Skilled visa processing priorities

[TeeTMI]

New Ministerial Direction No 100 - Order of consideration - Certain Skilled Visas  (1/11/22)

Skilled visa applications are processed in the following order of priority:

1. Visa applications in relation to a healthcare or teaching occupation.
2. For employer sponsored visas, visa applications where the applicant is nominated by an Approved sponsor with Accredited Status.
3. Visa applications in relation to an occupation to be carried out in a designated regional area.
4. For permanent and provisional visa subclasses, visa applications that count towards the migration program, excluding the Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa.
5. All other visa applications.

For all categories above, priority will be given to holders of eligible passports.  Within each category above, for provisional and permanent skilled visa applications, priority is given to visa applications where the primary applicant is located outside Australia at the time the visa application is made.

 

Part 2, Paragraph 7(1) sets out the order of priority for considering nomination applications as:

(a) Nomination applications in relation to a healthcare or teaching occupation

(b) Nomination applications lodged by an Approved sponsor with Accredited Status

(c) Nomination applications in relation to an occupation to be carried out in a designated regional area

(d) All other nomination applications

Priority should be given within Paragraph 7 to provisional or permanent visas that nominate applicants who are located outside Australia at the time the nomination application is made and also those holding eligible passports which are Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China passport or a British National (Overseas) passports for the purpose of this Direction.

 

Part 2, Paragraph 8(1) sets out the order of priority for considering visa applications as:

(a) Visa applications in relation to a healthcare or teaching occupation

(b) For employer sponsored visas, visa applications where the applicant is nominated by an Approved sponsor with Accredited Status

(c) Visa applications in relation to an occupation to be carried out in a designated regional area

(d) For permanent and provisional visa subclasses, visa applications that count towards the migration program, excluding the Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa

(e) All other visa applications.

Priority should be given within Paragraph 8 for provisional and permanent skilled visa applications where the primary applicant is located outside Australia at the time the visa application is made and those who are holders of eligible passports.

 

Schedule A provides the skilled visas this Direction applies to:

(a) Subclass 124 (Distinguished Talent) visa

(b) Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa

(c) Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa

(d) Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa

(e) Subclass 189 (Skilled - Independent) (Points-tested stream) visa

(f) Subclass 190 (Skilled - Nominated) visa

(g) Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)) visa

(h) Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa

(i) Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa

(j) Subclass 489 (Skilled - Regional (Provisional)) visa

(k) Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)) visa

(l) Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)) visa

(m) Subclass 858 (Global Talent) visa

(n) Subclass 887 (Skilled — Regional) visa

(o) Subclass 888 (Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa.