Visa processing times update recorded 25 August 2025: 31 streams slower, 31 faster at the 90% mark
Compared with the 30 July 2025 update, at the 90% mark 31 of 68 streams got slower, 31 got faster and 6 did not change. At the 50% mark 35 got slower, 26 faster and 7 did not change. The largest move was 888 Significant Investor, 727 to 374 days at the 90% mark (353 days shorter).
- Official update
- 11 to 25 Aug 2025A public archive copied the official tool on 10 August 2025 and on 25 August 2025. The figures changed in between, on a day it did not record.
- Compared with
- 29 to 30 Jul 2025Previous update, between 12 and 27 days earlier
- Streams in this report
- 68Streams the Department lists today that had a figure on this date
- Report
- 3 of 16Generated from the figures, no hand editing
| Mark | Slower | Faster | No change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% decided within | 31 | 31 | 6 |
| 50% decided within | 35 | 26 | 7 |
A stream counts as slower when the number of days rose, faster when it fell. Days run from lodgement to decision for applications the Department decided in its most recent period. For the 801 and 100 partner visas the Department counts from the date of eligibility, two years after the combined application was lodged. They describe the past and are not a prediction for any application.
Which visa processing times moved most? 888 Significant Investor, 353 days shorter at the 90% mark
The 10 streams whose 90% figure changed most in this update, by number of days either way, with the 50% figure beside it.
| Visa stream | 90% decided within, days | 50% decided within, days |
|---|---|---|
| 888 Significant Investor | 374 was 727 353 days shorter | 65 was 89 24 days shorter |
| 190 Skilled - Nominated | 766 was 533 233 days longer | 519 was 436 83 days longer |
| 602 Medical Treatment | 25 was 191 166 days shorter | 11 was 17 6 days shorter |
| 500 Postgraduate Research Sector | 334 was 202 132 days longer | 27 was 21 6 days longer |
| 445 Dependent Child | 844 was 721 123 days longer | 755 was 598 157 days longer |
| 188 Business Innovation Extension | 483 was 602 119 days shorter | 252 was 321 69 days shorter |
| 820 Partner | 570 was 689 119 days shorter | 468 was 450 18 days longer |
| 801 Partner | 549 was 432 117 days longer | 266 was 228 38 days longer |
| 888 Investor | 184 was 286 102 days shorter | 63 was 76 13 days shorter |
| 494 Labour Agreement | 336 was 238 98 days longer | 246 was 175 71 days longer |
Which lodgement months was Home Affairs processing? No statement under the current directions yet
Statements of the lodgement month each priority group has reached under Ministerial Directions 121 and 122, which set today's groups, start on 19 September 2026. Earlier banners followed other directions with different groups, so they are not compared here. Why.
Compared with a year earlier: not on record
Our records start on 9 June 2025, less than a year before this update, so there is no figure from a year earlier to compare with.
New official banners: none on file dated after the 30 Jul 2025 update and up to 25 Aug 2025
Banner notices the Department posts on its visa pages, by the date it gives them. Our banner archive is daily from 14 November 2026; lodgement month banners before that come from Wayback Machine copies from 19 September 2026. Other banners from these dates are listed only if they were still on the Department's pages when our archive began.
Every stream in the 25 Aug 2025 update: 68 processing times, before and after
Days within which 50% and 90% of applications were decided, the figure in use the day before this update, and the 90% figure a year earlier where we have one. Each row opens that stream's page with its full history.
Show all 68 streams
| Visa stream | 90%, days | 50%, days |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Partner | 583 was 549 34 days longer | 287 was 281 6 days longer |
| 101 Child | 847 was 832 15 days longer | 703 was 677 26 days longer |
| 102 Adoption | 292 was 359 67 days shorter | 130 was 137 7 days shorter |
| 117 Orphan Relative | 2,653 was 2,618 35 days longer | 2,165 was 1,513 652 days longer |
| 132 Significant Business History | 1,839 was 1,835 4 days longer | 1,657 was 1,600 57 days longer |
| 155 Five Year Resident Return | 24 was 29 5 days shorter | 1 was 1 no change |
| 157 Three Month Resident Return | 64 was 62 2 days longer | 30 was 30 no change |
| 186 Direct Entry | 539 was 540 1 day shorter | 363 was 374 11 days shorter |
| 186 Transition | 539 was 524 15 days longer | 433 was 424 9 days longer |
| 186 Agreement | 287 was 250 37 days longer | 152 was 118 34 days longer |
| 188 Business Innovation Extension | 483 was 602 119 days shorter | 252 was 321 69 days shorter |
| 189 Points-Tested | 242 was 207 35 days longer | 231 was 189 42 days longer |
| 189 New Zealand | 1,524 was 1,521 3 days longer | 1,264 was 1,260 4 days longer |
| 190 Skilled - Nominated | 766 was 533 233 days longer | 519 was 436 83 days longer |
| 191 Regional Provisional stream | 370 was 402 32 days shorter | 116 was 345 229 days shorter |
| 300 Prospective Marriage | 769 was 824 55 days shorter | 377 was 407 30 days shorter |
| 309 Partner (Provisional) | 739 was 787 48 days shorter | 431 was 514 83 days shorter |
| 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) | 23 was 23 no change | 6 was 7 1 day shorter |
| 403 Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) | 66 was 99 33 days shorter | 59 was 7 52 days longer |
| 403 Foreign Government Agency | 46 was 45 1 day longer | 12 was 11 1 day longer |
| 403 Government Agreement | 37 was 39 2 days shorter | 12 was 8 4 days longer |
| 403 Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) | 121 was 127 6 days shorter | 86 was 115 29 days shorter |
| 403 Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme | 37 was 39 2 days shorter | 10 was 8 2 days longer |
| 407 Training | 315 was 323 8 days shorter | 251 was 255 4 days shorter |
| 408 Entertainment Activities | 60 was 63 3 days shorter | 32 was 33 1 day shorter |
| 408 Exchange Arrangements | 159 was 128 31 days longer | 47 was 43 4 days longer |
| 408 Invited for Other Social and Cultural Activity | 22 was 20 2 days longer | 8 was 6 2 days longer |
| 408 Religious Work | 344 was 267 77 days longer | 33 was 31 2 days longer |
| 408 Research Activities | 298 was 307 9 days shorter | 155 was 160 5 days shorter |
| 408 Special Programs | 57 was 71 14 days shorter | 17 was 18 1 day shorter |
| 408 Sporting Activities | 69 was 59 10 days longer | 10 was 9 1 day longer |
| 408 Superyacht Crew | 37 was 39 2 days shorter | 12 was 13 1 day shorter |
| 417 Working Holiday | 64 was 81 17 days shorter | 1 was 1 no change |
| 445 Dependent Child | 844 was 721 123 days longer | 755 was 598 157 days longer |
| 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 118 was 145 27 days shorter | 75 was 83 8 days shorter |
| 462 Work and Holiday | 76 was 70 6 days longer | 14 was 9 5 days longer |
| 482 Labour Agreement | 352 was 429 77 days shorter | 259 was 314 55 days shorter |
| 482 Nomination | 144 was 226 82 days shorter | 47 was 38 9 days longer |
| 482 Sponsorship | 175 was 151 24 days longer | 47 was 39 8 days longer |
| 485 Post-Higher Education Work | 96 was 104 8 days shorter | 8 was 51 43 days shorter |
| 491 State/Territory Government Nominated Regional | 762 was 709 53 days longer | 574 was 132 442 days longer |
| 491 Family Sponsored Regional | 823 was 800 23 days longer | 672 was 666 6 days longer |
| 494 Employer Sponsored | 403 was 320 83 days longer | 254 was 212 42 days longer |
| 494 Labour Agreement | 336 was 238 98 days longer | 246 was 175 71 days longer |
| 500 Higher Education Sector | 154 was 113 41 days longer | 28 was 23 5 days longer |
| 500 Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector | 22 was 71 49 days shorter | 3 was 6 3 days shorter |
| 500 Independent ELICOS Sector | 251 was 190 61 days longer | 24 was 7 17 days longer |
| 500 Non-Award Sector | 34 was 24 10 days longer | 5 was 1 4 days longer |
| 500 Postgraduate Research Sector | 334 was 202 132 days longer | 27 was 21 6 days longer |
| 500 Schools Sector | 154 was 66 88 days longer | 27 was 25 2 days longer |
| 500 Vocational Education and Training Sector | 391 was 472 81 days shorter | 146 was 189 43 days shorter |
| 590 Student Guardian | 180 was 180 no change | 39 was 35 4 days longer |
| 600 Tourist | 23 was 23 no change | 11 was 12 1 day shorter |
| 600 Business Visitor | 18 was 18 no change | 6 was 6 no change |
| 600 Sponsored Family | 41 was 41 no change | 27 was 27 no change |
| 602 Medical Treatment | 25 was 191 166 days shorter | 11 was 17 6 days shorter |
| 651 eVisitor | 1 was 1 no change | 1 was 1 no change |
| 771 Transit | 21 was 28 7 days shorter | 3 was 4 1 day shorter |
| 801 Partner | 549 was 432 117 days longer | 266 was 228 38 days longer |
| 802 Child | 874 was 810 64 days longer | 693 was 682 11 days longer |
| 820 Partner | 570 was 689 119 days shorter | 468 was 450 18 days longer |
| 870 Visa Application | 211 was 215 4 days shorter | 153 was 158 5 days shorter |
| 870 Sponsorship | 125 was 102 23 days longer | 70 was 83 13 days shorter |
| 887 Skilled - Regional | 525 was 521 4 days longer | 122 was 381 259 days shorter |
| 888 Business Innovation | 150 was 198 48 days shorter | 89 was 71 18 days longer |
| 888 Investor | 184 was 286 102 days shorter | 63 was 76 13 days shorter |
| 888 Significant Investor | 374 was 727 353 days shorter | 65 was 89 24 days shorter |
| 988 Maritime Crew Visa | 1 was 2 1 day shorter | 1 was 1 no change |
"Was" is the figure in use the day before this update.
Other visa processing times reports: 16 official updates since June 2025
One report for each time the Department updated its global visa processing times. How these reports are made.