As at 2 October 2026, the Department’s processing times guide shows half of Subclass 482 Skills in Demand applications in the Core Skills stream processed within 4 months, and 90% within 9 months. The Specialist Skills stream is quicker, at 37 and 78 days. Ministerial Direction 121 now decides who goes first.
Status as at 2 October 2026: Ministerial Direction 121 is in force. It commenced on 19 September 2026 and revoked Direction 119, which applied from 25 July to 18 September 2026.
If you are an employer waiting on a hire, or a worker waiting to move, the stream is only part of the answer. The occupation matters, and so does where the applicant was when the application went in. Direction 121 puts a set of priority sectors ahead of everyone else, whether the applicant is in Australia or overseas.
482 visa processing times by stream
The Skills in Demand visa has three streams under the Migration Regulations: Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement. Our Skills in Demand visa guide covers who fits each one.
As at 2 October 2026, the Department’s visa processing times guide shows the following for the 482. The figures were last updated on 29 September 2026.
| Application | 50% processed in | 90% processed in |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist Skills stream | 37 days | 78 days |
| Core Skills stream | 4 months | 9 months |
| Labour Agreement stream | 5 months | 9 months |
| Nomination | 64 days | 9 months |
| Sponsorship | 11 days | 57 days |
The employer’s side counts too. A 482 cannot be granted unless “the nomination identified in the application has been approved”, so the nomination time sits alongside the visa time, and a business that is not yet an approved sponsor has that step first.
Treat these as a guide, not a promise. The Department says the estimate “is based on how long it has taken to process recently decided applications”, so it describes applications already decided and may not yet reflect the reordering under Direction 121.
How Ministerial Direction 121 orders 482 applications
A ministerial direction is a written instruction to departmental decision makers under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958, and they must follow it. It sets the order of processing. It does not change who is eligible. Family visas have their own, Direction 117.
Direction 121 was signed on 18 September 2026 and commenced the next day. Section 7(3) sets five tiers, highest first:
- “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”
- “applications for a Skills in Demand (Class GK) visa in which the applicant seeks to satisfy the criteria for the grant of a Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa in the Specialist Skills stream”
- “all other visa applications where the applicant is a primary applicant who is in Australia at the time the application is made”
- “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”
- “all other visa applications”
Some practical points follow from the text. Tier 1 has no location test, so a nurse applying from overseas sits with a nurse applying in Australia. Family members included in the primary applicant’s application get the same priority as the primary applicant. And outside tiers 1 to 3, an overseas applicant applying alone sits in tier 4, while an overseas application that includes family members falls to tier 5.
The direction applies to applications “made, but not finally determined, before the commencement of this Direction”, so it covers applications already in the queue on 19 September 2026. It does not apply to applications remitted by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), or where the ART has substituted a new decision, or to a family member applying separately where the primary visa holder was in Australia when they applied. The Department’s skilled visa processing priorities page sets out the same five tiers.
Section 8 says a delegate “is to depart from the order of priority” if satisfied that “the application involves compelling circumstances, such as, affecting community safety, or the continuity of essential religious, cultural or community services in Australia, or Australia’s international relations”.
The priority sectors and the ANZSCO groups Direction 121 names
The preamble describes the top tier as “occupations in relation to Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing, and Resources sectors, and in Australia’s law enforcement and defence interests”. Most sectors are defined by ANZSCO codes, the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. Each listed occupation is “of equal priority”.
| Sector | What Direction 121 lists |
|---|---|
| Construction | Sub-Major Groups 33 (Construction Trades Workers) and 82 (Construction and Mining Labourers); Unit Groups 1331, 1332, 2321, 2332, 3121, 3122, 3126, 3129, 3222, 3223, 7111, 7121 and 7212; occupations 341111 Electrician (General) and 341112 Electrician (Special Class) |
| Healthcare | Sub-major Group 25 (Health Professionals); Minor Group 411 (Health and Welfare Support Workers); Unit Groups 2346, 2721, 2723, 2725 and 3112; occupations 423111 Aged or Disabled Carer, 423312 Nursing Support Worker and 423313 Personal Care Assistant |
| Teaching | Minor Group 241 (School Teachers); Unit Group 1341 (Child Care Centre Managers); occupations 134311 School Principal, 134411 Faculty Head, 242111 University Lecturer, 242211 Vocational Education Teacher and 421111 Child Care Worker |
| Resources | Unit Groups 2336 (Mining Engineers), 2344 (Geologists, Geophysicists and Hydrogeologists) and 7122 (Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers); occupations 133513, 232212, 232214, 234912, 323211, 323212, 323213, 323214 and 323299 |
| Agriculture, aquaculture, fishing | No ANZSCO list. Defined by function, where “the nominated position is directly involved in primary produce production or supporting productivity” |
| Law enforcement | Unit Group 4413 (Police), nominated or sponsored by the Australian Federal Police or one of the State and Northern Territory police forces the direction names |
| Defence | Occupations supporting AUKUS Pillar I or II, or nominated or sponsored by the ADF or the Department of Defence, or backed by a letter of support from either and based at a defence facility or supporting defence materiel or technology |
The resources sector is also defined by function: the nominated position must directly support “the exploration, extraction and production of minerals, oil and gas, or coal resources, including mine closure, decommissioning and rehabilitation activities”. For roles outside these sectors, priority depends on the stream and on where the applicant is. The direction also states that it “does not change the composition of the skilled migration occupation lists”.
Where the 482 queue is now
The Department’s Skills in Demand visa page carries a notice, updated on 1 October 2026, that says it is “currently processing visa applications that were lodged in” these months:
| Direction 121 tier | Applications lodged in |
|---|---|
| Priority sectors | February 2026 |
| Specialist Skills stream | July 2026 |
| Applicants in Australia when they lodged | January 2026 |
| Applicants outside Australia, application not combined | October 2025 |
| All other applications from outside Australia | October 2025 |
For an overseas applicant outside the priority sectors and the Specialist Skills stream, October 2025 is the date to watch. The Department adds a caution: “While the Department transitions to the new processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 121, published allocation dates and processing timeframes may fluctuate. Some timeframes may temporarily increase as applications are reprioritised.”
What changed from Direction 119
Direction 119 ran from 25 July to 18 September 2026. It covered visa applications across 11 skilled visa subclasses, permanent and temporary, and nominations for four of them. Direction 121 covers the 482 only. The permanent and provisional skilled visas moved to a separate direction, Direction 122.
For 482 visa applications, the order changed like this:
| Tier | Direction 119 | Direction 121 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | In Australia, law enforcement or defence occupation | Priority sector occupation, wherever the applicant is |
| 2 | Outside Australia, law enforcement or defence occupation | Specialist Skills stream |
| 3 | In Australia, healthcare, teaching or construction occupation | All other applicants in Australia |
| 4 | All other applicants in Australia | Applicants outside Australia, application not combined |
| 5 | All other applicants outside Australia | All other applications |
The practical shifts:
- Offshore health, teaching and construction applicants moved up. Under Direction 119 they fell into the last tier. Under Direction 121 they are in the first.
- New sectors. Agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources were added. Construction gained Unit Groups 1332 (Engineering Managers) and 3122 (Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians), and teaching gained 134411 Faculty Head.
- Specialist Skills became its own tier, which it was not under Direction 119.
- Defence was defined more broadly. Direction 119 limited the sponsored category to listed Defence Force occupations. Direction 121 covers any occupation nominated or sponsored by the ADF or Defence, and letter of support cases.
- An exceptions clause was added. Direction 119 had no equivalent of section 8.
And from Direction 105
Before 25 July 2026, the Department’s own processing priorities page said, in its archived version of 11 July 2026, that “Ministerial Direction No. 105 does not apply to the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)”. Direction 105, dated 14 December 2023, applied to the older Temporary Skill Shortage 482.
Its order looked quite different. For employer sponsored visas it put positions in a designated regional area first, then “Visa applications for healthcare or teaching occupations”, then applications where “an approved sponsor with accredited status nominates the applicant”. Neither Direction 119 nor Direction 121 mentions regional location or accredited sponsor status as a priority category.
The open point: nominations
Direction 119 had a separate section ordering nomination applications, including nominations for the 482. Direction 121 does not. It applies to “applications for the visa classes mentioned in the Schedule”, and its Schedule lists the Skills in Demand and Temporary Skill Shortage visa classes only.
That is what the text says. It does not say how nominations are now ordered, and we are not going to guess.
Income thresholds from 1 July 2026
Processing order is separate from eligibility, but salary rules decide whether a nomination can be approved at all. The Department’s news item of 1 July 2026 gives the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) as AUD79,423, up from AUD76,515, and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) as AUD146,576, up from AUD141,210. The new figures apply to nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, and the change “will not apply to existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2026”. Our CSIT guide explains how the threshold works.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for a 482 visa to be approved?
As at 2 October 2026, the Department’s guide shows 50% of Core Skills applications processed in 4 months and 90% in 9 months. For Specialist Skills it is 37 and 78 days, and for Labour Agreement 5 and 9 months. The nomination has its own processing time.
Which 482 stream is processed the fastest?
On the Department’s current figures, the Specialist Skills stream. It is also the second tier under Direction 121, behind the priority sectors.
Does Ministerial Direction 121 apply to applications lodged before 19 September 2026?
Yes. It applies to applications made but not finally determined before it commenced, as well as new ones.
Does Ministerial Direction 121 apply to nominations?
Its text orders visa applications. Unlike Direction 119, it does not contain a separate order for nomination applications.
Do family members affect 482 processing priority?
Family members included in the application take the primary applicant’s priority. For an overseas applicant outside the priority sectors and the Specialist Skills stream, though, an application combined with another person’s sits in tier 5, behind applications that are not combined.
Can a 482 application be prioritised outside the order?
Section 8 of the direction allows it. A delegate is to depart from the order if satisfied the application involves compelling circumstances, such as community safety, the continuity of essential religious, cultural or community services, or Australia’s international relations.
A realistic next step
For employers, the useful question is where the role sits in the Direction 121 order, and whether the nomination and visa are ready to be decided when they reach the front of it. Our team works with businesses on employer sponsorship, and you can speak to our team before lodging to check where an application is likely to sit.
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.
