If you are planning to apply for a Partner visa we recommend booking an appointment to discuss and understand your options.
Related: Partner visa processing times
Visa Type | Stream (if available) | 75% of applications processed in | 90% of applications processed in |
Family and partner visas | |||
100 Partner* | 19 months | 29 months | |
101 Child | 25 months | 36 months | |
102 Adoption | 20 months | 29 months | |
117 Orphan Relative | 68 months | 110 months | |
300 Prospective Marriage | 24 months | 33 months | |
309 Partner (Provisional) | 21 months | 31 months | |
445 Dependent Child | 6 months | 9 months | |
461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 24 months | 33 months | |
801 Partner* | 12 months | 20 months | |
802 Child | 10 months | 24 months | |
820 Partner | 21 months | 34 months | |
837 Orphan Relative | 15 months | 20 months | |
870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa | 21 months | 24 months | |
870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa | Sponsorship | 5 months | 5 months |
*Processing time for subclass 801 Partner (permanent) visa and 100 Partner (permanent) visa is from date of eligibility (2 years after the 820/801 or 309/100 application is lodged) to finalisation. |
Important
Visa processing times were significantly delayed due to the impacts of COVID-19 and international border restrictions and closures. As a result of Australia’s border reopening to all fully vaccinated travellers from 21 February 2022, the visa processing times are now slowly reducing as processing has resumed.
Circumstances that affect processing times
We assess applications on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:
- whether you have lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents
- how promptly you respond to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements
- for permanent migration visa applications, how many places are available in the migration programme
- for citizenship applications, the time taken to attend a Citizenship Ceremony or receive a Citizenship Certificate.