Other Family visas - queue release dates and processing times
The Department continues to process Other Family visa applications and is taking disruptions arising from the pandemic into account when considering visa applications.
Further information on Australian Government COVID-19 travel restrictions and information for visa holders is available on the Department’s website at
COVID-19 and the border
Queue release dates
For 2020-21, the annual quota for Remaining Relative and Aged Dependent Relative visas has been reached using existing queued applications.
There will be no further queue release for these visas during migration program year 2020-2021.
As at February 2021, we have released for final processing:
- Remaining Relative visa applications with a queue date of up to 2 August 2011
- Aged Dependent Relative visa applications with a queue date up to 2 August 2011
- Carer visa applications with a queue date up to 11 October 2017.
We only update this information when the latest final processing dates are available.
Once we reach the number of visa places available in the current Migration Program year we will consider any applications that have been queued and released for final processing, but not yet finalised, for a place in a subsequent year.
We calculate processing times for Other Family visa applications each year. Processing times might vary for a number of reasons, including:
- changes in planning levels
- how many visa applications are submitted
- how many applications are withdrawn or refused
- Administrative Appeals Tribunal remits
- Ministerial Intervention cases
- changes to processing directions
Based on current planning levels and the allocation of the majority of Other Family category places to Carer visa applications, we estimate that Carer visa applications that meet the criteria to be queued are likely to take approximately 4 1/2 years to be released for final processing.
Current estimated processing time for Remaining Relative and Aged Dependent Relative visa applications that meet the criteria to be queued is approximately 50 years.
