Why Ministerial Directions matter

• They decide how long you wait. Two people applying for the same visa can wait very different times. For the 190 visa, Home Affairs is processing priority sector applications lodged up to March 2026, but some applications from outside Australia lodged only up to February 2025.

• They can change after you apply. A new processing Direction usually applies to applications already lodged. MD122, for example, applies to applications made but not yet decided before it started.

• Some affect the outcome, not just the timing. Character and Genuine Student Directions guide how a decision-maker weighs your evidence.

• They change often. Skilled visa priorities changed twice in 2026: MD119 in July and MD121 and MD122 in September.

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Ministerial Directions in force

Skilled visa processing priorities

These Directions set the order in which Home Affairs decides skilled and employer-sponsored visa applications. They use your occupation and whether you were in Australia when you applied to decide which applications come first.

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If you have lodged a 189, 190, 491, 482, 186 or 494 application, one of these Directions sets your place in the queue. See the full priority order and occupation examples in our skilled visa processing priorities guide.

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Ministerial Direction 122

• In effect since: 19 September 2026

• Covers: subclasses 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 489, 491, 494, 887 and 888

• What it does: processes priority sector applications first (construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement and defence), then applicants who were in Australia when they applied

• Replaced: Ministerial Direction 119

• Read more: Ministerial Direction 122 explained

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Ministerial Direction 121

• In effect since: 19 September 2026

• Covers: Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, and Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) applications

• What it does: processes priority sector applications first, then the Specialist Skills stream, then applicants who were in Australia when they applied

• Replaced: Ministerial Direction 119, which MD121 revoked

• Read more: Ministerial Direction 121 explained

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Ministerial Direction 120

• In effect since: 25 July 2026

• Covers: National Innovation (subclass 858) applications, plus Global Talent and Distinguished Talent applications already lodged

• Read more: National Innovation visa (subclass 858)

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Ministerial Direction 114

• In effect since: 12 February 2025

• Covers: Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) and Business Talent (subclass 132) applications already lodged. Both visas are closed to new applications.

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Family visa processing priorities

These Directions set the order for Family visas, such as partner, child and parent visas. They give priority by visa type and by whether you applied in Australia. Parent and other capped visas also wait in a queue in date order.

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See how the queue works for each Family visa in our family visa processing priorities guide.

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Ministerial Direction 117

• In effect since: 25 July 2026

• Covers: Family visa applications, including partner, child, parent, carer, remaining relative and aged dependent relative visas

• What it does: gives highest priority to applications made while the primary applicant was in Australia, for a visa that can be granted in Australia. Within each group, the order is:

  1. Family applications that have been subject to ministerial intervention

  2. Partner and dependent child applications

  3. Orphan relative applications

  4. Contributory parent and contributory aged parent applications

  5. Carer applications

  6. Parent, aged parent, remaining relative and aged dependent relative applications

• Replaced: Ministerial Direction 102

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Ministerial Direction 103

• Covers: Family visa applications that are subject to capping and queuing

• What it does: processes these applications in queue date order

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Student visa processing priorities

These Directions set the order for Student visa applications lodged outside Australia. Your place in the queue depends on how much of its visa allocation your education provider has already used.

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See what this means for your application in our offshore student visa processing priorities guide.

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Ministerial Direction 115

• In effect since: 14 November 2025

• Covers: Student (subclass 500) applications lodged outside Australia on or after 14 November 2025

• What it does: sets three priority levels based on how close the education provider is to its indicative allocation:

  1. Priority 1: the provider has not reached 80% of its allocation, plus exempt groups such as school students, scholarship recipients and Pacific and Timor-Leste students

  2. Priority 2: the provider has reached 80% but not 115% of its allocation

  3. Priority 3: the provider has reached 115% of its allocation

• Replaced: Ministerial Direction 111

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Ministerial Direction 111

• Covers: offshore Student (subclass 500) applications lodged before 14 November 2025 and not yet decided

For Student visa applications lodged in Australia, Home Affairs aims to assess them in the order they are lodged. See our student visa guide for the full requirements.

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Character test

These Directions guide how decision-makers apply the character test under section 501 of the Migration Act. They cover visa refusals, cancellations and revocation of cancellations. They do not set processing order. They can change the outcome of a decision.

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See what changes from 31 October 2026 in our Ministerial Direction 123 guide.

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Ministerial Direction 110

• In effect since: June 2024, until 30 October 2026

• Covers: visa refusals and cancellations under section 501 of the Migration Act, and revocation of mandatory cancellations

• Replaced: Ministerial Direction 99

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Ministerial Direction 123

• Starts: 31 October 2026

• Covers: the same character decisions as MD110. It binds Home Affairs decision-makers and the ART.

• Replaces: Ministerial Direction 110

• Read more: Ministerial Direction 123 explained

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Genuine Student requirement

These Directions guide how decision-makers assess whether a Student or Student Guardian visa applicant is a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student. Like the character Directions, they affect the outcome, not the processing order.

See how the Genuine Student requirement fits into your application in our student visa guide.

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Ministerial Direction 106

• In effect since: 23 March 2024

• Covers: Student (subclass 500) and Student Guardian (subclass 590) applications made on or after 23 March 2024

• What it does: sets how decision-makers assess the genuine entry and stay (Genuine Student) requirement

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Ministerial Direction 108

• In effect since: 23 March 2024

• Covers: the genuine temporary entrant criterion for Student (subclass 500) and Student Guardian (subclass 590) applications

• Replaced: Ministerial Direction 69

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Ministerial Directions that no longer apply

People still search for these Directions by number. Here is what replaced each one:

• Ministerial Direction 119 (skilled): applied from 25 July 2026 to 18 September 2026. Replaced by MD121 and MD122. Read the MD119 history.

• Ministerial Direction 105 (skilled): applied from 14 December 2023 to 24 July 2026. Replaced by MD119.

• Ministerial Direction 102 (family): replaced by MD117 on 25 July 2026.

• Ministerial Direction 107 (offshore Student visas): replaced by MD111 in December 2024.

• Ministerial Direction 111 (offshore Student visas): replaced by MD115 on 14 November 2025, but still applies to applications lodged before that date.

• Ministerial Direction 99 (character): replaced by MD110 in June 2024.

• Ministerial Direction 69 (genuine temporary entrant): replaced by MD108 on 23 March 2024.