The Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) has made significant changes to the way it prioritises employer-sponsored visa applications.

The changes are particularly important for businesses sponsoring workers, as they can affect how long a nominated worker may have to wait before their visa is approved and they can commence work in Australia.

The new processing priorities commenced on 25 July 2026 with the publication of Ministerial Direction 119 and applies to a range of employer-sponsored visas, including the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) and Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visas.

What has changed?

DOHA has introduced a new priority system that gives preference to:

1. Law enforcement and defence occupations where the visa applicant is in Australia at the time of lodgement;
2. Law enforcement and defence occupations where the visa applicant is outside Australia at the time of lodgement;
3. Construction, healthcare and teaching occupations where the visa applicant is in Australia at the time of lodgement;
4. Other applicants where the visa applicant is in Australia at the time of lodgement; and
5. Visa applicants who are outside Australia at the time of lodgement.

A visa applicant’s location and occupation at the time of lodgement can have a significant impact on processing times.

Will offshore applications take significantly longer?

Yes, offshore applications are at the lowest priority for DOHA and will take the longest to process.

Healthcare, teaching and construction occupations receive priority where the visa applicant is in Australia when they apply. However, when a visa applicant in one of these occupations applies from overseas, they will fall into the lowest priority category.

As a result, offshore visa applications, other than those involving law enforcement or defence occupations, are likely to take significantly longer to process and receive a decision on their visa application.

The changes do not appear to allow for priority escalation. Accordingly, moving to Australia after lodging a visa application is unlikely to affect the processing times priorities.

Current Processing Times for subclass 482 Visas Applications

For subclass 482 visa applications, DOHA states that it is currently processing applications lodged in the following periods:

• As received – Australian law enforcement or defence interests.
• August 2026 – construction, healthcare and teaching occupations from applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
• December 2025 – all other applications from applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
• October 2025 – all other applications from applicants who were outside Australia when they applied.

Currently, for all Subclass 482 visa applications, 50% are processed in 69 days and 90% are processed in 10 months*

Current Processing Times for subclass 186 Visa Applications

For subclass 186 visa applications, DOHA states that it is currently processing applications lodged in the following periods:

• As received – Australian law enforcement or defence interests.
• August 2025 – construction, healthcare and teaching occupations from applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
• November 2024 – all other applications from applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
• July 2024 – all other applications from applicants who were outside Australia when they applied.

Currently, for all Subclass 186 Direct Entry pathway visa applications, 50% are processed in 10 months and 90% are processed in 14 months*

What does this mean for employers?

Employers should not base their expectations on processing timeframes that were in place prior to the changes introduced on 25 July 2026.

Further, regional positions and employers with accredited sponsor status no longer receive a separate priority under the new system.

If you have a worker who is currently overseas, or who was overseas at the time of visa lodgement, their visa may now take considerably longer to process than anticipated.

Employers should ensure that their applications remain decision ready while they are waiting to be processed. Financial statements, BAS, and other company documents should be provided and up to date. Employee documents such as police clearances, health examinations, passports, English language test results and skills assessments should be provided upon lodging to ensure a case is ready for DOHA to make a decision upon first review.

Contact our migration team to discuss how we can assist you with employer-sponsored visa applications or for any other migration questions you may have.

*The DOHA timeframes are indicative only as of September 2026 and are subject to change.