Visa processing times update, 6 March 2026: 48 streams slower, 16 faster at the 90% mark
Compared with the 15 February 2026 update, at the 90% mark 48 of 71 streams got slower, 16 got faster and 7 did not change. At the 50% mark 41 got slower, 21 faster and 9 did not change. The largest move was 820 Partner, 730 to 935 days at the 90% mark (205 days longer). 5 streams (all 482) changed between the 15 Feb 2026 and 6 Mar 2026 updates, on a day when too few streams changed to count as an update. For them the earlier figure is the one in use the day before this update, not the one in the 15 Feb 2026 report.
- Official update
- Seen in daily copies of the official tool, so the date is right to within a day.
- Compared with
- 28 Jan to 15 Feb 2026Previous update, between 19 and 37 days earlier
- Streams in this report
- 71Streams the Department lists today that had a figure on this date
- Report
- 8 of 16Generated from the figures, no hand editing
| Mark | Slower | Faster | No change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% decided within | 48 | 16 | 7 |
| 50% decided within | 41 | 21 | 9 |
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? 820 Partner, 205 days longer 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 820 Partner | 935 was 730 205 days longer | 536 was 527 9 days longer |
| 189 Points-Tested | 156 was 359 203 days shorter | 131 was 99 32 days longer |
| 408 Religious Work | 335 was 141 194 days longer | 104 was 63 41 days longer |
| 117 Orphan Relative | 2,946 was 2,834 112 days longer | 2,436 was 2,252 184 days longer |
| 602 Medical Treatment | 82 was 192 110 days shorter | 30 was 6 24 days longer |
| 801 Partner | 483 was 385 98 days longer | 241 was 220 21 days longer |
| 802 Child | 700 was 797 97 days shorter | 589 was 607 18 days shorter |
| 408 Sporting Activities | 81 was 173 92 days shorter | 20 was 12 8 days longer |
| 887 Skilled - Regional | 533 was 610 77 days shorter | 224 was 299 75 days shorter |
| 186 Agreement | 355 was 278 77 days longer | 58 was 33 25 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 15 Feb 2026 update and up to 6 Mar 2026
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 6 Mar 2026 update: 71 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 71 streams
| Visa stream | 90%, days | 50%, days |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Partner | 606 was 638 32 days shorter | 314 was 304 10 days longer |
| 101 Child | 838 was 846 8 days shorter | 606 was 634 28 days shorter |
| 102 Adoption | 326 was 340 14 days shorter | 129 was 134 5 days shorter |
| 117 Orphan Relative | 2,946 was 2,834 112 days longer | 2,436 was 2,252 184 days longer |
| 132 Significant Business History | 2,101 was 2,098 3 days longer | 2,007 was 1,997 10 days longer |
| 155 Five Year Resident Return | 29 was 16 13 days longer | 1 was 1 no change |
| 157 Three Month Resident Return | 68 was 68 no change | 32 was 32 no change |
| 186 Direct Entry | 628 was 602 26 days longer | 424 was 528 104 days shorter |
| 186 Transition | 618 was 588 30 days longer | 405 was 404 1 day longer |
| 186 Agreement | 355 was 278 77 days longer | 58 was 33 25 days longer |
| 188 Business Innovation Extension | 197 was 186 11 days longer | 125 was 110 15 days longer |
| 189 Points-Tested | 156 was 359 203 days shorter | 131 was 99 32 days longer |
| 189 New Zealand | 1,818 was 1,818 no change | 1,519 was 1,524 5 days shorter |
| 190 Skilled - Nominated | 714 was 749 35 days shorter | 394 was 447 53 days shorter |
| 191 Regional Provisional stream | 500 was 482 18 days longer | 241 was 221 20 days longer |
| 300 Prospective Marriage | 716 was 687 29 days longer | 342 was 442 100 days shorter |
| 309 Partner (Provisional) | 734 was 694 40 days longer | 480 was 489 9 days shorter |
| 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) | 25 was 21 4 days longer | 11 was 6 5 days longer |
| 403 Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) | 82 was 80 2 days longer | 55 was 55 no change |
| 403 Foreign Government Agency | 143 was 107 36 days longer | 130 was 89 41 days longer |
| 403 Government Agreement | 65 was 47 18 days longer | 10 was 7 3 days longer |
| 403 Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) | 122 was 122 no change | 86 was 86 no change |
| 403 Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme | 34 was 21 13 days longer | 19 was 12 7 days longer |
| 407 Training | 320 was 381 61 days shorter | 88 was 168 80 days shorter |
| 408 Entertainment Activities | 25 was 17 8 days longer | 13 was 8 5 days longer |
| 408 Exchange Arrangements | 226 was 201 25 days longer | 36 was 41 5 days shorter |
| 408 Invited for Other Social and Cultural Activity | 16 was 14 2 days longer | 4 was 1 3 days longer |
| 408 Religious Work | 335 was 141 194 days longer | 104 was 63 41 days longer |
| 408 Research Activities | 411 was 421 10 days shorter | 32 was 93 61 days shorter |
| 408 Special Programs | 85 was 72 13 days longer | 31 was 23 8 days longer |
| 408 Sporting Activities | 81 was 173 92 days shorter | 20 was 12 8 days longer |
| 408 Superyacht Crew | 31 was 31 no change | 12 was 13 1 day shorter |
| 417 Working Holiday | 68 was 73 5 days shorter | 1 was 1 no change |
| 445 Dependent Child | 835 was 826 9 days longer | 710 was 696 14 days longer |
| 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 159 was 127 32 days longer | 89 was 66 23 days longer |
| 462 Work and Holiday | 92 was 89 3 days longer | 52 was 28 24 days longer |
| 482 Core Skills | 228 was 213, first seen 27 Feb 2026 15 days longer | 119 was 132, first seen 27 Feb 2026 13 days shorter |
| 482 Labour Agreement | 195 was 172, first seen 27 Feb 2026 23 days longer | 113 was 103, first seen 27 Feb 2026 10 days longer |
| 482 Nomination | 215 was 206, first seen 27 Feb 2026 9 days longer | 105 was 98, first seen 27 Feb 2026 7 days longer |
| 482 Specialist Skills | 63 was 53, first seen 27 Feb 2026 10 days longer | 19 was 11, first seen 27 Feb 2026 8 days longer |
| 482 Sponsorship | 139 was 131, first seen 27 Feb 2026 8 days longer | 89 was 103, first seen 27 Feb 2026 14 days shorter |
| 485 Post-Higher Education Work | 56 was 83 27 days shorter | 6 was 8 2 days shorter |
| 491 State/Territory Government Nominated Regional | 863 was 873 10 days shorter | 612 was 638 26 days shorter |
| 491 Family Sponsored Regional | 1,020 was 1,020 no change | 773 was 773 no change |
| 494 Employer Sponsored | 337 was 274 63 days longer | 225 was 203 22 days longer |
| 494 Labour Agreement | 303 was 278 25 days longer | 204 was 196 8 days longer |
| 500 Higher Education Sector | 143 was 129 14 days longer | 28 was 21 7 days longer |
| 500 Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector | 32 was 31 1 day longer | 9 was 10 1 day shorter |
| 500 Independent ELICOS Sector | 112 was 113 1 day shorter | 22 was 12 10 days longer |
| 500 Non-Award Sector | 32 was 15 17 days longer | 4 was 1 3 days longer |
| 500 Postgraduate Research Sector | 144 was 82 62 days longer | 23 was 26 3 days shorter |
| 500 Schools Sector | 75 was 70 5 days longer | 38 was 24 14 days longer |
| 500 Vocational Education and Training Sector | 181 was 187 6 days shorter | 88 was 147 59 days shorter |
| 590 Student Guardian | 176 was 159 17 days longer | 45 was 27 18 days longer |
| 600 Tourist | 33 was 28 5 days longer | 10 was 11 1 day shorter |
| 600 Business Visitor | 23 was 19 4 days longer | 6 was 5 1 day longer |
| 600 Sponsored Family | 108 was 63 45 days longer | 50 was 36 14 days longer |
| 601 Electronic Travel Authority | 1 was 1 no change | 1 was 1 no change |
| 602 Medical Treatment | 82 was 192 110 days shorter | 30 was 6 24 days longer |
| 651 eVisitor | 1 was 1 no change | 1 was 1 no change |
| 771 Transit | 54 was 15 39 days longer | 7 was 3 4 days longer |
| 801 Partner | 483 was 385 98 days longer | 241 was 220 21 days longer |
| 802 Child | 700 was 797 97 days shorter | 589 was 607 18 days shorter |
| 820 Partner | 935 was 730 205 days longer | 536 was 527 9 days longer |
| 870 Visa Application | 265 was 237 28 days longer | 190 was 173 17 days longer |
| 870 Sponsorship | 133 was 126 7 days longer | 123 was 109 14 days longer |
| 887 Skilled - Regional | 533 was 610 77 days shorter | 224 was 299 75 days shorter |
| 888 Business Innovation | 195 was 173 22 days longer | 160 was 136 24 days longer |
| 888 Investor | 147 was 143 4 days longer | 104 was 99 5 days longer |
| 888 Significant Investor | 174 was 172 2 days longer | 99 was 92 7 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. Where it says "first seen", that figure came from a smaller change between two updates.
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.