Ministerial Direction 119: Big News for Tradies, Nurses and Teachers Applying for Australian Skilled Visas
On 25 July 2026, the Australian Government quietly made one of the most significant changes to skilled visa processing in years. Ministerial Direction 119, signed by Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke, has replaced Direction 105 and completely reshaped the order in which the Department of Home Affairs processes skilled nomination and visa applications.
If you're Irish or British and working in construction, healthcare or teaching — or if you're already in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa weighing up your next move — this Direction matters to you. Here's what's changed and what it means in practice.
What is Ministerial Direction 119?
A Ministerial Direction under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958 tells Department case officers the order in which they must consider and decide applications. It doesn't change the visa criteria themselves — you still need to meet every requirement in the Act and Regulations — but it determines whose file gets picked up first. In a system where processing queues can stretch for months, that ordering makes a real-world difference.
Direction 119 applies to nominations for the Subclass 186 (ENS), 187 (RSMS), 482 (Skills in Demand and legacy TSS) and 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) programs, and to visa applications across the employer-sponsored and points-tested skilled programs — including the 186, 189, 190, 191, 482, 491, 494, 887 and 888.
Critically, it applies to applications already lodged and awaiting decision, not just new lodgements. If you have an application in the queue right now, your place in that queue may have just changed.
The New Order of Priority
Under Direction 119, applications are prioritised by two factors: your occupation and where you are when you apply. The processing order is:
Priority 1: Occupations supporting Australia's law enforcement or defence interests, where the applicant is in Australia.
Priority 2: Law enforcement or defence occupations, where the applicant is outside Australia.
Priority 3: Healthcare, teaching or construction occupations, where the applicant is in Australia.
Priority 4: All other applications where the applicant is in Australia.
Priority 5: All other applications where the applicant is outside Australia.
Two things jump out immediately. First, construction has been elevated to a priority sector alongside healthcare and teaching. Second, being onshore now beats being offshore at every level of the hierarchy.
Construction Is Now a Priority Occupation — And the List is Broad
This is the headline change for our client base. Under the previous Direction 105, healthcare and teaching were prioritised, but tradespeople were not. Direction 119 changes that, with the Government explicitly linking the move to housing supply.
The definition of "construction occupation" is generous. It captures:
All Construction Trades Workers (ANZSCO Sub-Major Group 33) — bricklayers, carpenters, joiners, plumbers, painters, glaziers, plasterers, wall and floor tilers and more
Construction and Mining Labourers (Sub-Major Group 82)
Electricians — both Electrician (General) and Electrician (Special Class)
Construction Managers
Civil Engineering Professionals, Architects and Landscape Architects
Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers, and Sheetmetal Workers
Crane, Hoist and Lift Operators, and Earthmoving Plant Operators
Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians, Safety Inspectors and related technician roles
If you served your time in Ireland or the UK as a chippy, brickie, sparky or steel fixer, your visa application now sits in a faster lane than it did a month ago.
Healthcare and Teaching Keep Their Priority Status
Nurses, midwives, doctors, allied health professionals, aged and disability carers, counsellors, psychologists, social workers and medical technicians remain in the priority cohort, as do school teachers, early childhood educators, childcare workers and centre managers, vocational education teachers and university lecturers. For the Irish and British nurses and teachers who make up such a large share of skilled arrivals in WA, nothing is lost — and the onshore advantage discussed below adds a new strategic layer.
The 482 Skills in Demand Visa Is Now Expressly Covered
The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) program was not covered by Direction 105. Direction 119 brings it squarely within the priority framework — both at the nomination stage and the visa stage.
For employer-sponsored clients, this means a 482 nomination and visa application for a carpenter, nurse or teacher who is already in Australia should now be allocated ahead of most other files in the queue. For employers trying to fill roles quickly, sponsoring someone who is already onshore in a priority occupation is now the fastest route available.
Onshore Applicants Now Come First
This is the structural shift that will shape strategy for years. At every tier of the new hierarchy, an applicant who is in Australia at the time of application is prioritised over an applicant who is offshore. Even outside the priority occupations, an onshore applicant in any occupation ranks ahead of every offshore applicant.
The Government's stated rationale is to prioritise skilled migrants who are already contributing to Australia. The practical takeaway for readers in Ireland and the UK is this: where your circumstances allow, lodging your application while physically in Australia can materially improve your position in the processing queue. For many of our clients, that means the Working Holiday Visa isn't just a year of sunshine — it's a genuine strategic stepping stone. Arrive, secure employment in your trade or profession, and pursue sponsorship or a points-tested pathway from onshore.
One important note: secondary applicants (partners and children) who apply combined with the primary applicant take on the same priority as the primary application, so families move through the queue together.
What Direction 119 Does Not Do
A few clarifications worth making, because we're already seeing confusion online:
It does not change eligibility criteria, occupation lists or points requirements. You still need a positive skills assessment, the required English, and everything else the Regulations demand.
It does not apply to matters remitted by the ART, nominations relating to a change of employer, or applications where it's readily apparent the criteria would not be met.
It does not guarantee a processing timeframe. Priority means earlier allocation, not a promised decision date.
What This Means If You're Planning Your Move
If you're a tradesperson in Ireland or the UK: Your occupation is now in the priority lane, but offshore applicants still sit behind onshore ones. Talk to us about sequencing — for many under-35s, a WHV entry followed by onshore sponsorship or a state-nominated pathway is now more attractive than ever. Perth's classification as a designated regional area for the 491 program only strengthens the case for WA.
If you're already in Australia on a WHV: You are sitting in the strongest position this Direction creates. If you work in construction, healthcare or teaching, an employer-sponsored 482 or a points-tested application lodged onshore now carries both the occupation priority and the location priority.
If you have an application already in the queue: Direction 119 applies to on-hand applications, so your file has been re-ordered under the new hierarchy — for better or worse. If you'd like an honest assessment of where you now stand, get in touch.
If you're an employer: Sponsoring candidates who are already onshore in priority occupations is now the quickest way to get skilled workers on site or on the ward.
Talk to us
Shamrock Migration Services specialises in helping Irish and UK tradespeople, nurses, teachers and professionals build a life in Western Australia. If you want to understand exactly where Direction 119 places your occupation — and how to structure your pathway to take full advantage of it — book a consultation today.
