onshore migrants, allocating 129,590 places to migrants already living in Australia”.
A planning level is not a processing time, but the same page says the Department processes applications “in line with the Permanent Program planning levels and skilled visa processing priorities”. Our 2026-27 planning levels explainer walks through the whole program.
189 processing time and queue
The points-tested 189 was 50% processed in 61 days and 90% in 8 months, the shortest 50% figure of the three. Its queue is also the most current. The Subclass 189 page notice, updated on 2 October 2026, gives these lodgement dates for the points-tested stream:
| Group under Direction 122 | Lodged in or before |
|---|---|
| Construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence | June 2026 |
| Primary applicant in Australia at lodgement | June 2026 |
| Primary applicant outside Australia, application not combined with another person’s | November 2025 |
| All other applications from applicants outside Australia | November 2025 |
Speed of processing is only half the 189 story. You cannot lodge at all without an invitation.
When is the next 189 invitation round?
The Department runs 189 invitation rounds itself. Its SkillSelect notice says: “The next invitation round for the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa is expected to be held by 31 October 2026.”
The latest round shown on the invitation rounds page is 4 June 2026, when 10,000 EOIs were invited for the 189. The page’s table for the 2026-27 program year shows no 189 invitations issued so far.
190 and state-nominated 491 invitations run on a different track. The Department says state and territory nominations for those visas “will not be affected by the departmental invitation rounds”. If your EOI needs updating before the next round, our guide on how to lodge an EOI in SkillSelect covers what the Department looks at.
The new points test is announced, not law
On 17 September 2026 the Minister told the National Press Club that “we have redone the points test in consultation with Treasury”. In his speech he said that “under the new points test that we will, on implementation, be making sure that anyone who is skilled in the housing trades will get the same number of points as though it were a university qualification”.
That is an announcement. As at 2 October 2026 there is no published new points table, no start date and no amending regulation on the Federal Register of Legislation. EOIs are still scored under the current test. We track what is known in our article on Australia’s new points test.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a 190 visa take to be granted in 2026?
As at 2 October 2026, the Department’s guide shows 50% of recently decided 190 applications were processed in 4 months and 90% in 16 months. Outside the priority sectors, the Department was processing onshore applications lodged in or before January 2026 and offshore applications lodged in or before February 2025, so your own wait depends heavily on your tier.
Is the 189 or 190 faster?
On the Department’s current figures, the 189 is faster once lodged: 50% in 61 days against 4 months for the 190, and 90% in 8 months against 16. The catch is that a 189 needs a Department invitation, and the Department’s invitation table for the 2026-27 program year shows none issued yet.
Is 75 points enough for a 190?
The Department’s minimum is 65 points. Above that, the Department does not set a separate score for the 190: each state and territory decides whom to nominate against its own criteria. Whether 75 points is competitive depends on the state and your occupation at the time.
Does a 491 lead automatically to permanent residence?
No. The usual route is the Subclass 191, which has its own criteria. The Department’s 191 page says you must have held a 491 or 494 “for at least 3 years before you apply” and provide Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment “for three income years out of the five years of your eligible visa”, among other requirements. Our Subclass 191 guide explains them.
Does Direction 122 apply if I lodged before 19 September 2026?
Yes. The Direction applies to applications “made, but not finally determined, before the commencement of this Direction”. Pending 189, 190 and 491 applications were moved into the new order from 19 September 2026.
Can I ask for my application to be prioritised?
Only within the Direction’s narrow exception, which applies where an application involves compelling circumstances affecting community safety or the continuity of essential religious, cultural or community services. Personal hardship, however real, is not one of the listed grounds.
A realistic next step
If your 190 or 491 has been sitting longer than the headline figures suggest, the first useful question is which tier Direction 122 puts you in, and whether your occupation genuinely falls in a priority sector. The second is whether anything in your file is slowing it down on its own account. Our skilled visa team works through both, and you can book a consultation with our migration lawyers to look at your application against the current order.
About the author: Tina Nematian is the Principal Lawyer at One Planet Migration Law. She is an Australian Legal Practitioner and a Registered Migration Agent (MARN), and has guided clients through partner, skilled, employer-sponsored, student, and humanitarian visa applications across Australia.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa rules change frequently and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Speak with a registered migration lawyer or agent before making any application. Figures were current as of October 2026; always check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
