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We prioritise applications for the Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) visa (Points-tested stream) under Ministerial Direction No. 122.
Visa processing times update, 29 September 2026: 41 streams slower, 26 faster at the 90% mark
Compared with the 5 September 2026 update, at the 90% mark 41 of 74 streams got slower, 26 got faster and 4 did not change. At the 50% mark 36 got slower, 28 faster and 7 did not change. 3 streams had no earlier figure. The largest move was 491 State/Territory Government Nominated Regional, 777 to 553 days at the 90% mark (224 days shorter).
- Official update
- Seen in daily copies of the official tool, so the date is right to within a day.
- Compared with
- 5 Sep 2026Previous update, 24 days earlier
- Streams in this report
- 74Streams the Department lists today that had a figure on this date
- Report
- 15 of 16Generated from the figures, no hand editing
| Mark | Slower | Faster | No change | No earlier figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% decided within | 41 | 26 | 4 | 3 |
| 50% decided within | 36 | 28 | 7 | 3 |
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? 491 State/Territory Government Nominated Regional, 224 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 491 State/Territory Government Nominated Regional | 553 was 777 224 days shorter | 156 was 484 328 days shorter |
| 407 Training | 614 was 401 213 days longer | 353 was 38 315 days longer |
| 309 Partner (Provisional) | 975 was 1,173 198 days shorter | 645 was 647 2 days shorter |
| 408 Research Activities | 529 was 381 148 days longer | 448 was 64 384 days longer |
| 186 Direct Entry | 757 was 633 124 days longer | 631 was 381 250 days longer |
| 408 Religious Work | 163 was 257 94 days shorter | 99 was 90 9 days longer |
| 186 Transition | 757 was 673 84 days longer | 649 was 421 228 days longer |
| 100 Partner | 629 was 557 72 days longer | 281 was 264 17 days longer |
| 494 Labour Agreement | 258 was 326 68 days shorter | 127 was 103 24 days longer |
| 408 Sporting Activities | 113 was 46 67 days longer | 16 was 18 2 days shorter |
Which lodgement months was Home Affairs processing? First statements for 7 visas
For 7 skilled visas the Department states, in a banner on each visa page, the lodgement month each priority group has reached. This is the first report with these statements: 28 groups across 7 visas (186, 189, 190, 191, 482, 491, 494). These are the Department's statements, not a wait time for any application.
| Visa and group | At 5 Sep 2026 | At 29 Sep 2026 | Moved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 186 Priority sectors | none | Aug 2024 | first statement |
| 186 In Australia | none | Feb 2025 | first statement |
| 186 Outside Australia, alone | none | Jul 2024 | first statement |
| 186 Outside Australia, others | none | Jul 2024 | first statement |
| 189 Priority sectors | none | Nov 2025 | first statement |
| 189 In Australia | none | Jun 2026 | first statement |
| 189 Outside Australia, alone | none | Nov 2025 | first statement |
| 189 Outside Australia, others | none | Nov 2025 | first statement |
| 190 Priority sectors | none | May 2025 | first statement |
| 190 In Australia | none | Jan 2026 | first statement |
| 190 Outside Australia, alone | none | Feb 2025 | first statement |
| 190 Outside Australia, others | none | Feb 2025 | first statement |
| 191 In Australia | none | Feb 2026 | first statement |
| 191 Outside Australia, alone | none | Mar 2026 | first statement |
| 191 Outside Australia, others | none | Jan 2026 | first statement |
| 482 Priority sectors | none | Oct 2025 | first statement |
| 482 Specialist Skills | none | Jul 2026 | first statement |
| 482 In Australia | none | Jan 2026 | first statement |
| 482 Outside Australia, alone | none | Oct 2025 | first statement |
| 482 Outside Australia, others | none | Oct 2025 | first statement |
| 491 Priority sectors | none | Mar 2025 | first statement |
| 491 In Australia | none | Feb 2025 | first statement |
| 491 Outside Australia, alone | none | Feb 2025 | first statement |
| 491 Outside Australia, others | none | Feb 2025 | first statement |
| 494 Priority sectors | none | Sep 2025 | first statement |
| 494 In Australia | none | Sep 2025 | first statement |
| 494 Outside Australia, alone | none | Aug 2025 | first statement |
| 494 Outside Australia, others | none | Sep 2025 | first statement |
Statements dated 19 Sep 2026 to 24 Sep 2026: for each visa, the latest one dated on or before the update day. How lodgement month statements are read.
Compared with a year earlier: 38 streams slower, 27 faster at the 90% mark than on 29 Sep 2025
The same streams against the figures on record for 29 September 2025, one year before this update. 68 streams have a figure on both dates. Figures before March 2026 come from a public archive that was not copied daily (TomazMPP/Australian-Visa-Tracker), so a figure on record for that date may already have been replaced a few days earlier.
| Mark | Slower | Faster | No change | No earlier figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% decided within | 38 | 27 | 3 | 6 |
| 50% decided within | 36 | 26 | 6 | 6 |
New official banners: 9 dated after the 5 Sep 2026 update and up to 29 Sep 2026
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.
Show 3 more banners
Every stream in the 29 Sep 2026 update: 74 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 74 streams
| Visa stream | 90%, days | 50%, days | 90% a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Partner | 629 was 557 72 days longer | 281 was 264 17 days longer | 583 46 days longer |
| 101 Child | 990 was 1,007 17 days shorter | 743 was 696 47 days longer | 847 143 days longer |
| 102 Adoption | 573 was 512 61 days longer | 239 was 229 10 days longer | 292 281 days longer |
| 117 Orphan Relative | 2,946 was 3,003 57 days shorter | 2,285 was 2,314 29 days shorter | 2,653 293 days longer |
| 132 Significant Business History | 2,125 was 2,123 2 days longer | 2,034 was 2,032 2 days longer | 1,839 286 days longer |
| 155 Five Year Resident Return | 6 was 6 no change | 1 was 1 no change | 24 18 days shorter |
| 157 Three Month Resident Return | 65 was 67 2 days shorter | 18 was 20 2 days shorter | 64 1 day longer |
| 186 Direct Entry | 757 was 633 124 days longer | 631 was 381 250 days longer | 539 218 days longer |
| 186 Transition | 757 was 673 84 days longer | 649 was 421 228 days longer | 539 218 days longer |
| 186 Agreement | 376 was 364 12 days longer | 50 was 58 8 days shorter | 287 89 days longer |
| 188 Business Innovation Extension | 332 was 302 30 days longer | 195 was 170 25 days longer | 483 151 days shorter |
| 189 Points-Tested | 245 was 240 5 days longer | 61 was 223 162 days shorter | 242 3 days longer |
| 189 New Zealand | 1,862 was 1,859 3 days longer | 1,652 was 1,611 41 days longer | 1,524 338 days longer |
| 190 Skilled - Nominated | 476 was 509 33 days shorter | 132 was 148 16 days shorter | 766 290 days shorter |
| 191 Regional Provisional stream | 310 was 320 10 days shorter | 248 was 263 15 days shorter | 370 60 days shorter |
| 300 Prospective Marriage | 785 was 782 3 days longer | 415 was 417 2 days shorter | 769 16 days longer |
| 309 Partner (Provisional) | 975 was 1,173 198 days shorter | 645 was 647 2 days shorter | 739 236 days longer |
| 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) | 43 was 39 4 days longer | 8 was 9 1 day shorter | 23 20 days longer |
| 403 Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) | 78 was 82 4 days shorter | 27 was 52 25 days shorter | 66 12 days longer |
| 403 Foreign Government Agency | 112 was 111 1 day longer | 50 was 25 25 days longer | 46 66 days longer |
| 403 Government Agreement | 45 was 23 22 days longer | 12 was 13 1 day shorter | 37 8 days longer |
| 403 Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) | 147 was 106 41 days longer | 107 was 73 34 days longer | 121 26 days longer |
| 403 Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme | 30 was 29 1 day longer | 15 was 9 6 days longer | 37 7 days shorter |
| 407 Training | 614 was 401 213 days longer | 353 was 38 315 days longer | 315 299 days longer |
| 408 Entertainment Activities | 47 was 47 no change | 23 was 24 1 day shorter | 60 13 days shorter |
| 408 Exchange Arrangements | 52 was 41 11 days longer | 28 was 37 9 days shorter | 159 107 days shorter |
| 408 Invited for Other Social and Cultural Activity | 22 was 26 4 days shorter | 4 was 3 1 day longer | 22 no change |
| 408 Religious Work | 163 was 257 94 days shorter | 99 was 90 9 days longer | 344 181 days shorter |
| 408 Research Activities | 529 was 381 148 days longer | 448 was 64 384 days longer | 298 231 days longer |
| 408 Special Programs | 56 was 49 7 days longer | 31 was 40 9 days shorter | 57 1 day shorter |
| 408 Sporting Activities | 113 was 46 67 days longer | 16 was 18 2 days shorter | 69 44 days longer |
| 408 Superyacht Crew | 35 was 27 8 days longer | 7 was 8 1 day shorter | 37 2 days shorter |
| 417 Working Holiday | 58 was 20 38 days longer | 2 was 3 1 day shorter | 64 6 days shorter |
| 445 Dependent Child | 982 was 952 30 days longer | 771 was 740 31 days longer | 844 138 days longer |
| 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 192 was 177 15 days longer | 151 was 144 7 days longer | 118 74 days longer |
| 462 Work and Holiday | 44 was 22 22 days longer | 3 was 8 5 days shorter | 76 32 days shorter |
| 482 Core Skills | 286 was 288 2 days shorter | 131 was 112 19 days longer | none on record |
| 482 Labour Agreement | 279 was 306 27 days shorter | 154 was 206 52 days shorter | 352 73 days shorter |
| 482 Nomination | 262 was 260 2 days longer | 64 was 57 7 days longer | 144 118 days longer |
| 482 Specialist Skills | 78 was 45 33 days longer | 37 was 15 22 days longer | none on record |
| 482 Sponsorship | 57 was 98 41 days shorter | 11 was 24 13 days shorter | 175 118 days shorter |
| 485 Post-Higher Education Work | 55 was 97 42 days shorter | 5 was 11 6 days shorter | 96 41 days shorter |
| 485 Post-Vocation Education Work | 143 no earlier figure | 52 no earlier figure | none on record |
| 491 State/Territory Government Nominated Regional | 553 was 777 224 days shorter | 156 was 484 328 days shorter | 762 209 days shorter |
| 491 Family Sponsored Regional | 208 was 191 17 days longer | 110 was 107 3 days longer | 823 615 days shorter |
| 494 Employer Sponsored | 365 was 374 9 days shorter | 253 was 135 118 days longer | 403 38 days shorter |
| 494 Labour Agreement | 258 was 326 68 days shorter | 127 was 103 24 days longer | 336 78 days shorter |
| 500 Higher Education Sector | 109 was 71 38 days longer | 16 was 19 3 days shorter | 154 45 days shorter |
| 500 Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector | 22 was 15 7 days longer | 3 was 3 no change | 22 no change |
| 500 Independent ELICOS Sector | 53 was 52 1 day longer | 22 was 18 4 days longer | 251 198 days shorter |
| 500 Non-Award Sector | 43 was 25 18 days longer | 3 was 1 2 days longer | 34 9 days longer |
| 500 Postgraduate Research Sector | 55 was 60 5 days shorter | 17 was 12 5 days longer | 334 279 days shorter |
| 500 Schools Sector | 207 was 213 6 days shorter | 28 was 26 2 days longer | 154 53 days longer |
| 500 Vocational Education and Training Sector | 224 was 217 7 days longer | 53 was 91 38 days shorter | 391 167 days shorter |
| 590 Student Guardian | 242 was 226 16 days longer | 43 was 41 2 days longer | 180 62 days longer |
| 600 Tourist | 33 was 38 5 days shorter | 21 was 18 3 days longer | 23 10 days longer |
| 600 Business Visitor | 19 was 20 1 day shorter | 7 was 7 no change | 18 1 day longer |
| 600 Sponsored Family | 92 was 98 6 days shorter | 40 was 46 6 days shorter | 41 51 days longer |
| 601 Electronic Travel Authority | 1 was 1 no change | 1 was 1 no change | none on record |
| 602 Medical Treatment | 100 was 99 1 day longer | 19 was 17 2 days longer | 25 75 days longer |
| 651 eVisitor | 1 was 1 no change | 1 was 1 no change | 1 no change |
| 771 Transit | 13 was 16 3 days shorter | 3 was 3 no change | 21 8 days shorter |
| 801 Partner | 585 was 521 64 days longer | 234 was 102 132 days longer | 549 36 days longer |
| 802 Child | 931 was 909 22 days longer | 627 was 642 15 days shorter | 874 57 days longer |
| 820 Partner | 908 was 887 21 days longer | 679 was 694 15 days shorter | 570 338 days longer |
| 858 National Innovation | 225 no earlier figure | 180 no earlier figure | none on record |
| 858 Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) | 726 no earlier figure | 482 no earlier figure | none on record |
| 870 Visa Application | 278 was 283 5 days shorter | 217 was 231 14 days shorter | 211 67 days longer |
| 870 Sponsorship | 100 was 133 33 days shorter | 89 was 79 10 days longer | 125 25 days shorter |
| 887 Skilled - Regional | 507 was 551 44 days shorter | 297 was 267 30 days longer | 525 18 days shorter |
| 888 Business Innovation | 316 was 300 16 days longer | 262 was 259 3 days longer | 150 166 days longer |
| 888 Investor | 186 was 226 40 days shorter | 157 was 144 13 days longer | 184 2 days longer |
| 888 Significant Investor | 248 was 217 31 days longer | 125 was 122 3 days longer | 374 126 days shorter |
| 988 Maritime Crew Visa | 3 was 1 2 days longer | 1 was 1 no change | 1 2 days longer |
"Was" is the figure in use the day before this update. The last column is the 90% figure on record for 29 September 2025, and the badge compares it with 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.