🇦🇺 Australia Visa Processing Times 2026
Processing times range from under a day for an electronic visitor authority to decades for the standard parent visa queue — here are Home Affairs' own figures, what they mean, and what to do if you're past the published time.
Worked example: when to expect a 189 decision
Based on Home Affairs' September 2026 figures for the Skilled Independent (189) visa. Incomplete applications and requests for more information push you past these times.
| Lodged | 50% decided by | 90% decided by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 November 2026 | about early January 2027 (61 days) | about early July 2027 (8 months) |
Processing Times by Route (Home Affairs, 29 September 2026)
| Visa | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor (600), tourist stream | 21 days | 33 days |
| Student (500), higher education | 16 days | 4 months |
| 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 |
| Skills in Demand (482) nomination | 57 days | 9 months |
| Skills in Demand (482) visa, Core Skills | 4 months | 9 months |
| Skills in Demand (482) visa, Specialist Skills | 15 days | 45 days |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (186), Direct Entry or Transition | 21 months | 25 months |
| Partner, onshore temporary (820) | 22 months | 30 months |
| Partner, offshore temporary (309) | 21 months | 32 months |
| Partner, permanent (801 onshore / 100 offshore) | 8 / 9 months | 19 / 21 months |
| Sponsored Parent, temporary (870) | 7 months | 9 months |
These are the Department's global visa processing times, stamped 29 September 2026 and covering applications finalised to 31 August 2026, as republished with their date by WIDEN. Check the Department's page before planning around a date; it updates roughly monthly.
Several things differ from older guides. The 186 is slow: both its Direct Entry and Transition pathways run about 21 months at the 50% mark and 25 at 90%. State-nominated 491 applications are decided more slowly than the 189 (5 to 18 months against 61 days to 8 months), so the regional visa isn't a faster route once you're invited. And the 189 clock starts when you lodge after an invitation, not when you submit an Expression of Interest, so the wait for an invitation comes on top.
How to Read These Numbers
The Department publishes percentiles, not averages. “50% within 4 months” means half of recently finalised applications were decided in that time, and the other half took longer. The 90% figure is the better planning number if a date matters, because 1 in 10 files took longer than that. The figures describe applications already finalised, so they lag changes in demand, and your own file can take more or less. They're a guide, not a commitment.
The biggest factor you control is how decision-ready you lodge. Practitioners point to requests for further information as a common reason applications land at the slow end: every request-and-wait cycle can add weeks or months. So lodge with evidence for every criterion, arrange health examinations and police certificates early, and answer any departmental request promptly and completely.
Parent Visas Run on Queues, Not Processing Times
The standard and contributory parent visas don't appear in the processing-times tool the way other visas do, because they move through an annual-cap queue ordered by lodgement date. As of 2026, summaries of the queue releases show the non-contributory 103 clearing applications lodged around 2013 to 2014 and the Contributory Parent visa (143) clearing applications up to late 2018 (Questra; WIDEN). New lodgements should therefore plan for 30 years or more on the 103 and roughly 12 to 15 on the 143, and neither is guaranteed to hold over that period. The 143 costs about A$49,900 for a single applicant from 1 July 2026, with a second parent adding a similar second instalment of A$43,600; our family visa page covers the costs and options in detail. The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (870) is the exception: it is decided in about 7 to 9 months, but it does not lead to permanent residence.
If Your Application Is Taking Longer
- Compare your wait with the 90% figure, not the 50% one. A file past the 50% mark is still well within the normal range.
- Check you haven't missed a request. A request for further information usually has a deadline, and an unanswered one is a common reason for a stalled file.
- Check your health and police checks are complete and current. Expired certificates can force repeat checks.
- Past the 90% mark with no request outstanding, ask a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer to look at where the file is stuck. Don't resubmit or lodge a duplicate application, since the visa charge is non-refundable and a new application restarts the clock.
- If the decision is a refusal, review rights run through the Administrative Review Tribunal with short, strict deadlines; see our work visa page.
Where Timelines Catch People Out
- Treating the 50% figure as the expected time. Plan around the 90% figure.
- Assuming the 186 is quick. It's about 21 to 25 months at the 50% to 90% marks.
- Assuming the regional visa is faster. State-nominated 491s take longer than the 189.
- Starting the 189 clock at the EOI. It starts at lodgement after you're invited.
- Using old partner visa times. The temporary stage is now about 22 to 30 months onshore.
- Planning a parent's permanent visa around a date. It's a queue, not a processing time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an Australian skilled visa take after invitation?
For the 189, Home Affairs' September 2026 figures show 50% decided within 61 days and 90% within 8 months. The 190 is 4 to 16 months and the state-nominated 491 is 5 to 18 months at the 50% and 90% marks.
How long does an Australian partner visa really take?
The onshore temporary stage (820) is decided within about 22 months for 50% of applications and 30 months for 90%; offshore (309) is 21 and 32 months. The permanent stage is assessed about two years after lodgement, and takes a further 8 to 21 months at the 50% to 90% marks.
Why does the Australian parent visa take so long?
The standard parent visas run on an annual-cap queue ordered by lodgement date, not a processing time. As of 2026, releases cover applications from around 2013 to 2014 for the 103, so new lodgements face 30 years or more.
How long does the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa take?
Both the Direct Entry and Transition pathways are decided within about 21 months for 50% of applications and 25 months for 90%, per Home Affairs' September 2026 figures.
Is there any way to have parents in Australia while the permanent visa is pending?
Yes. The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (870) is decided in about 7 to 9 months and lets parents be in Australia while a permanent application sits in its queue, but it does not lead to permanent residence.