Ministerial Direction 105: how visa processing priorities work in 2026

Ministerial Direction 105 (MD 105) is the legal instrument that tells the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) which visa applications to process first. If your application is sitting in the queue, MD 105 determines whether it gets picked up in weeks or months. Understanding the priority order won't change where your application sits, but it explains why some visas move faster than others — and what the Department is legally required to do.

What is Ministerial Direction 105?

A Ministerial Direction is a written instrument issued by the Minister for Home Affairs under the Migration Act 1958. It binds departmental officers — they must follow it when allocating processing resources. MD 105 replaced its predecessor (Ministerial Direction 90) and sets out a ranked list of visa application types, from highest to lowest processing priority.

The direction applies across almost all temporary and permanent visa subclasses. It does not guarantee processing within a specific timeframe, but it does mean that applications in a higher priority group are worked before those in a lower group, all else being equal.

How the priority order works

MD 105 organises visa applications into priority tiers. Higher tiers get processing attention before lower tiers. Within the same tier, the Department typically works applications in date-of-effect order — oldest lodgements first, unless another rule applies.

The broad priority order under MD 105 runs roughly as follows:

• Highest priority — humanitarian and protection visas. Applications involving serious humanitarian concerns sit at the top of the queue.
• High priority — temporary visas with urgent welfare or health grounds. Certain visitor and medical treatment applications where the applicant's circumstances are time-critical.
• Standard temporary work and skilled visas. This tier covers a large portion of the visa caseload, including employer-sponsored pathways such as the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482). Nominations and sponsorships linked to skilled applications are processed in alignment with the associated visa.
• Permanent skilled and family visas. Points-tested visas (subclasses 189, 190, 491) and family stream applications sit in this band. Processing within this group is further shaped by SkillSelect invitation rounds — an application lodged without a current invitation will not move regardless of its tier. For more on how invitation rounds interact with the queue, see our post on how SkillSelect EOI ranking actually works in 2026.
• Lower priority — visitor, tourist, and some temporary visas where the applicant has no compelling time pressure.
• Lowest priority — applications where further information is outstanding. If the Department has issued a request for information and the applicant hasn't responded, the file moves to the back of the queue until the response arrives.

Within the family stream, MD 105 also establishes internal sub-priorities. Child visas — including the Subclass 101 Child visa, the Subclass 102 Adoption visa, and the Subclass 117 Orphan Relative visa — generally receive higher priority within the family stream than partner or other relative applications.

Some temporary work subclasses sit outside the main skilled tiers. The Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) (Subclass 400) is designed for short, urgent engagements and is typically prioritised accordingly. The Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) and New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship Visa (Subclass 461) sit in their own bands within the direction.

You can track how current processing times are moving across priority tiers on the Migrant Hub occupation rankings dashboard, which aggregates published data to show where wait times are longest.

Who MD 105 affects and when it matters

Applicants waiting on a decision

If your application has been lodged and health and character checks are complete, MD 105 is what determines when an officer picks it up. There is nothing you can do to move between tiers — your subclass places you in a tier automatically. The main lever available to you is ensuring your application is complete so it doesn't fall to the lowest-priority group.

Employer-sponsored applicants

Employer-sponsored cases involve two linked applications: the sponsorship or nomination, and the visa itself. MD 105 requires the Department to process nominations in conjunction with the visa application. A delay in nomination approval will therefore delay the visa regardless of where the visa sits in the priority order. Employers should lodge nominations and visa applications as close together as possible.

Family stream applicants

Family visa processing times vary significantly depending on sub-priority within the family stream. Child visas and adoption visas sit higher than partner visas in most circumstances. If you are a partner visa applicant (subclass 309 or 820), your application sits in a lower sub-priority band, which partly explains why partner visa queues are historically longer. Processing also depends on the annual family stream cap — once that cap is reached for the financial year, no further grants can occur until the new year opens.

Visitor and tourist applicants

Most visitor visa (subclass 600) applications sit in a lower priority band under MD 105. The Department processes millions of visitor applications each year, and the lower priority means wait times can vary considerably with seasonal demand.

When information requests are issued

If you receive a request for further information (sometimes called a section 56 request), respond promptly. An unanswered request effectively parks your application at the bottom of the queue. The clock on processing time pauses while the Department waits for your response.

Common questions

What is Ministerial Direction 105 in plain terms?

MD 105 is the rule that tells Department of Home Affairs officers which visa applications to work on first. It ranks visa types into priority groups, and officers must follow the order it sets out. It does not guarantee processing within a set timeframe, but it does explain why some visa subclasses move faster than others.

Does MD 105 mean my visa will be processed faster if I'm employer-sponsored?

Employer-sponsored visas such as the Subclass 482 sit in a standard-to-high priority band, which means they are generally worked before visitor or some family visas. However, processing speed also depends on whether your nomination is approved, whether your health and character checks are clear, and overall caseload volumes. Higher priority does not mean fast — it means earlier in the queue than lower-priority applications.

Can I ask the Department to prioritise my application outside MD 105?

In limited circumstances, yes. The Department can consider requests for priority processing where there are compelling and compassionate reasons — for example, a medical emergency or critical business need. These requests are assessed case by case and are not guaranteed. A MARA-registered migration agent can advise whether your circumstances support a priority request.

Why are partner visa processing times so much longer than skilled visa times?

Several factors combine. Partner visas sit in a lower sub-priority band within the family stream under MD 105. The family stream also operates under an annual cap, so once grants for the year are exhausted, no further decisions can be made until the new financial year. High application volumes and complex character and health requirements add to the wait.

Does MD 105 apply to all Australian visas?

MD 105 applies to the vast majority of visa subclasses processed by the Department of Home Affairs. A small number of visa types — particularly protection visas — are governed by additional statutory obligations that sit alongside the direction. For the most current list of subclasses covered, check the Department of Home Affairs website directly.

Where to go next

See how processing times and invitation activity are moving across visa subclasses and occupations on the Migrant Hub occupation rankings dashboard.