19 September 2026
AUS: Subclass 482 Visas — Healthcare roles now Priority 1 processing
On 19 September 2026, Ministerial Direction 121 commenced, setting a new five-tier processing priority order for Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand and remaining Temporary Skill Shortage) visa applications. Healthcare roles have now been added to Priority 1 processing.
On 19 September 2026, Ministerial Direction 121 commenced, setting a new five-tier processing priority order for Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand and remaining Temporary Skill Shortage) visa applications. Healthcare roles have now been added to Priority 1 processing.
Priority Processing Tiers for Subclass 482
| Priority | Application type |
|---|---|
| 1 (Highest) | Primary applicants in designated sectors including Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing, Resources, or Australia's law enforcement and defence interests (regardless of location). |
| 2 | Skills in Demand applications under the Specialist Skills stream not captured in Priority 1. |
| 3 | All other applications where the primary applicant was physically in Australia at the time of lodgement. |
| 4 | Applications where the primary applicant was outside Australia at lodgement and the application is not combined with another person at any time. |
| 5 (Lowest) | All remaining Subclass 482 applications covered by the Direction. |
If you would like advice on how these changes affect your application or your workforce planning, please get in touch with our team.