Processing on-hand visa applications is a government priority. We are working to reduce the time it takes to finalise visa applications. We are increasing the number of staff processing applications, and we will continue to bring more staff on board to perform this critical work.
Actions taken to improve processing times
We have focused resources on visa processing. This includes recruiting new staff.
Wherever we can, we aim to streamline the processing of applications without compromising program integrity.
These actions have already reduced the number of on-hand visa applications.
When will things improve?
Visa processing times have already improved across most visa programs, particularly across temporary visa programs.
Some visa programs have a large number of older cases on-hand as well as increasing numbers of new applications. We are working through these as quickly as possible, and are focused on finalising older applications.
Processing times are currently impacted by older applications on-hand, but this will improve once we have worked through them.
Median processing times for key programs
The information below shows the median visa processing times for key visa categories. This is the most accurate way to show the amount of time it is taking most visa applications to be finalised.
Visa processing times vary between different visas within these categories, and in some cases it may take longer for those visas to be finalised.
Processing Times* by visa category - 50 percent (median)
| Visa Program | Visa Category | March 2023
|
|---|
| Permanent | Skilled (Permanent) Partner (First Stage) | 7 Months 9 Months |
| Temporary | Skilled (Temporary) Student
Visitor Working Holiday Maker | 21 Days
15 Days
Less than 1 Day
Less than 1 Day |
* Processing times are aggregate calculations for the category, ie: a number of different subclasses sit under each category.
Given the progress made in reducing the visa backlog, in most caseloads, resources are now focused on processing both onshore and offshore cases to further reduce the number of on-hand applications.
How to view processing times
If you have made a visa application you can check processing times information using our visa
processing times guide.
Information on visa processing times for visas is updated regularly as new data is available.
Processing times are available for most visas.
Information is not available for:
- visas that are closed to new entrants
- family visas that are capped and queued
- visas that have too few decisions in the month to provide a reliable indicator of processing time.
To help ensure applications are processed as quickly as possible, submit your application with all necessary supporting documents. The checklists provided on
ImmiAccount will help in making sure you include all required documents in your application.
