Australia: New Processing Priorities for Certain Visas Announced

The Australian government has introduced a new processing priority framework that establishes a revised processing order for a range of employer-sponsored, skilled and regional migration visa applications, including the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visas, among others.  

Under the new framework, the highest priority is given to applicants in occupations supporting Australia's law enforcement and defense interests, followed by applicants in specified healthcare, teaching and construction occupations. It also gives higher priority to applicants already in Australia over those applying offshore, reflecting the government's focus on addressing critical skills shortages and supporting industries of national importance, including Australia's AUKUS (a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) commitments. The new policy removes the previous processing priority afforded to regional positions and nominations lodged by accredited sponsors.  

The revised priority order applies to all applications lodged on or after July 25, 2026, as well as earlier applications that have not yet been finalized. As a result, some applications that previously benefited from higher processing priority (such as subclass 186 applications for regional positions outside the identified priority sectors) may experience longer processing times. For example, these applications have recently been processed in approximately 12 to 15 months, but processing times may now increase under the revised priority framework. 

The government has also updated its processing priorities for the Family Migration and National Innovation visa programs. The Family Migration priorities remain largely unchanged aside from increased priority for onshore applications, while the National Innovation visa priority order continues to favor globally recognized experts, government-nominated applicants, and individuals with exceptional achievements in Tier 1 priority sectors, including critical technologies, renewable and low-emission technologies, and health industries. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.