Updated monthly
Australian visa processing times, 2026-09
Department of Home Affairs release of 29 September 2026. The figures show how long it took to decide 50 percent and 90 percent of recently finalised applications. Your case can be faster or slower.
| Visa | 50% within | 90% within |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 500Higher Education sector | 16 days | 4 months |
| Subclass 500Vocational Education and Training sector | 53 days | 7 months |
| Subclass 600Tourist (offshore and onshore combined, as published) | 21 days | 33 days |
| Subclass 600Sponsored Family | 40 days | 3 months |
| Subclass 600Business Visitor | 7 days | 19 days |
| Subclass 189Skilled Independent - Points-tested | 61 days | 8 months |
| Subclass 190Skilled Nominated | 4 months | 16 months |
| Subclass 491Skilled Work Regional - State/Territory Government nominated | 5 months | 18 months |
| Subclass 491Skilled Work Regional - Family sponsored | 4 months | 7 months |
| Subclass 485Temporary Graduate - Post-Higher Education Work | 5 days | 55 days |
| Subclass 485Temporary Graduate - Post-Vocational Education Work | 52 days | 5 months |
| Subclass 482Skills in Demand - Core Skills | 4 months | 9 months |
| Subclass 482Skills in Demand - Specialist Skills | 37 days | 78 days |
| Subclass 309Partner (Provisional) - offshore | 21 months | 32 months |
| Subclass 820Partner (Temporary) - onshore | 22 months | 30 months |
| Subclass 143Contributory Parent (Migrant) | Not published | Not published |
| Subclass 103Parent (Migrant) | Not published | Not published |
| Subclass 870Sponsored Parent (Temporary) - visa application | 7 months | 9 months |
| Subclass 462Work and Holiday | 3 days | 44 days |
| Subclass 403Temporary Work (International Relations) - MATES | 4 months | 5 months |
| Subclass 590Student Guardian | 43 days | 8 months |
| Subclass 186Employer Nomination Scheme - Direct Entry and Temporary Residence Transition | 21 months | 25 months |
| Subclass 494Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional - Employer Sponsored | 8 months | 12 months |
Parent visas 103 and 143 are capped and queued, so Home Affairs publishes queue release dates instead of processing times; recent estimates run to well over a decade for the 143. Indian student applications sit at Evidence Level 3 and are often slower than the headline figure because financial documents are verified with Indian banks.