Visa processing times / Subclass 500 · 中文

500 Student Visa processing time

Name: 500 Student Visa processing times (Student visa (subclass 500))
Creator: AusVisaClock

As of 2 November 2026, Home Affairs reports that 90% of recently decided Student visa (Higher Education Sector) applications were finalised within 7 months, and half within 25 days.

Half decided within

25 days

9 in 10 decided within

7 months

Estimate my decision date

Higher Education SectorUpdated 2 November 2026

7 months

for 90% of applications

Applications decided in the period ending 30 September 2026

25% decided within7 days
50% decided within25 days
75% decided within61 days
90% decided within7 months

Source: Department of Home Affairs, global visa processing times.

Key facts

As of 2 November 2026, Home Affairs reports that 90% of Student visa (Higher Education Sector) applications were decided within 7 months, 75% within 61 days, 50% within 25 days and 25% within 7 days.
The figures cover applications decided in the period ending 30 September 2026 and are measured from lodgement to decision.
Across the 7 500 streams, Non-Award Sector was quickest (90% within 23 days) and Schools Sector slowest (90% within 7 months).
Home Affairs revises these processing times about once a month.

Checked against Home Affairs every day. Last checked 11 November 2026.

Cite this page

AusVisaClock. “500 visa processing time.” Updated 2 November 2026. https://ausvisaclock.com/500-visa-processing-time/

The figures come from the Department of Home Affairs. You may quote them with a link to this page.

500 processing times by stream

Non-Award Sector is the quickest stream (90% within 23 days); Schools Sector is the slowest (90% within 7 months).

Stream	25%	50%	75%	90%
Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector	1 day	1 day	5 days	25 days
Postgraduate Research Sector	6 days	25 days	48 days	66 days
Independent ELICOS Sector	Under 1 day	11 days	29 days	49 days
Schools Sector	10 days	24 days	6 months	7 months
Vocational Education and Training Sector	28 days	4 months	7 months	7 months
Higher Education Sector	7 days	25 days	61 days	7 months
Non-Award Sector	Under 1 day	Under 1 day	4 days	23 days

Updated 2 November 2026 for applications decided in the period ending 30 September 2026.

When could my 500 be decided?

Enter the date you lodged. We add the department’s published percentiles to it and show where today falls: how many applications like yours were decided in the time you have already waited.

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Stream

Date you lodged your application

Share of applications decided	By

Your dates will move.

Home Affairs revises these figures about once a month, so your 50% and 90% dates change with them. Pro checks every morning and emails you the new dates the day the 500 figures move.

Or save it free

How the 500 wait has moved

The gap between the median and the 90th percentile is about 6 months, so a minority of applications take far longer than most.

Trend starts with the next release.

AusVisaClock records every release the department publishes from November 2026. Once the next one is out, this chart shows how the 90% time for Higher Education Sector has moved, and Pro members get an email the day it changes.

500 visa processing time questions

How long does the 500 visa take?

In the department’s latest figures (published 2 November 2026, for applications decided in the period ending 30 September 2026), 50% of Student visa (Higher Education Sector) applications were decided within 25 days, 75% within 61 days and 90% within 7 months. Times differ by stream: see the table above.

What do the 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% figures mean?

They are percentiles of recently decided applications. “90% within 7 months” means nine in ten applications decided in the reporting period took 7 months or less from lodgement to decision. They describe applications that have already been decided, so they lag behind changes in the queue and do not guarantee a time for any single application.

My 500 application is past the 90% time. What now?

Some applications take longer, for example when the department asks for more information, health or character checks are still open, or the application was incomplete when lodged. The department says it is usually not useful to contact it before the processing time has passed. After that, you can check your ImmiAccount and use the department’s enquiry form. For advice about your own application, speak to a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.

How often are these processing times updated?

The Department of Home Affairs revises its global processing times about once a month, a few weeks after the end of each reporting period. AusVisaClock checks the department’s figures every day, updates this page when they change, and keeps each release so you can see the trend.