Family Visa Processing Priorities Australia: How the Queue Order Actually Works (2026)
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Last Updated: 11 August 2026
The Department of Home Affairs processes Family visa applications in a fixed order set by Ministerial Direction No. 117, effective 25 July 2026. Partner and dependent child applications lodged while the applicant is in Australia sit at the top of the queue. Parent, aged parent, remaining relative and aged dependent relative applications sit at the bottom — some of these now face waits measured in decades, not months.
This guide breaks down the priority order, what it means for your specific visa subclass, and where to check the latest official processing data before you lodge.
Key Takeaways Family Visa Processing Priorities Australia
Ministerial Direction 117 replaced Ministerial Direction 102 on 25 July 2026
Direction 117 gives highest priority to Family visa applications made while the primary applicant was in Australia, where the visa can be granted while the applicant is in Australia.
Within those categories, Direction 117 sets out six groups in the processing order.
Within the Direction 117 processing order, applications by a partner or dependent child are listed after family migration applications that have been subject to ministerial intervention.
Parent, aged parent, remaining relative, and aged dependent relative applications are the lowest priority category
Contributory Parent, Parent, Carer, Remaining Relative, and Aged Dependent Relative visas are separately subject to capping and queueing under Ministerial Direction 103
A small number of applications can be reprioritised for compassionate reasons, decided case by case
What Is Ministerial Direction 117?
Ministerial Direction 117 is the legal instrument that tells Home Affairs decision-makers what order to consider and finalise Family visa applications in, under sections 47 and 51 of the Migration Act 1958. It replaced Ministerial Direction 102 on 25 July 2026.
Decision-makers must follow this order. In doing so, they also have to weigh the government's policy settings on the size and composition of the Migration Program, and Australia's international legal obligations.
You can read the direction in full: Ministerial Direction No. 117 (PDF).
The Family Visa Priority Order
Direction 117 splits Family visa applications into two broad bands before it ranks them further.
Highest band: applications made while the primary applicant was in Australia, for a visa that can be granted onshore.
Lower band: applications where the primary applicant is outside Australia at the time of application, or must be outside Australia at the time of grant.
Within those bands, applications are then processed in this order:
Family migration applications that have already been subject to ministerial intervention
Applications by a partner or a dependent child
Applications by an orphan relative
Applications by a contributory parent or a contributory aged parent
Applications by a carer
Applications by a parent, aged parent, remaining relative, or aged dependent relative
In practical terms, an eligible onshore partner or dependent child application is generally prioritised ahead of a parent application lodged from overseas.
Why Partner and Child Applications Move Faster
Partner and dependent child visas sit at priority tier 2 — the highest tier available to ordinary applicants. That priority ranking is one of the reasons onshore Partner visa applications (subclass 820/801) tend to clear faster than Parent visa applications, on top of the fact that Partner visas are not subject to an annual cap.
For current Partner visa timelines by subclass, see our Partner Visa Processing Time guide.
Ministerial Direction 103: Capping and Queueing
Direction 117 sets the order Home Affairs works through Family visa applications. A separate instrument, Ministerial Direction No. 103, governs the visas that are capped each migration program year: Direction 103 specifies processing in queue date order for Family visa applications that are subject to capping and queueing. Capping means there is a maximum number of visas that can be granted each migration program year. Once that number is reached, remaining applications stay in the queue until a place becomes available in a future program year.
Read the direction in full: Ministerial Direction No. 103 (PDF).
The following Family stream visas are subject to capping and queueing:
Parent (subclass 103) and Aged Parent (subclass 804)
Contributory Parent (subclass 143) and Contributory Parent Temporary (subclass 173)
Contributory Aged Parent (subclass 864) and Contributory Aged Parent Temporary (subclass 884)
Carer (subclasses 116 and 836)
Remaining Relative (subclasses 115 and 835)
Aged Dependent Relative (subclasses 114 and 838)
Home Affairs identifies Contributory Parent, Parent and Other Family visa applications as subject to capping and queueing. Child and Partner visa processing times are published separately in the processing times guide.
Current Queue Release Dates (as at 31 May 2026)
Home Affairs publishes queue release dates for Parent visas and Other Family visas separately. As at 31 May 2026, official queue release dates were:
Visa | Queue Release Date (Applications Processed Up To) |
Contributory Parent (143) / Contributory Parent Temporary (173) | November 2018 |
Contributory Aged Parent (864) / Contributory Aged Parent Temporary (884) | November 2018 |
Parent (103) | March 2014 |
Aged Parent (804) | April 2014 |
Carer (116 / 836) | 31 December 2023 |
Remaining Relative (115 / 835) | 30 June 2013 |
Aged Dependent Relative (114 / 838) | 30 June 2013 |
Home Affairs updates these dates as new applications are released. Check the current figures before you lodge or make plans around a lodgement date:
For parent visa subclass detail, see our guides to the Aged Parent visa (804) and Contributory Aged Parent visa (864).
Can a Family Visa Application Be Prioritised?
Direction 117 allows Home Affairs to prioritise an application outside the normal order in special circumstances of a compassionate nature, where there are compelling reasons to depart from the standard priority. These decisions are made case by case — there is no published list of qualifying circumstances, and lodging a request does not guarantee reprioritisation.
If you believe your circumstances may qualify, discuss it with a registered migration agent before you lodge a request. Book a consultation with RACC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ministerial Direction 117 apply to Partner visas?
Yes. Partner and dependent child applications are ranked in priority tier 2 of Direction 117 — the highest tier available outside ministerial intervention cases. Partner visas are also not subject to capping, so Direction 103's queueing rules do not apply to them.
What replaced Ministerial Direction 102?
Ministerial Direction 117 replaced Ministerial Direction 102 on 25 July 2026. It governs the same area — the order Home Affairs processes Family visa applications — under sections 47 and 51 of the Migration Act 1958.
Why are Parent visa applications processed so much slower than Partner visa applications?
Two separate rules combine to slow Parent visa processing. Direction 117 places Parent, Aged Parent, Remaining Relative and Aged Dependent Relative applications in the lowest priority tier. Direction 103 also caps these visas each program year, meaning applications beyond the cap wait in a queue for a future year's allocation.
Can I speed up a Parent visa application by paying more?
No amount of payment changes an application's place in the priority order. The Contributory Parent pathway (subclasses 143/173/864/884) has a shorter queue than the non-contributory pathway (103/804) because it receives a larger annual allocation, not because of an individual payment.
Related Guides
Need help working out where your application sits in the queue? Book a free consultation with RACC's registered migration agents (MARN1572961, MARN1172003).
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