On 29 July 2026, the Australian Department of Home Affairs announced that three new Ministerial Directions took effect on 25 July 2026. The Department states the aim is to prioritise applications from onshore migrants across the Skilled and Family programs, and to reduce Net Overseas Migration.
This article summarises the two changes with the greatest impact on the Vietnamese community in Victoria: Direction 117 (Family visas) and Direction 119 (Skilled visas).
1. Family visas — Direction 117 replaced Direction 102
For the Family visa program, Ministerial Direction No. 117 replaced Ministerial Direction No. 102 from 25 July 2026.
Priority by where the applicant is
- Highest priority: applications made while the primary applicant was in Australia, for a visa that can be granted while the applicant is in Australia.
- Lower priority: the primary applicant is outside Australia at the time of application, or must be outside Australia at the time of grant.
Order within each group
- Applications subject to ministerial intervention
- Partner or dependent child
- Orphan relative
- Contributory parent and contributory aged parent
- Carer
- Parent, aged parent, remaining relative and aged dependent relative
Exceptions and limits
- Direction 117 allows an application to be prioritised where there are special circumstances of a compassionate nature and compelling reasons to depart from the usual order. This is decided case by case.
- Parent and Other Family visas (Carer, Remaining Relative, Aged Dependent Relative) remain subject to capping and queuing under Direction 103.
2. Skilled visas — Direction 119 replaced Direction 105
Direction 119 replaced all processing priorities previously set under Direction 105 and applies to all on-hand applications.
The most notable point: Direction 119 includes the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) program — a visa stream that was not previously covered by Direction 105.
Priority based on two factors
- Occupation: occupations supporting Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests are afforded the highest priority, followed by construction, healthcare and teaching.
- Applicant location: applicants who are in Australia at the time of application rank ahead of applicants outside Australia.
The five priority levels
- Law enforcement or defence occupations — applicant in Australia
- Law enforcement or defence occupations — applicant outside Australia
- Construction, healthcare and teaching occupations — applicant in Australia
- All other applications — applicant in Australia
- All other applications — applicant outside Australia
Scope
- The Direction applies to sponsor nomination applications as well as visa applications.
- Subclasses covered by Direction 119 include 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 482, 491, 494 and others.
- Direction 120 also took effect on 25 July 2026 and covers Class BX (subclass 858) visas.
3. What “processing priority” actually means
Processing priority affects only the order in which the Department considers applications. Specifically:
- It does not decide whether an application is granted or refused.
- It does not change the legal requirements for any visa subclass.
- It is not a commitment about processing time. The Department states that processing times vary according to the individual circumstances of each case.
Nothing here applies automatically to your application, and no visa outcome can be guaranteed.
4. Who should review their plans
- People considering a Partner visa application, particularly where they are weighing an onshore against an offshore lodgement.
- Families waiting on a Parent visa or an Other Family visa.
- People holding a temporary visa that is due to expire and who need to plan for a bridging visa.
- Businesses that sponsor, or plan to sponsor, overseas workers — recruitment timelines and lodgement dates should be reviewed.
General information only — not legal advice.
Thông tin chung, không phải tư vấn pháp lý.
Call (03) 9364 8076 or message us to book a consultation (fees apply).
NGUYEN DO LAWYERS · Vietnamese & English · Sunshine, VIC
info@nguyendolawyers.com.au · nguyendolawyers.com.au
