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Australian Visa Bureau   »   Visas and Immigration   »   Making an Australian Visa Application   »  Australian Skilled Visa Application Priority Processing Order

Australian Skilled Visa Application Priority Processing Order

While the Australian visa application process is specific to individual applications and can take any length of time from a few weeks to a few years, understanding the Australian visa application priority processing order will help to give some idea of where you stand in relation to other applications.

How does the Australian visa priority processing order work?

The priority processing order is two sets of directions for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) that clearly states the order in which immigration officers will process skilled Australian permanent and provisional visa applications. 

Before reading on, please understand that priority processing DOES NOT affect your visa eligibility in any way, and ONLY determines how quickly your visa application will be entered into processing upon lodgement to DIAC.

Essentially, the priority processing order determines how quickly your visa application will be processed after lodging it to DIAC. If you are Priority 1, 2, 3 or 4, this should only be a matter of months, whereas Priority 5, 6 and 7 applicants are currently not scheduled to be processed until approx. 2012. However, timeframes are all subject to change, being very dependent on the demands of the Australian economy and DIAC.

Should you be eligible for multiple visas, it is vital that you understand the huge differences in processing times BEFORE deciding which visa option is right for your personal circumstances.

Complete the Online Assessment for Skilled Migration Complete the Online Assessment for Skilled Migration

Current Australian Visa Processing Priorities - Updated 08/02/2009
Applicant's situation Processing Priority
Applicants who are applying under the Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) or Regional Skilled Migration Scheme (RSMS) Processing Priority 1
Applicants who are nominated by a State / Territory government agency under a state migration plan agreed to by the minister. Processing Priority 2
Applicants with a successful State / Territory nomination and whose nominated occupation is on the Critical Skills List (CSL) Processing Priority 3
Applicants whose nominated occupation is on the Critical Skills List (CSL). Processing Priority 4
Applicants with a successful State / Territory nomination but whose nominated occupation is NOT on the Critical Skills List (CSL). Processing Priority 5
Applicants whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL); AND
Applicants who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is not listed on the Critical Skills List (CSL).		 Processing Priority 6
All other applicants. Processing Priority 7
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