Australian visa processing times
Your wait, in the department’s own numbers
How long Home Affairs is taking to decide 41 visas and 74 streams, with every release kept since November 2026. Latest release 9 November 2026.
- 820 Partner Visa
- 90% within30 months
- 189 Skilled Independent Visa
- 90% within9 months
- 482 Skills in Demand Visa
- 90% within9 months
- 500 Student Visa
- 90% within7 months
Every visa, every stream
The 50% column is the typical wait; the 90% column is the time within which nine in ten recent applications were decided. Open a visa for its stream detail, the trend and a decision date estimator.
Skilled and employer sponsored
| Visa | Stream | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent visa | Points-Tested | 90 days | 9 months |
| 189 Skilled Independent visa | New Zealand | 56 months | 62 months |
| 190 Skilled Nominated visa | — | 8 months | 16 months |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa | State/Territory Government Nominated Regional | 17 months | 30 months |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa | Family Sponsored Regional | 4 months | 7 months |
| 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) | Regional Provisional Visa | 7 months | 11 months |
| 887 Skilled Regional visa | — | 10 months | 11 months |
| 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa | Employer Sponsored | 10 months | 20 months |
| 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa | Labour Agreement | 86 days | 13 months |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme | Direct Entry Pathway | 22 months | 24 months |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme | Agreement Pathway | 44 days | 13 months |
| 186 Employer Nomination Scheme | Transition Pathway | 22 months | 24 months |
| 482 Skills In Demand visa | Labour Agreement | 6 months | 10 months |
| 482 Skills In Demand visa | Core Skills | 6 months | 9 months |
| 482 Skills In Demand visa | Specialist Skills | 59 days | 3 months |
| 482 Skills In Demand visa | Nomination | 36 days | 9 months |
| 482 Skills In Demand visa | Sponsorship | 15 days | 4 months |
| 858 Global Talent visa / National Innovation visa | Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) | 16 months | 24 months |
| 858 Global Talent visa / National Innovation visa | National Innovation | 78 days | 7 months |
| 132 Business Talent visa | Significant Business History | 67 months | 70 months |
| 188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa | Business Innovation Extension | 7 months | 11 months |
| 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa | Business Innovation | 9 months | 11 months |
| 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa | Investor | 6 months | 9 months |
| 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa | Significant Investor | 4 months | 6 months |
Partner and family
| Visa | Stream | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|---|
| 820 Partner visa | — | 21 months | 30 months |
| 801 Partner visa | — | 6 months | 19 months |
| 309 Partner (Provisional) visa | — | 21 months | 35 months |
| 100 Partner visa | — | 9 months | 18 months |
| 300 Prospective Marriage visa | — | 18 months | 31 months |
| 101 Child visa | — | 29 months | 33 months |
| 802 Child visa | — | 21 months | 31 months |
| 102 Adoption visa | — | 10 months | 19 months |
| 117 Orphan Relative visa | — | 75 months | 96 months |
| 445 Dependent Child visa | — | 26 months | 33 months |
| 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) | Visa Application | 7 months | 9 months |
| 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) | Sponsorship | 4 months | 4 months |
| 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) visa | — | 5 months | 7 months |
Study and graduate
| Visa | Stream | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 Student visa | Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector | 1 day | 25 days |
| 500 Student visa | Postgraduate Research Sector | 25 days | 66 days |
| 500 Student visa | Independent ELICOS Sector | 11 days | 49 days |
| 500 Student visa | Schools Sector | 24 days | 7 months |
| 500 Student visa | Vocational Education and Training Sector | 4 months | 7 months |
| 500 Student visa | Higher Education Sector | 25 days | 7 months |
| 500 Student visa | Non-Award Sector | Under 1 day | 23 days |
| 485 Temporary Graduate visa | Post-Vocation Education Work | 52 days | 4 months |
| 485 Temporary Graduate visa | Post-Higher Education Work | 16 days | 33 days |
| 590 Student Guardian visa | — | 34 days | 8 months |
Visitor, working holiday and short stay
| Visa | Stream | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 Visitor visa | Tourist | 21 days | 31 days |
| 600 Visitor visa | Sponsored Family | 40 days | 89 days |
| 600 Visitor visa | Business Visitor | 7 days | 23 days |
| 651 eVisitor visa | — | Under 1 day | Under 1 day |
| 601 Electronic Travel Authority | — | Under 1 day | Under 1 day |
| 417 Working Holiday visa | — | 58 days | 80 days |
| 462 Work and Holiday visa | — | 7 days | 74 days |
| 771 Transit visa | — | 3 days | 17 days |
| 602 Medical Treatment visa | — | 21 days | 3 months |
| 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) visa | — | 12 days | 41 days |
| 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa | Government Agreement | 21 days | 41 days |
| 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa | Foreign Government Agency | 42 days | 4 months |
| 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa | Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) | 14 days | 3 months |
| 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa | Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme | 15 days | 29 days |
| 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa | Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) | 69 days | 3 months |
| 407 Training visa | — | 15 months | 19 months |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Entertainment Activities | 23 days | 40 days |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Research Activities | 77 days | 14 months |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Religious Work | 4 months | 10 months |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Special Programs | 7 days | 30 days |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Invited for Other Social and Cultural Activity | 6 days | 34 days |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Exchange Arrangements | 29 days | 50 days |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Superyacht Crew | 8 days | 15 days |
| 408 Temporary Activity visa | Sporting Activities | 14 days | 56 days |
| 988 Maritime Crew Visa | — | Under 1 day | 2 days |
| 155 Five Year Resident Return visa | — | Under 1 day | 6 days |
| 157 Three Month Resident Return visa | — | 12 days | 62 days |
State nominations, 2026-27
190 and 491 nominations issued by each state and territory from 1 Jul 2026 to 30 Sep 2026, from SkillSelect.
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About these processing times
Where do these processing times come from?
From the Department of Home Affairs’ global visa processing times, the same figures its own processing time guide shows. We read them for every visa and stream, keep each release, and show them side by side. The current figures cover applications decided in the period ending 30 September 2026.
Why does my visa show a range instead of one number?
The department publishes four percentiles: the time within which 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% of recently decided applications were finalised. The 90% figure is the usual answer to “how long will it take”; the 50% figure is the typical case.
Can these times tell me when my own visa will be granted?
Not exactly. They describe applications that have already been decided, and each application depends on how complete it is, health and character checks and the department’s processing priorities. Use them to plan, and for advice on your situation speak to a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.
How do I find out when the times change?
Each visa page shows the date of the latest release. With a free account you can save your application and see its estimate whenever you come back; Pro alerts email you on the day the department publishes new times for your visa, and when a new SkillSelect invitation round comes out.
Get an email the day your visa’s processing times change.
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