Australian visa processing times
On this page
What are the current median times?
These are the figures in the August 2026 column on the Home Affairs overview page.
| Visa group | Median processing time |
|---|---|
| Skilled (Permanent) | 8 months |
| Partner (Provisional/Temporary) | 23 months |
| Skilled (Temporary) | 134 days |
| Student | 22 days |
| Visitor (subclasses 600, 601 and 651 combined) | Less than 1 day |
| Working Holiday Maker | 2 days |
Home Affairs says the median is "the most accurate way to show" how long it is taking most applications to be finalised. Times can differ between visas within the same group, and some applications take longer.
What does Home Affairs say about its tool?
The department's global processing times tool "gives an indication" of how long an application may take, based on recently decided applications. It does not guarantee a decision within that time and does not check details of your own application. The tool is updated monthly, according to its page description, and was last updated on 29 September 2026.
Times are not published for visas closed to new applicants, capped and queued family visas, or visas with too few decisions to give a reliable figure.
What slows an application down?
Home Affairs lists these factors:
- missing supporting documents
- paper lodgement, instead of online
- slow replies to requests for further information
- health, character and national security checks
- for permanent visas, the number of places in the migration program
- complex applications and changes in volumes
- Ministerial Directions
- older applications being decided first
How are applications prioritised?
- Partner visas: Ministerial Direction 117 gives highest priority to family applications lodged while the primary applicant was in Australia, for visas that can be granted onshore. Within each group, applications are generally assessed by date.
- Skilled visas: processing follows Ministerial Directions, and applications are not always processed in the order received. See skilled visa priorities.
- Student visas: offshore applications lodged before 14 November 2025 fall under Ministerial Direction 111, and those lodged on or after that date fall under Ministerial Direction 115.
- Working Holiday Maker: onshore applications are prioritised. Offshore applications may take about three months in some cases.
- Visitor visas: subclass 600 times can vary significantly from 601 and 651, which are generally shorter. Some processing locations have delays.
How can I help my application move faster?
Home Affairs suggests you:
- submit all necessary supporting documents with your application
- use the "check twice, submit once" guidance for your visa
- lodge employer-sponsored nomination and visa applications together
- apply well before your course starts or you travel
- not book flights or make commitments for a Working Holiday Maker visa until it is granted
How long does each visa take?
The first column is the time within which half of recent applications were decided (50%). The second is the time within which nine in ten were decided (90%). They come from the Home Affairs processing times guide for an application lodged on 26 October 2026, and they change each month.
| Visa | Half decided in | 9 in 10 decided in |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor (600), tourist | 21 days | 33 days |
| Visitor (600), business | 7 days | 19 days |
| Visitor (600), sponsored family | 40 days | 3 months |
| ETA (601) and eVisitor (651) | Under 1 day | Under 1 day |
| Working Holiday (417) | 2 days | 58 days |
| Work and Holiday (462) | 3 days | 44 days |
| Student (500), higher education | 16 days | 4 months |
| Student (500), VET | 53 days | 7 months |
| Student (500), schools | 28 days | 7 months |
| Student (500), ELICOS | 22 days | 53 days |
| Student Guardian (590) | 43 days | 8 months |
| Temporary Graduate (485), post-higher education | 5 days | 55 days |
| Skills in Demand (482), Core Skills | 4 months | 9 months |
| Skills in Demand (482), Specialist Skills | 37 days | 78 days |
| Skilled Independent (189), points-tested | 61 days | 8 months |
| Skilled Nominated (190) | 4 months | 16 months |
| Skilled Work Regional (491), state nominated | 5 months | 18 months |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494) | 8 months | 12 months |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (186), Direct Entry | 21 months | 25 months |
| National Innovation (858) | 16 months | 24 months |
| Partner (820) | 22 months | 30 months |
| Partner (801) | 8 months | 19 months |
| Partner (309) | 21 months | 32 months |
| Partner (100) | 9 months | 21 months |
| Prospective Marriage (300) | 14 months | 26 months |
| Child (101) | 24 months | 33 months |
| Child (802) | 21 months | 31 months |
| Sponsored Parent (870), application | 7 months | 9 months |
| Resident Return (155) | Under 1 day | 6 days |
| Resident Return (157) | 18 days | 65 days |
Parent visas other than the 870 are queued rather than timed, so they are not in the tool. See parent visas compared for queue dates.
FAQ
How long does a visa take?
It depends on the visa. See the table above for the department's August 2026 medians.
Is the median the same as the maximum?
No. The median is the middle figure. Some applications take longer.
Why is my application taking longer than the tool says?
The tool does not check your own application. Missing documents, external checks and priority rules can change your wait.
Can I pay to speed it up?
Be careful with anyone who promises one.
Where do I check the latest numbers?
On the Home Affairs visa processing times pages, which are updated regularly.
In this section
- How visa processing times are calculatedHow Home Affairs reports visa processing times as percentiles, what slows an application down and how to avoid delays.
- Partner visa processing timesPartner visa processing times for the 820, 801, 309, 100 and 300 at the 50% and 90% marks, plus how priority processing works.
- Skilled visa processing timesSkilled visa processing times for the 189, 190, 491, 494, 482 and 186 at the 50% and 90% marks, plus the order applications are processed.
- Student visa processing timesStudent visa processing times by education sector, with the 485 and 590 visas and the Ministerial Directions that decide priority.