Australian visa processing times vary dramatically depending on the visa subclass. Tourist visas (subclass 600) typically take 3 to 5 weeks, student visas (subclass 500) take 16 days to 7 months in the higher education and vocational sectors, skilled visas take 2 to 18 months, and partner visas can take 21 to 32 months. These timeframes run from the 50th to the 90th percentile in the Home Affairs processing times guide, which was last updated on 29 September 2026.
Tourist and Visitor Visa Processing Times
If you're planning a holiday or visiting family in Australia, you're looking at the shortest wait times in the system.
ETA (subclass 601): Usually processed in less than 1 day. This is the fastest option, available to passport holders from countries like the US, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. You apply through the Australian ETA app, and most approvals come through almost instantly.
eVisitor (subclass 651): Usually processed in less than 1 day. Available to passport holders from European countries and a handful of others. Apply online through ImmiAccount.
Visitor visa (subclass 600): This is where things slow down. Half of tourist stream applications are decided within 21 days and 90% within 33 days. The business visitor stream is faster (90% within 19 days), while the sponsored family stream can stretch to 3 months (90%). If you're applying from a high-risk country or your application requires additional character or health checks, expect the longer end of that range.
The Department publishes processing times as percentile ranges. When they say "75% of applications processed in 29 days," that means one in four applicants waited longer than 29 days.
Current as of September 2026
- The $20 ETA (601) and the free eVisitor (651) are usually decided in less than 1 day, and the $250 subclass 600 tourist stream within 3 to 5 weeks.
- Skilled visas (189, 190, 491) take 2 to 18 months and the onshore partner visa (820) 22 to 30 months.
- All figures come from the Home Affairs processing times guide, which reports the 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles.
- A complete application with health and police checks done up front is the biggest factor you control.
Figures on this page were reviewed on 8 September 2026. Fees are Department of Home Affairs visa application charges in AUD; check the current charge on the Department of Home Affairs website before you pay.
Student Visa Processing Times
The student visa (subclass 500) has seen significant processing time fluctuations over the past few years.
In the current Home Affairs guide, 90% of student visa applications are decided within 4 months in the higher education sector and 7 months in the vocational education and training sector (half are decided within 16 and 53 days). However, several factors can push your application well beyond that window:
- Genuine Student (GS) assessment: Since the GS requirement replaced the old GTE test, officers spend more time scrutinising your study intentions. If your application raises questions, it gets flagged for manual review.
- Health examinations: If you haven't completed your medical before applying, the clock doesn't really start until the Department has those results.
- National security checks: Applicants from certain countries face additional vetting that can add weeks or months.
- Incomplete applications: Missing documents are the single biggest cause of avoidable delays.
Student visa processing also follows seasonal patterns. Applications lodged in October through January (ahead of Semester 1) face heavier volumes and longer waits. Mid-year intake applications submitted around April tend to move faster.
Skilled and Work Visa Processing Times
This is where patience becomes a genuine virtue. Skilled migration applications involve the most complex assessments, and the processing times reflect that.
Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent): Half of points-tested applications are decided within 61 days and 90% within 8 months. Complex cases with employment verification or qualification assessment issues can take longer.
Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated): Half are decided within 4 months and 90% within 16 months. State nomination adds a preliminary step before you can apply.
Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional): 5 months for half of state or territory nominated applications and 18 months for 90% (family sponsored: 4 and 7 months). Under Ministerial Direction 122, in force since 19 September 2026, regional visas have no separate priority: applications in priority sectors such as construction, healthcare and teaching come first, then applicants who applied in Australia.
Subclass 482 (now Skills in Demand): The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024. Half of Core Skills stream applications are decided within 4 months and 90% within 9 months; the Specialist Skills stream is faster (90% within 78 days). Nomination processing can add time.
Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme): The Direct Entry stream takes 21 months for half of applications and 25 months for 90%. The Temporary Residence Transition stream, where you've already worked for your employer on a 482, shows the same 21 and 25 months.
Partner and Family Visa Processing Times
Partner visas consistently have the longest processing times in the Australian immigration system, and they're not getting shorter.
Subclass 820/801 (onshore partner): The temporary (820) stage takes 22 months for half of applications and 30 months for 90%. After two years from the date of application, you become eligible for the permanent (801) stage, which takes 8 months for half and 19 months for 90%.
Subclass 309/100 (offshore partner): Similar timeframes. The 309 temporary stage takes 21 months for half of applications and 32 months for 90%, with the 100 permanent stage following after the two-year relationship period.
Parent visas (subclass 143): Parent visas are capped and queued. As at 31 August 2026, Home Affairs had released Contributory Parent applications with a queue date up to November 2018 for final processing. For the non-contributory Parent visa (subclass 103), it had reached queue dates up to March 2014, making it effectively a generational wait.
Child visas (subclass 101/802): 21 to 24 months for half of applications and 31 to 33 months for 90%.
What Affects Your Processing Time?
Beyond the visa subclass, several factors influence how quickly your application moves through the system:
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Completeness of your application. Submit every required document upfront. Applications that trigger information requests go to the back of the queue each time the Department has to contact you.
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Health and character checks. Complete your medical examination and police clearances before or immediately after lodging. These are the most common bottlenecks.
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Country of passport. Some nationalities face additional security assessments that are entirely outside the Department's control.
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Time of year. Application volumes spike around key intake dates, creating seasonal backlogs.
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Complexity of your case. Multiple previous visa refusals, gaps in employment history, or complicated relationship evidence all add processing time.
How to Track Your Application
You can monitor your application status through ImmiAccount, the Department's online portal. The status will show as "Received," "Initial Assessment," "Further Assessment," or "Finalised."
For a more detailed check, use the VEVO system to verify your current visa entitlements while you wait.
The Department also publishes global processing times on its website; the page was last updated on 29 September 2026. These figures show the time taken to process 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% of applications for each visa subclass.
FAQ
Can I expedite my Australian visa application? There's no official fast-track option for most visa subclasses. However, the ETA and eVisitor are inherently quick. For other visas, submitting a complete application with all supporting documents is the best way to avoid delays.
Do processing times include weekends and public holidays? Processing times are counted in calendar days, not business days. The Department operates on business days, but the published timeframes account for this.
What happens if my visa isn't processed before my travel date? For visitor visas, the Department may prioritise your application if you provide evidence of confirmed travel bookings. For other visa types, there's generally no mechanism to speed things up based on travel plans.
Has processing gotten faster or slower in 2026? The government introduced legally binding processing time targets in early 2026. Skilled visa processing has improved compared to the 2023-2024 backlog period, but partner and parent visas remain stubbornly slow.
