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Australian Visa Processing Times 2026: Current Home Affairs Medians
The Department of Home Affairs updates visa processing-time information regularly. The figures below are median processing times published for July 2026 and should be treated as indicators, not guarantees for an individual application.
Australian visa processing times — July 2026
Visa category | Median | Important context |
Skilled (Permanent) | 8 months | Affected by planning levels, priorities and caseload |
Partner (Provisional/Temporary) | 23 months | Priority groups and subclass-specific variation apply |
Skilled (Temporary) | 98 days | Completeness and processing priorities matter |
Student | 21 days | Offshore applications are subject to processing priorities |
Visitor | Less than 1 day | Combined 600/601/651 figure; subclass 600 can vary significantly |
Working Holiday Maker | 5 days | Offshore cases may take longer in some circumstances |
Why processing times are not a promise
Home Affairs explains that processing times vary according to application completeness, requests for further information, health, character and national security checks, external-agency responses, program places, case complexity, processing priorities and the volume of applications received and on hand.
A median also does not mean every application will be finalised within that period. Half of recently finalised cases may have taken less time and half may have taken longer, depending on the way the Department reports the relevant category.
Partner visa processing times
The July 2026 median for the provisional or temporary Partner category is 23 months. Home Affairs notes that Partner visa applications are processed according to applicable Ministerial Direction priorities, and individual subclasses can have different processing experiences.
For broader family-migration data, see our Partner Visa Statistics Australia 2026.
Skilled visa processing times
Permanent skilled visas show a July 2026 median of 8 months, while temporary skilled visas show 98 days. The Department specifically notes that skilled processing can be affected by Permanent Migration Program planning levels and Ministerial Directions governing skilled-visa priorities.
See our Skilled Migration Statistics Australia 2026 for the latest completed program-year breakdown.
Check your specific visa subclass
The category-level medians above combine multiple visa subclasses. Applicants should use the Department's Global Visa Processing Times guide for subclass-specific information where available.
Top10Migration methodology
Top10Migration prioritises primary Australian Government and state or territory government sources. We separate planning levels, visa grants, nomination places and processing-time indicators because they measure different parts of the migration system. This page is designed as a living reference and will be updated when official figures change.
For the broader national picture, see our Australian Migration Statistics 2026 data hub.
This content provides general information only and is not migration or legal advice. Visa criteria, conditions, processing priorities and state nomination settings can change. Check the responsible government source for current requirements and obtain professional advice for individual circumstances where needed.
