485 web updates - Members of Family Unit
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) rules have changed. From 13 November 2026, new rules will change which family members you can include in your Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) application.
461 visa processing time, November 2026
New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary): 50% decided within 141 days, 90% within 210 days. Department of Home Affairs processing time figures.
50% decided within means half of the applications decided in the latest reporting period took this many days or fewer, counted from lodgement to decision. The 90% figure works the same way. Applications still waiting are not counted.
Stream codes: DE = Direct Entry, TRT = Transition, AGR = Agreement, PT = Points-Tested, CS = Core Skills, ST = State/Territory, HE = Higher Education, ES = Employer Sponsored.
Where it comes from: the Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times tool. We copy the figures and keep the history.
Dates: official update 9 Nov 2026, checked by us 14 Nov 2026.
Stream codes: DE = Direct Entry, TRT = Transition, AGR = Agreement, PT = Points-Tested, CS = Core Skills, ST = State/Territory, HE = Higher Education, ES = Employer Sponsored.
Where it comes from: the Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times tool. We copy the figures and keep the history.
Dates: official update 9 Nov 2026, checked by us 14 Nov 2026.
461141daysNew Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary)90% 21010 d186670daysEmployer NominationDE90% 72739 d18990daysSkilled IndependentPT90% 28829 d190240daysSkilled Nominated90% 482108 d482174daysSkills in DemandCS90% 28743 d491521daysSkilled RegionalST90% 920365 d50025daysStudentHE90% 2079 dSee all visasall 74 streams
461 visa processing time: 50% decided within 141 days
461 all applications processing time: 50% decided within 141 days, 90% within 210 days.
Official figures dated · Checked by us · 461 visa page
Stream codes: DE = Direct Entry, TRT = Transition, AGR = Agreement, PT = Points-Tested, CS = Core Skills, ST = State/Territory, HE = Higher Education, ES = Employer Sponsored.
Where it comes from: the Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times tool. We copy the figures and keep the history.
Dates: official update 9 Nov 2026, checked by us 14 Nov 2026.
50% decided within141days10 d faster since 29 Sep 2026Half of decided applications took this long or less, lodgement to decision.
90% decided within210days18 d slower since 29 Sep 2026Nine in ten decided applications took this long or less.
Processing lodgements fromnot publishedno official statementThe Department states a lodgement month for 7 skilled visas only.
Pressure index, 46117/ 100Low, slower share and drift onlyHow the official figures moved. 50 is a flat month.
25%1124 months
50%1415 months
75%1906 months
90%2107 months
guide max231days
Days from lodgement to decision, decided applications only. Grey tick: where the Department's own processing guide scale ends. Black marker: your day count.
Day 440461 all applications, since 31 August 2025 (example date, change it to yours)
50%: 141 d90%: 210 d
- 50% of applications like this were decided by 19 Jan 2026, 90% by 29 Mar 2026 (both dates have passed). This is arithmetic on the official percentiles, not a predicted decision date.
- The Department does not publish a lodgement month for this visa.
What this can't tell you
- When your own application will be decided. Nobody outside the Department can see individual cases.
- Whether anything is wrong with an application that has passed a percentile.
- How occupation, nationality or requests for more documents change the wait. The official figures are not split that way.
Cite this page: Visa Processing Time, "461 visa processing time (all applications)", Department of Home Affairs figures dated 2 November 2026, retrieved 14 November 2026, https://visaprocessingtime.com.au/visa/461/
461 Processing Pressure Index: 17 out of 100, low, November 2026
17out of 100Low
- Slower share
- 0 of 1 stream
- Drift
- -6.6% median
- Queue lag
- not published
All visas 53 Moderate
In plain words: 0 of 1 stream of the 461 visa got slower at the latest official update, the typical change was -6.6%. A reading above 50 means the published figures moved towards longer waits; below 50, towards shorter ones.
Calculated from official processing time figures only. It describes how published figures moved, not a prediction, and it is not advice. How the index is built.
Show the formula and today's working
PPI = 100 × (0.35 × slower share + 0.30 × drift + 0.35 × queue lag)
- Slower share: streams whose 50% figure rose since the previous official update, divided by all streams with a figure.
- Drift: median percentage change in the 50% figure, clipped to plus or minus 25% and mapped to 0 to 1.
- Queue lag: average number of months between today and the lodgement month the Department says it is processing, divided by 24 and capped at 1.
Every input is a figure the Department of Home Affairs publishes. Bands: 0 to 39 Low, 40 to 59 Moderate, 60 to 79 Elevated, 80 to 100 High. The index describes how the published figures moved. It says nothing about any single application and it is not advice.
| Component | Score 0 to 1 | Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slower share0 of 1 streams have a higher 50% figure than at the previous official update. | 0.00 | 0.35 | 0.0 |
| DriftMedian change in the 50% figure is -6.6%. Minus 25% scores 0, no change scores 0.50, plus 25% scores 1. | 0.37 | 0.30 | 11.0 |
| Queue lagThe Department does not publish a lodgement month for this visa. | not published | 0.35 | 0.0 |
| ReadingTwo components only, so the sum is divided by 0.65. | 17.0 |
461 processing time since 29 Sep 2026, 50% mark
| Stream | Was | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 151 | 141 | 10 d faster |
Days. "Was" is each stream's figure before its latest change.
461 processing time then and now, 50% mark
| Stream | First | 1 yr ago | Now | vs 1 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 65 | 72 | 141 | 69 d |
Days. First figure on record for New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary): 9 Jun 2025. Amber means the processing time got longer, teal means it got shorter.
Is the 461 visa processing time getting faster or slower? 10 days faster since 29 September 2026
As of November 2026, the Department of Home Affairs reports that 50% of New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) (subclass 461) applications are decided within 141 days and 90% within 210 days. The 50% processing time was 65 days in June 2025.
90% decided within50% decided within
| Recorded | New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) 50% / 90% |
|---|---|
| 141 / 210 | |
| 151 / 192 | |
| 144 / 177 | |
| 91 / 154 | |
| 92 / 155 | |
| 77 / 134 | |
| 89 / 132 | |
| 78 / 138 | |
| 89 / 159 | |
| 66 / 127 | |
| 70 / 114 | |
| 72 / 142 | |
| 68 / 119 | |
| 75 / 118 | |
| 83 / 145 | |
| 82 / 126 | |
| 65 / 129 |
New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) in the chart, the same stream in the table, days. 17 changes recorded since 9 June 2025. Figures before November 2026 come from public archives of the official page.
461 pressure index history: latest reading 17
Slower share and drift only, rebuilt from archived figures
The Department publishes no lodgement month for this visa, so the reading uses slower share and drift only, rebuilt back to June 2025.
What did Home Affairs change on its visa pages? 8 latest banners, newest 13 November 2026
Banner notices the Department placed on its visa pages, newest first.
191 visa page banner
We prioritise applications for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191) visa under Ministerial Direction No. 122.
189 visa landing page banner
We prioritise applications for the Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) visa (Points-tested stream) under Ministerial Direction No. 122.
190 visa page banner
We prioritise applications for the Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190) visa under Ministerial Direction No. 122.
491 visa page banner
We prioritise applications for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa under Ministerial Direction No. 122.
Skills in Demand 482 processing priorities
We prioritise visa applications for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa under Ministerial Direction 121.
Subclass 186
We prioritise visa applications for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa under.
Employer Sponsored Regional 494 processing priorities
We prioritise visa applications for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (SESR) (subclass 494) visa under Ministerial Direction 122.
Source: banners on official Department of Home Affairs visa pages, archived daily since 14 November 2026. 69 banners on file, read 14 November 2026. Titles and first sentences are the Department's own wording. No interpretation added.
What do the 461 processing time figures leave out? 4 things
- They count decided applications only. Cases still waiting are not in the percentiles.
- The figures describe the recent past. They are not a forecast.
- The percentiles are not published by occupation, by state, or by whether the applicant was in Australia.
- Only streams the Department lists in its global processing times tool have a figure here.
7 questions about the 461 visa processing time, answered from November 2026 figures
How long does a 461 visa take to process in 2026?
In November 2026 the Department of Home Affairs reports a 461 visa processing time of 141 days for 50% of New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) applications and 210 days for 90%.
What is the 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) processing time right now?
Half of New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) applications are decided within 5 months (141 days), a quarter within 112 days and three quarters within 190 days. These are the official processing time figures dated 2 November 2026.
Is the 461 visa processing time getting faster or slower?
The 50% processing time for New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) moved from 151 days on 29 September 2026 to 141 days now, 10 days faster. The first figure we have on record is 65 days in June 2025.
Is the 461 processing time counted from the day of lodgement?
Yes. The published processing time runs from the day the visa application was lodged to the day it was decided, and it covers decided applications only.
How often is the 461 visa processing time updated?
The Department usually refreshes its processing time figures once a month. The latest official date for the 461 visa is 2 November 2026. We check the official page every day and record any change with its date.
Does the 461 processing time tell me when my visa will be decided?
No. A processing time describes applications that were already decided. It is not a prediction for any single application and this site does not give migration advice.
What is the Processing Pressure Index for the 461 visa?
A 0 to 100 reading calculated from official figures only: how many 461 streams got slower, by how much, and how far behind today the lodgement month being processed is. The 461 reading is 17 (low); across all visas it is 53. The formula is printed on this page.