Repealed visas
This visa is closed to new applications.
Visa processing times update recorded 18 October 2025: 36 streams slower, 27 faster at the 90% mark
Compared with the 25 August 2025 update, at the 90% mark 36 of 68 streams got slower, 27 got faster and 5 did not change. At the 50% mark 31 got slower, 26 faster and 11 did not change. The largest move was 482 Labour Agreement, 352 to 196 days at the 90% mark (156 days shorter).
- Official update
- 26 Sep to 18 Oct 2025A public archive copied the official tool on 25 September 2025 and on 18 October 2025. The figures changed in between, on a day it did not record.
- Compared with
- 11 to 25 Aug 2025Previous update, between 32 and 68 days earlier
- Streams in this report
- 68Streams the Department lists today that had a figure on this date
- Report
- 4 of 16Generated from the figures, no hand editing
| Mark | Slower | Faster | No change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% decided within | 36 | 27 | 5 |
| 50% decided within | 31 | 26 | 11 |
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? 482 Labour Agreement, 156 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 482 Labour Agreement | 196 was 352 156 days shorter | 71 was 259 188 days shorter |
| 888 Significant Investor | 274 was 374 100 days shorter | 68 was 65 3 days longer |
| 500 Vocational Education and Training Sector | 294 was 391 97 days shorter | 157 was 146 11 days longer |
| 500 Independent ELICOS Sector | 167 was 251 84 days shorter | 15 was 24 9 days shorter |
| 408 Religious Work | 427 was 344 83 days longer | 184 was 33 151 days longer |
| 494 Employer Sponsored | 330 was 403 73 days shorter | 238 was 254 16 days shorter |
| 485 Post-Higher Education Work | 31 was 96 65 days shorter | 7 was 8 1 day shorter |
| 189 New Zealand | 1,579 was 1,524 55 days longer | 1,275 was 1,264 11 days longer |
| 188 Business Innovation Extension | 429 was 483 54 days shorter | 161 was 252 91 days shorter |
| 309 Partner (Provisional) | 787 was 739 48 days longer | 441 was 431 10 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: 1 dated after the 25 Aug 2025 update and up to 18 Oct 2025
Banner notices the Department posted on its visa pages, newest first, by the date it gives them. Titles and first sentences are the Department's own wording. 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 18 Oct 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 | 580 was 583 3 days shorter | 285 was 287 2 days shorter |
| 101 Child | 886 was 847 39 days longer | 729 was 703 26 days longer |
| 102 Adoption | 290 was 292 2 days shorter | 127 was 130 3 days shorter |
| 117 Orphan Relative | 2,653 was 2,653 no change | 2,191 was 2,165 26 days longer |
| 132 Significant Business History | 1,848 was 1,839 9 days longer | 1,730 was 1,657 73 days longer |
| 155 Five Year Resident Return | 23 was 24 1 day shorter | 1 was 1 no change |
| 157 Three Month Resident Return | 65 was 64 1 day longer | 29 was 30 1 day shorter |
| 186 Direct Entry | 564 was 539 25 days longer | 378 was 363 15 days longer |
| 186 Transition | 563 was 539 24 days longer | 403 was 433 30 days shorter |
| 186 Agreement | 262 was 287 25 days shorter | 152 was 152 no change |
| 188 Business Innovation Extension | 429 was 483 54 days shorter | 161 was 252 91 days shorter |
| 189 Points-Tested | 267 was 242 25 days longer | 256 was 231 25 days longer |
| 189 New Zealand | 1,579 was 1,524 55 days longer | 1,275 was 1,264 11 days longer |
| 190 Skilled - Nominated | 797 was 766 31 days longer | 569 was 519 50 days longer |
| 191 Regional Provisional stream | 415 was 370 45 days longer | 243 was 116 127 days longer |
| 300 Prospective Marriage | 775 was 769 6 days longer | 444 was 377 67 days longer |
| 309 Partner (Provisional) | 787 was 739 48 days longer | 441 was 431 10 days longer |
| 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) | 20 was 23 3 days shorter | 7 was 6 1 day longer |
| 403 Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) | 82 was 66 16 days longer | 64 was 59 5 days longer |
| 403 Foreign Government Agency | 50 was 46 4 days longer | 44 was 12 32 days longer |
| 403 Government Agreement | 46 was 37 9 days longer | 9 was 12 3 days shorter |
| 403 Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) | 122 was 121 1 day longer | 86 was 86 no change |
| 403 Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme | 26 was 37 11 days shorter | 8 was 10 2 days shorter |
| 407 Training | 343 was 315 28 days longer | 271 was 251 20 days longer |
| 408 Entertainment Activities | 42 was 60 18 days shorter | 25 was 32 7 days shorter |
| 408 Exchange Arrangements | 166 was 159 7 days longer | 49 was 47 2 days longer |
| 408 Invited for Other Social and Cultural Activity | 20 was 22 2 days shorter | 5 was 8 3 days shorter |
| 408 Religious Work | 427 was 344 83 days longer | 184 was 33 151 days longer |
| 408 Research Activities | 326 was 298 28 days longer | 146 was 155 9 days shorter |
| 408 Special Programs | 36 was 57 21 days shorter | 18 was 17 1 day longer |
| 408 Sporting Activities | 43 was 69 26 days shorter | 10 was 10 no change |
| 408 Superyacht Crew | 32 was 37 5 days shorter | 28 was 12 16 days longer |
| 417 Working Holiday | 21 was 64 43 days shorter | 1 was 1 no change |
| 445 Dependent Child | 801 was 844 43 days shorter | 700 was 755 55 days shorter |
| 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 119 was 118 1 day longer | 68 was 75 7 days shorter |
| 462 Work and Holiday | 67 was 76 9 days shorter | 21 was 14 7 days longer |
| 482 Labour Agreement | 196 was 352 156 days shorter | 71 was 259 188 days shorter |
| 482 Nomination | 144 was 144 no change | 47 was 47 no change |
| 482 Sponsorship | 175 was 175 no change | 47 was 47 no change |
| 485 Post-Higher Education Work | 31 was 96 65 days shorter | 7 was 8 1 day shorter |
| 491 State/Territory Government Nominated Regional | 784 was 762 22 days longer | 649 was 574 75 days longer |
| 491 Family Sponsored Regional | 838 was 823 15 days longer | 672 was 672 no change |
| 494 Employer Sponsored | 330 was 403 73 days shorter | 238 was 254 16 days shorter |
| 494 Labour Agreement | 353 was 336 17 days longer | 210 was 246 36 days shorter |
| 500 Higher Education Sector | 166 was 154 12 days longer | 33 was 28 5 days longer |
| 500 Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector | 38 was 22 16 days longer | 6 was 3 3 days longer |
| 500 Independent ELICOS Sector | 167 was 251 84 days shorter | 15 was 24 9 days shorter |
| 500 Non-Award Sector | 32 was 34 2 days shorter | 1 was 5 4 days shorter |
| 500 Postgraduate Research Sector | 309 was 334 25 days shorter | 22 was 27 5 days shorter |
| 500 Schools Sector | 167 was 154 13 days longer | 24 was 27 3 days shorter |
| 500 Vocational Education and Training Sector | 294 was 391 97 days shorter | 157 was 146 11 days longer |
| 590 Student Guardian | 181 was 180 1 day longer | 38 was 39 1 day shorter |
| 600 Tourist | 23 was 23 no change | 13 was 11 2 days longer |
| 600 Business Visitor | 17 was 18 1 day shorter | 5 was 6 1 day shorter |
| 600 Sponsored Family | 61 was 41 20 days longer | 29 was 27 2 days longer |
| 602 Medical Treatment | 73 was 25 48 days longer | 1 was 11 10 days shorter |
| 651 eVisitor | 1 was 1 no change | 1 was 1 no change |
| 771 Transit | 15 was 21 6 days shorter | 2 was 3 1 day shorter |
| 801 Partner | 550 was 549 1 day longer | 266 was 266 no change |
| 802 Child | 848 was 874 26 days shorter | 702 was 693 9 days longer |
| 820 Partner | 598 was 570 28 days longer | 409 was 468 59 days shorter |
| 870 Visa Application | 218 was 211 7 days longer | 155 was 153 2 days longer |
| 870 Sponsorship | 148 was 125 23 days longer | 77 was 70 7 days longer |
| 887 Skilled - Regional | 529 was 525 4 days longer | 101 was 122 21 days shorter |
| 888 Business Innovation | 152 was 150 2 days longer | 104 was 89 15 days longer |
| 888 Investor | 145 was 184 39 days shorter | 69 was 63 6 days longer |
| 888 Significant Investor | 274 was 374 100 days shorter | 68 was 65 3 days longer |
| 988 Maritime Crew Visa | 2 was 1 1 day longer | 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.