Episode Summary:
On 25 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 117 came into effect and replaced Ministerial Direction 102. It gives highest priority to Family visa applications made while the primary applicant was in Australia, for a visa that can be granted while the applicant is in Australia.
It then sets out different priority levels for different types of family visas. There’s a lot of information — and a lot of confusion — around this change.
In this episode, we’re cutting through the complexity and hopefully we can provide some clarity on what has changed, who is likely to be affected, how the priority system works.
Final thoughts:
Don't rush to get on shore and lodge a family visa application while in Australia. All family visa applications are now subject to condition 8503 - which means you cannot lodge another application when onshore. 8503 waivers are rare and are not granted easily. Even though MD117 puts partner and dependent visas on the higher priority list, higher priority does not guarantee faster processing times.
Keywords:
Subclass 804, Subclass 801, Subclass 820, Subclass 884, Subclass 864, Aged Parent Visa, Partner Visa, Contributory Aged Parent Visa
Main Topics:
• (00:00) - Changes in Ministerial Direction 117
• (05:12) - Applicant's location in processing priority
• (06:38) - Partner Visa already lodged
• (07:24) - Parent Visa processing time
• (09:12) - Does higher priority mean faster processing time?
• (10:35) - Things to be aware of about MD117
Additional Resources:
• Family Visa Processing Times
• Ministerial Direction 117
- Links -
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Amitava Deb | LinkedIn
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