Visa questions, answered with the latest numbers
Each answer is rebuilt from the Department of Home Affairs figures whenever they change. Latest release 9 November 2026.
Monthly report Australian visa processing times, November 2026 As of 9 November 2026, Home Affairs reported that 90% of applications were decided within a year or less for 52 of the 74 visa streams it publishes, and took longer than a year for 22.
Partner visas
- How long does a partner visa take in Australia in 2026?Onshore 820: 90% decided within 30 months. Offshore 309: 90% within 35 months. Current Home Affairs partner visa processing times, what the two stages mean, and how the wait is counted.
- 820 vs 309: which partner visa is processed faster?Current figures: 820 onshore 90% in 30 months, 309 offshore 90% in 35 months. Side-by-side Home Affairs processing times for both stages of the partner visa.
Guides
- My visa is past the processing time. What does that mean?Why some applications take longer than the published 90% time, what Home Affairs says about contacting it, and how to check where yours stands.
- What do the 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% visa processing times mean?Home Affairs publishes processing times as percentiles of recently decided applications. Here is how to read them, with a worked example from the current 820 figures.