Skilled Visa Processing Times

Skilled Visa application processing times

Visa Type	Stream (if available)	50% of applications processed in	90% of applications processed in
189 Skilled – Independent	Points-tested	61 days	8 months
189 Skilled – Independent	New Zealand	54 months	61 months
190 Skilled – Nominated		4 months	16 months
491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)	State/Territory nominated	5 months	18 months
491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)	Family sponsored	4 months	7 months
191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)		8 months	10 months
485 Temporary Graduate	Post-Higher Education Work	5 days	55 days
485 Temporary Graduate	Post-Vocational Education Work	52 days	5 months
858 National Innovation		6 months	7 months
858 Global Talent (closed to new applications)		16 months	24 months
887 Skilled – Regional		10 months	17 months

Source: Home Affairs processing times, updated 29 September 2026. 189 points-tested applications are also subject to processing priorities, which favour applicants in Australia and certain sectors.

Circumstances that affect processing times

Applications are assessed 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.