Processing Times · August 2026
Australian visa processing times
The Department of Home Affairs publishes processing times monthly as percentiles of recently decided applications. This page carries the current release for the visas we practise in, refreshed from the Department's own data each month.
Department of Home Affairs release of 04 August 2026 · applications decided in the period to 30 June 2026
Each column is a percentile: 50% means half of recently decided applications were finalised within that time, and 90% means nine in ten were. An individual application can sit anywhere against these figures, and completeness at lodgement is the strongest lever an applicant controls.
Employer sponsored visas
| Visa and stream | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 186 ENS, Temporary Residence Transition stream | 6 Months | 11 Months | 13 Months | 15 Months |
| 186 ENS, Direct Entry stream | 6 Months | 10 Months | 12 Months | 14 Months |
| 186 ENS, Labour Agreement stream | 30 Days | 8 Months | 10 Months | 10 Months |
| 494 Regional, Employer Sponsored stream | 4 Months | 7 Months | 9 Months | 11 Months |
| 494 Regional, Labour Agreement stream | 3 Months | 7 Months | 8 Months | 10 Months |
Where is the 482 Skills in Demand visa? The Department does not publish 482 figures through its global processing times tool. Its stated position is a service target rather than a percentile: the Specialist Skills stream carries a 7-day median processing target, while Core Skills and Labour Agreement processing varies with the occupation and the nomination. Read the current position on our 482 SID page.
Points-tested skilled visas
| Visa and stream | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent, Points-Tested stream | 6 Months | 7 Months | 8 Months | 9 Months |
| 190 Skilled Nominated | 5 Months | 12 Months | 15 Months | 17 Months |
| 491 Regional, state or territory nominated | 5 Months | 12 Months | 14 Months | 18 Months |
| 491 Regional, family sponsored | 70 Days | 3 Months | 5 Months | 6 Months |
| 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) | 4 Months | 7 Months | 10 Months | 13 Months |
Partner and fiancé visas
| Visa and stream | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 820 Partner (onshore, temporary) | 8 Months | 18 Months | 24 Months | 32 Months |
| 801 Partner (onshore, permanent) | 89 Days | 5 Months | 10 Months | 12 Months |
| 309 Partner (offshore, provisional) | 13 Months | 17 Months | 24 Months | 30 Months |
| 100 Partner (offshore, permanent) | 9 Months | 10 Months | 12 Months | 19 Months |
| 300 Prospective Marriage | 11 Months | 14 Months | 22 Months | 29 Months |
Graduate and student visas
| Visa and stream | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 485 Temporary Graduate, Post-Higher Education Work | 5 Days | 56 Days | 3 Months | 4 Months |
| 485 Temporary Graduate, Post-Vocational Education Work | 30 Days | 80 Days | 89 Days | 3 Months |
| 500 Student, Higher Education sector | 9 Days | 15 Days | 40 Days | 7 Months |
| 500 Student, Vocational Education and Training sector | 44 Days | 7 Months | 7 Months | 7 Months |
| 500 Student, Independent ELICOS sector | Less than 1 Day | 6 Days | 21 Days | 62 Days |
| 500 Student, Schools sector | 13 Days | 22 Days | 41 Days | 7 Months |
| 500 Student, Postgraduate Research sector | 6 Days | 27 Days | 38 Days | 3 Months |
Visitor visas
| Visa and stream | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 Visitor, Tourist stream | 7 Days | 13 Days | 28 Days | 35 Days |
| 600 Visitor, Sponsored Family stream | 33 Days | 43 Days | 79 Days | 89 Days |
| 600 Visitor, Business Visitor stream | 3 Days | 6 Days | 14 Days | 24 Days |
What actually moves your processing time
The published percentiles blend decision-ready applications with applications that spent months in a request-for-information cycle. You cannot buy priority, but you control which of those populations you join. An application with every criterion evidenced at lodgement, health examinations completed early, police certificates in hand, and the sponsorship or nomination layer resolved before the visa stage, tracks the faster percentiles.
Stream choice matters as much as preparation. The same person can face materially different queues depending on pathway, which is visible in the tables above, and ministerial directions set priorities between cohorts within each queue. Choosing the stream is a strategic decision, not an administrative one, and it is where advice earns its keep before a single document is prepared.
Plan your application around the real queue
We advise on stream selection, prepare decision-ready applications, and manage timing constraints such as expiring visas. Every consultation is handled by an admitted Australian solicitor.
Book a consultationCommon questions
Where do these processing times come from?
What do the 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% columns mean?
Why is there no processing time for the 482 Skills in Demand visa?
Can anything make my application faster?
The Department asked me for more information. Does that reset the clock?
Are these times guaranteed?
Source: Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times, release of 04 August 2026, covering applications decided in the period to 30 June 2026. Figures are historical percentiles, not commitments, and individual applications vary. This page is general information, not legal advice.