Australian visas and citizenship advice, research and applications
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Why Australia is so popular
High quality of education. The Australian school system is well-serviced and there's a good ratio of students to teaching staff.
Australia offers a great climate with plenty of outdoor activities to take part in. It's a melting pot of cultures, so anyone can feel at home.
A stable and growing economy with many expanding industries and unique work and study opportunities.
A high standard of living with a top-notch healthcare system (both private and state-provided).
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Popular Australian visas: Current processing times for 2024/2025
You want to move to Australia and you need to complete your visa application. The problem is, you don’t know how long it’s going to take. Here are some of the general visa processing time frames for popular Australian visas.
There is no exact answer when it comes to Australian visa processing times, they are constantly in flux and there is no way of knowing exactly how long it will be before you get an answer on your visa. These times are guidelines set out by the Australian government and are correct as of the 2024 Australian financial year, and are subject to change.
Government prioritising "on-hand" visa applications
The Australian government has stated that it is working to reduce the time it takes to finalise visa applications by increasing the number of staff processing applications. They are currently prioritising applications lodged by people outside of Australia, including Temporary Skilled, Student and Visitor visas.
Visa processing times from fastest to slowest
The Australian Department of Home Affairs updates its site with the full list of visa processing times monthly. These times are averages as the time period can change based on application volume, seasonal peaks and complex cases.
The Australian migration skill stream
If you are looking to immigrate to Australia, these are work and study visa options to fill shortages in the Australian labour market.
The processing times are:
| Visa subclass | Visa name | 90% of applications processed in |
|---|---|---|
| 417 | Working holiday visa | 31 days |
| 858 | Global Talent visa – Distinguished Talent Pathway | 34 months |
| 858 | Global Talent visa – Global Talent Pathway | 13 months |
| 500 | Student visa – Higher Education sector | Four months |
| 500 | Student visa – Postgraduate Research sector | Four months |
| 190 | Skilled Nominated visa | 18 months |
| 494 | Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (provisional) – Employer Sponsored stream | Five months |
| 494 | Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (provisional) – Labour Agreement stream | Six months |
| 491 | Skilled Work Regional visa (provisional) – State/Territory | 29 months |
| 491 | Skilled Work Regional visa (provisional) – Family Sponsored Regional | 21 months |
| 186 | Employer Nomination Scheme visa – Direct Entry | 13 months |
| 186 | Employer Nomination Scheme visa – Labour Agreement Pathway | Four months |
| 186 | Employer Nomination Scheme visa – Temporary Residence Transition | 13 months |
| 482 | Temporary Skill Shortage visa – Short term | Three months |
| 482 | Temporary Skill Shortage visa – Medium term | Four months |
| 482 | Temporary Skill Shortage visa – Labour Agreement | Five months |
| 189 | Skilled Independent visa – Points Tested | 17 months |
See also: A guide to Australian work visas
The Australian migration family stream and visitor visas
These are residential visas to reunite Australian citizens and permanent residents with loved ones from other countries. The processing times are:
| Visa subclass | Visa name | 90% of applications processed in |
|---|---|---|
| 600 | Visitor visa – Tourist | 30 days |
| 600 | Visitor visa – Sponsored Family | 28 days |
| 600 | Visitor visa – Business Visitor | 18 days |
| 801 | Partner visa – Permanent | 10 months |
| 100 | Partner (Migrant) visa | 51 months |
| 300 | Prospective Marriage visa | 27 months |
| 309 | Partner (Provisional) visa | 26 months |
| 820 | Partner (Temporary) visa | 47 months |
Factors that influence visa processing times
There are many circumstances that can affect how long your Australian visa takes to get processed. These include factors such as:
- Whether your visa application is complete and all the supporting documentation is included
- The time taken to respond to Australian Home Affairs’ requests for additional information
- How long it takes to receive information from external agencies. This includes, but is not limited to, health tests, character tests, and national security requirements
- How many places are available in the migration programme
How we can help you move to Australia
Don’t know what supporting documentation you need to include in your Australian visa application? Want to know more about a visa not on our list above? We’re here to help. Hiring us means hiring a business with over 20 years of immigration and nationality experience who treats every case on an individual basis.
We have offices in Cape Town, Melbourne, and London to help you navigate this complicated time in history.