The Australian Government has released Ministerial Direction No. 119, replacing Direction 105 and changing the order in which a range of skilled visa nominations and applications are processed.
Overall, there are several welcome changes.
A positive outcome for employer-sponsored migration
Perhaps the most significant improvement is that Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa applications are now expressly included within the Ministerial Direction. The previous Direction pre-dated the introduction of the Skills in Demand visa and therefore did not specifically address this important visa category. Direction 119 now confirms that both Skills in Demand (subclass 482) and Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) applications fall within the priority processing framework.
This provides much-needed certainty for employers and visa applicants alike.
Prioritising Australia’s critical workforce needs
The Government has also rightly recognised Australia’s ongoing workforce shortages by giving priority to nominations and visa applications for occupations in:
- healthcare;
- teaching; and
- construction (particularly to support Australia’s housing objectives).
The Direction makes it clear that Australia’s skilled migration program is intended to support strategically important occupations and industries, ensuring businesses can access skills that cannot readily be sourced locally.
For many employers across Australia, particularly hospitals, schools, other health care providers and construction businesses, this should help reduce processing times for much-needed skilled workers.
The disappointing omission: Regional employers
While these changes are welcome, one significant feature of the previous Direction has disappeared.
Regional employers are no longer given any separate processing priority simply because they operate in regional Australia.
Under Direction 119, priority is determined primarily by:
- occupations supporting defence and law enforcement;
- healthcare;
- teaching;
- construction; and
- whether the applicant is onshore or offshore.
There is no longer a specific recognition that regional employers often face greater recruitment challenges than their metropolitan counterparts.
Why this matters
As someone who has worked in regional migration for many years, I see first-hand the critical role migration plays in supporting regional communities.
Regional employers frequently struggle to attract Australian workers, particularly in remote areas such as the Northern Territory. Migration is not simply a workforce strategy—it is often essential to keeping businesses operating and communities functioning.
While many regional employers in healthcare, education and construction will continue to benefit from the new priorities, countless employers in tourism, hospitality, agriculture, transport, community services and other industries will no longer receive any processing advantage solely because they are located in regional Australia.
That is disappointing.
Looking ahead
Ministerial Direction 119 is undoubtedly a positive development. Including the Skills in Demand visa within the Direction provides welcome clarity, and prioritising healthcare, teachers and construction workers reflects Australia’s immediate workforce needs.
However, Australia’s regional communities continue to experience some of the country’s most acute labour shortages. I hope future policy settings once again recognise the unique challenges faced by regional employers and restore dedicated processing priority for businesses operating outside our major metropolitan centres.
Supporting regional Australia is not simply about filling jobs—it is about sustaining communities, essential services, regional economic growth and putting food on every table in Australia.
