Software developer in Nairobi eyeing Australia? How the new visa queue could slow your timeline

News · 2026-08-26 · 5 min read

A Kenyan woman reviews paperwork beside a laptop at home, with a suitcase nearby and city views through the window.

Short answer: technology workers are not at the front of Australia’s skilled visa queue right now, so if you are a software engineer, data scientist or IT professional in Nairobi or Mombasa, build extra time and a backup option into your plan. This is not a ban, and settings can change again. It is a change in the order in which applications are handled, and it is worth understanding before you commit time and money.

What changed in the queue

Since a directive from the Home Affairs Minister took effect in July, Australia’s skilled visa system has reordered its priorities. The table shows the order described.

Order	Who is handled first
First	Law enforcement and defence professionals already in Australia
Second	Offshore applicants in those same fields
Third	Construction, healthcare and teaching applicants who lodged from within Australia

Technology is not named among the fast-tracked categories, and industry groups say applicants are feeling the difference in real time. At a recent parliamentary inquiry into migration, three industry bodies, among them the national computing society, a leading business council and an information industry association, all described the same pattern: IT visa processing has slowed markedly, and those caught in the middle are often highly qualified people who did everything asked of them.

A story that explains the risk

One detail from the inquiry stands out. The founder of a technology consultancy described a data scientist his firm wanted to sponsor. She did not just face delay. She faced unpredictability, with no clear sense of when or whether her application would move. She left for Ireland instead, was welcomed quickly, and has since moved again, this time to the United States, where she is reportedly earning several times what an Australian role would have paid. The lesson is that for skilled people with options, uncertainty is often more costly than a longer wait with a clear timeline. A six-month process with a clear timeline is manageable. An eighteen-month process with no updates pushes talented people to other destinations.

Practical steps while you wait

Watch the shelf life of assessments. ACS skills assessments typically expire after two years, and more applicants are having to renew them because the visa decision has not come in time. Diarise the date well ahead.
Do not trust published timeframes blindly. The Tech Council of Australia flagged visas meant to be processed in seven business days that took months. Use official targets as the best case, not the plan.
Ask about other routes. Industry bodies raised streamlined intra-company transfer visas for people already employed by multinationals with an Australian presence. If that is you, ask your employer.
Keep parallel options alive. It is sensible, not defeatist, to keep other destinations open, given how quickly competitors such as Ireland and parts of the US market have responded to skilled candidates.

You can present your experience clearly with Build AI CV, and our piece on new visa processing priorities explains the queue in more detail, while the visa slowdown for nurses and teachers shows who is being handled first.

Is demand really falling?

The industry’s latest Digital Pulse report found that Australia’s technology workforce contracted in 2026 for the first time on record. It frames this partly as a temporary result of softer hiring, but stresses that migration channels must stay open once demand returns, especially as AI-driven skill needs evolve faster than the government’s official skills lists. If the slowdown continues, employers risk missing the specialist talent they will need for the next wave of AI and technology growth. That is why the shift may look like short-term triage, and why settings could shift back.

Common mistakes Kenyan IT applicants make

Assuming an Australian offer means a fast visa, when the queue may move slowly.
Treating a Kenyan degree or a KNEC diploma as a finished assessment. A skills assessment may still be needed.
Letting an assessment expire while waiting.
Putting all hopes on one country.

For Australian matters speak to a migration agent on the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) register, and for New Zealand to a licensed immigration adviser or a lawfully exempt person. Browse our jobs page to see roles in other fields.

Frequently asked questions

Who is at the front of the queue?

Law enforcement and defence professionals already in Australia, then offshore applicants in those fields.

Where does technology sit?

It is not named among the fast-tracked categories.

For how long is an ACS skills assessment result valid?

They typically expire after two years.

Can I use an intra-company transfer visa?

It may be an option if you already work for a multinational with an Australian presence.

Should I give up on Australia?

No, but go in with realistic expectations and a backup plan.

Key takeaways

A directive that took effect in July put technology behind other occupations.
Uncertainty is costlier than a longer, predictable wait.
Skills assessments typically expire after two years; renew in time.
Published processing times are not always met.
Keep a documented application and a contingency plan.

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