A guide to visa processing times
Our visa processing times guide gives you an indication of how long your visa application may take to process. For the exact current range for your situation, use the Department’s official processing times tool. Our guide below does not guarantee your application will be finalised within this timeframe.
Correct as at 7 August 2026 (source data published by the Department on 4 August 2026).
Figures below are indicative only and may be out of date — see the official tool for current ranges.
| Visa type | Estimated time to process visa |
|---|---|
| 100 – Partner visa | 10 – 19 months, counted from your 2-year eligibility date (2 years after you first applied for the temporary/provisional partner visa) — not from the date of this application |
| 143 – Contributory Parent Visa | 5 – 6 years (queue-based; not published on the Department’s processing-time tool — estimate from planning-level reporting, not independently reconfirmed) |
| 155 – Five Year Resident Return visa | Under 1 day – 6 days (the Department’s tool no longer reports this split by “2 out of 5 years met” vs “beneficial ties” — it is a single combined figure) |
| 157 – Three Month Resident Return visa | 50% processed in 24 days. 90% processed in 67 days |
| 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme (Direct Entry Pathway) | 10 – 14 months. Note: the Department currently flags this pathway as receiving a high volume of applications, which has affected allocation timeframes |
| 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme (Agreement Pathway) | 8 – 10 months |
| 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme (Transition Pathway) | 11 – 15 months |
| 187 – Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Transition Pathway) | 73 days – 5 months |
| 188 – Business Innovation & Investment Visa (Provisional) | The BIIP program closed permanently to new applications on 31 July 2024. Only applications lodged before that date are still being processed. The replacement visa pathway is the National Innovation visa (subclass 858) |
| 189 – Skilled Independent Visa (Points-Tested) | 7 – 9 months |
| 189 – Skilled Independent Visa (New Zealand stream) | Permanently closed to new primary applications since 1 July 2023. Still shows 53 – 61 months in the Department’s tool, but that reflects a legacy backlog of pre-closure applications, not a live application option |
| 190 – Skilled Nominated Visa | 12 – 17 months |
| 191 – Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) | 7 – 13 months. |
| 300 – Prospective Marriage Visa | 14 – 29 months |
| 309 – Partner Visa (Provisional) | 17 – 30 months |
| 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) visa | 7 – 26 days |
| 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship Visa | 3 – 5 months |
| 482 – Skills in Demand visa (Core Skills stream) | 69 days – 10 months |
| 482 – Skills in Demand visa (Specialist Skills stream) | 8 – 43 days |
| 482 – Skills in Demand visa (Labour Agreement stream) | 6 – 9 months |
| 485 – Temporary Graduate Visa (Post-Vocational Education Work stream) | 80 days – 3 months. Note: this stream replaced “Graduate Work” on 1 July 2024, with a narrower age/qualification test |
| 485 – Temporary Graduate Visa (Post-Higher Education Work stream) | 56 days – 4 months. Note: this stream replaced “Post-Study Work” on 1 July 2024, with a reduced age cap |
| 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (State/Territory Government Nominated) | 12 – 18 months. This replaced subclass 489 in November 2019 and is the current points-tested regional visa. |
| 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) | 7 – 11 months. This replaced 187 Direct Entry/489 in November 2019. |
| 500 – Student Visa (Higher Education Sector) | 15 days – 7 months |
| 600 – Visitor Visa (Tourist stream) | 13 – 35 days |
| 801 – Partner Visa (Permanent) | 5 – 12 months, counted from your 2-year eligibility date — same caveat as 100 above |
| 820 – Partner Visa (Temporary) | 18 – 32 months. This is the onshore temporary partner visa paired with 801 and is one of the most commonly searched partner categories. |
| 864 – Contributory Aged Parent visa (Temporary) | 5 – 6 years (queue-based; not on the Department’s tool — same caveat as 143) |
| 866 – Protection Visa | Not disclosed |
| 887 – Skilled Regional Visa | 7 – 18 months |
| 888 – Business Innovation & Investment visa (Permanent, Business Innovation stream) | 5 – 7 months. Note: only relevant to those who already hold a 188 visa granted before 31 July 2024 — no new entrants |
Disclaimer Content in this publication is for informational purposes only and not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. Australian immigration law is complex and its policies and visa eligibility criteria are changing regularly. For additional and current information on the issues discussed, please contact us.