Vietnamese workers: is your job on Australia's priority list for skilled visa processing?

Visa guide · 2026-09-21 · 3 min read

Australia has a new way to decide which skilled visa applications are looked at first. The change started on 19 September 2026. If you hope to work in Australia, it helps to know if your job is on the priority list.

What changed

Australia uses rules called Ministerial Directions. They tell the Department of Home Affairs which applications to handle first. Two new ones, MD 121 and MD 122, replace the older MD 119. A higher priority can mean a faster decision. A lower priority can mean waiting longer.

Which jobs are on the priority list?

The priority sectors are:

construction;
healthcare;
teaching;
agriculture, aquaculture and fishing;
resources;
work linked to defence or law enforcement.

If your work fits one of these, your application should usually move faster than it did under the old rule.

Which visas are affected?

MD 121 covers the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), a work visa where an employer sponsors you, and the older Temporary Skill Shortage visa. MD 122 covers many other skilled visas. These include the 189, 190, 186, 491, 494, 489, 191 and 887 visas.

What comes after the priority sectors?

If your job is not on the list, your place depends on your situation. People who were already in Australia when they applied are ahead of people who applied from overseas. Applications from one person alone are ahead of combined applications with a partner or family. A combined application from outside Australia sits lowest. This does not mean it will be refused. It only means it may wait longer.

Other rules still in use

Two older directions still apply. MD 114 covers two closed business visas, 188 and 132. MD 120 started on 25 July 2026 and covers Class BX (858) visas, including the National Innovation visa.

A note on waiting times

Home Affairs has a tool that shows processing times. It is only a guide. It shows how long recent cases took. It does not check your own application, so please do not treat it as a promise.

Stay safe

Some people may say they can put you at the front of the line, for a payment. Be careful. Deal only with licensed organisations and real employers. Never pay an unlicensed broker, and be careful with anyone who asks for money upfront to secure a job or a visa. Priority is set by the government's rules, not by a private favour.

Get your papers ready

A complete application is very important now, because missing documents can slow you down. Prepare:

proof of your qualifications, checked for recognition in Australia;
certified English translations of Vietnamese documents, where the rules ask for them;
an IELTS or PTE result, if the visa or employer needs one;
the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2), if a police certificate is requested.

You can check visa details on the official visa listing. Take it one step at a time, and you will be ready.

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