Agents ask the same question in different words: “which MD is this file under?” The answer is not one Direction. It is a Direction per program, each with its own test, and several have been replaced in the last eleven months. This page is the lookup.
Every Direction here sets the order applications are considered, not whether they are granted. Clause by clause, the criteria for the visa are unchanged.
The lookup
| Direction | Program | What sorts the queue | Replaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 119 | Skilled employer-sponsored, independent, state-nominated, regional | Applicant location, then occupation | Direction 105 (14 December 2023) |
| 120 | National Innovation, Global Talent, Distinguished Talent (Class BX) | Achievement and priority sector | Direction 112 (6 December 2024) |
| 117 | Family and partner visas | Location, then visa type | Direction 102 (9 February 2023) |
| 115 | Offshore student (subclass 500) | Provider’s share of its indicative allocation | Direction 111 |
| 114 | Subclass 188 and 132 | Closed programs | n/a |
| 105 | Skilled, to 24 July 2026 | Occupation | Revoked by 119 |
If a file was lodged under a Direction that has since been replaced, check the revocation clause of the new one. Some replaced Directions keep running on old files.
Skilled files: Direction 119
Direction 119 revoked Direction 105 and applies to nominations and visa applications on hand, not only new lodgements. There are two schedules.
- Nominations (Schedule A): subclass 186, 187, 482 (Skills in Demand), 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) and 494.
- Visa applications (Schedule B): subclasses 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 482 (both streams), 489, 491, 494, 887 and 888.
The five bands are the same for both. The applicant’s location at the time of application decides the band before occupation does.
| Band | Occupation | Location when applying |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law enforcement or defence interests | In Australia |
| 2 | Law enforcement or defence interests | Outside Australia |
| 3 | Healthcare, teaching or construction | In Australia |
| 4 | All other | In Australia |
| 5 | All other | Outside Australia |
There is no band for a healthcare worker outside Australia. They fall into band 5, below a café manager who applied from inside the country. Combined applications take the primary applicant’s priority (clause 8(4)). We work through the occupations and a triage method in onshore vs offshore: what Ministerial Direction 119 does to your skilled files.
National Innovation and Global Talent: Direction 120
Direction 120 covers Class BX visas and replaced Direction 112. Subclass 858 is the visa most agents will meet. It does not rank by location. Section 8 sets five tiers, highest first:
- Exceptional applicants who are global experts and recipients of top of field international awards.
- Applicants nominated on Form 1000 by an expert Australian Government agency or a State or Territory agency.
- Exceptional and outstanding achievement in the tier 1 sectors: critical technologies, renewables and low emission technologies, and health industries.
- The same, in the tier 2 sectors.
- Everything else.
The Direction also states it does not change the legislative requirements for the visa. Our guide to the National Innovation Visa covers the invitation process.
Family and partner files: Direction 117
Direction 117 is dated 24 July 2026 and commences the day after signing. It orders Family visa applications under sections 47 and 51 and replaced Direction 102. It works alongside the separate Direction that applies when a section 85 cap limits places, and that capping Direction wins on any conflict. How the order plays out across parent, partner, carer and other family is set out in the family visa priority order.
Student files: Direction 115, and 111 for older ones
Direction 115 commences on 14 November 2025 and applies to offshore subclass 500 applications made on or after that date. Priority depends on the provider, not the student:
- Priority 1 while a provider’s commencements are below its prioritisation threshold, which is 80 per cent of its indicative allocation.
- Priority 2 once that threshold is reached but the upper threshold is not.
- Priority 3 once the upper threshold, 115 per cent of the indicative allocation, is reached.
Direction 111 was revoked by 115, but section 3(2) keeps it running on offshore subclass 500 applications made, but not finally determined, before it was revoked. An offshore file lodged before 14 November 2025 and still undecided therefore still sits under the older Direction. For the calendar-year rule and the provider list, see the student-visa traffic light and how the queue now splits between universities and private colleges.
Character decisions: Direction 110, then 123 from 31 October
The processing Directions above set the order of the queue. A different kind of Direction tells decision-makers how to weigh a refusal, cancellation or revocation on character grounds under sections 501 and 501CA. Direction 110 has done that since 21 June 2024. Direction 123 replaces it from 31 October 2026, with four primary considerations instead of five: ties to Australia move to the other considerations. We set out the changes and the deadlines in Direction 123 starts on 31 October.
The closed programs: Direction 114
Direction 114 orders subclass 188 and 132 applications. Both programs are closed to new applicants, so it matters only for matters already lodged.
A habit worth building
Put three fields on every file: visa subclass, lodgement date, and the applicant’s location when they applied. Those three decide which Direction applies and where the file sits in it. Without them, “which MD is this under?” becomes a trawl through correspondence. Centrio keeps those fields on the client file so a caseload can be filtered by Direction and band.
This is general information, not migration or legal advice. Priority Directions affect the order applications are considered, not whether they are granted. Details were accurate at publication. Confirm against the Direction itself before advising on a specific file, because the Department can issue a replacement at short notice.
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