Blog

The Department of Home Affairs recently released updated on visa processing speeds, program quotas, and new visa categories — offering applicants a clearer picture to expect going forward.

Visa Processing Times: Where Things Stand

• For permanent visas, just over half (53.4%) were processed within 12 months of lodgement.
• Temporary visas fared much better — 97.65% of applications were finalized within a year.
• Some visa types are seeing faster turnaround times:
  • Visitor visas are often granted within a day, even with rising demand.
  • Working Holiday Maker visas are being processed in roughly 27 days, with a growth surge in subclass 462 thanks to the UK-Australia trade agreement.
  • Temporary skilled visas: the short-term has a median processing time of 19 days; the medium-term stream around 90 days.
• Student visa processing varies: offshore priority applications typically take 4-8 weeks; onshore applications are currently being processed for those lodged in March-April 2025, and timelines are expected to improve.
• Labour-agreement based visas are being processed in around 4 months on average.

Program Levels & Migration Planning for 2025–26

• The total migrant intake for 2025–26 will remain at 185,000 places, the same as 2024–25.
• A major change: the introduction of a new National Innovation Visa — which will replace the existing Global Talent and Distinguished Talent streams.
• Allocations for state and territory nominations are still being finalized.

Updates on Skilled, Family & Special–Purpose Visas
On 21 August 2025, around 7,000 invitations were issued through the SkillSelect program — including 150 for the regional-family sponsored subclass 491. More invitation rounds are expected before year-end.

• For investment-based visas: recent corporate collapses have affected some holders of Significant Investor Visa (SIV), but the Department clarified visa holders remain personally responsible for their finances and obligations.
• Over 4,285 labour agreements (including those under the Designated Area Migration Agreement — DAMA) are approved, with most new applications processed within about 4 weeks.
• Child visa applications continue to face long delays, with current processing times around 22-28 months. The 2025–26 allocation is roughly 3,000 places, but lodgements already exceed planning levels.
• For bridging visas: BVA and BVC visas are typically processed within a week; BVBs need to be lodged 2–4 weeks before intended travel. Processing delays resin for bridging visas tied to partner applications, but authorities say they’re working to reduce the backlog.

New Visa Streams & Emerging Pathways

• The newly launched National Innovation Visa had, by August 2025, received approximately 8,200 applications, with 225 invitations issued so far.
• Under the Pacific Engagement Visa and the Falepili Treaty Stream, a total of 1,000 visas were granted in the first year, with an additional 278 in the current cycle. Average processing time is around 129 days.
  
  

Reference
VisaEnvoy Migration Agents and Immigration Lawyers. (2025, September 10). Australia Migration updates: visa processing times, program levels, and new visas – September 2025. Australian Migration Agents and Immigration Lawyers Melbourne | VisaEnvoy. https://visaenvoy.com/visa-processing-times-program-levels-and-new-visas/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOkQRJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAEwAAEeFJ92fzjCEDNkxEsdpj200bvv2M6wtGkQxUrWlnHzJQfK4_dtCixYDuIVSqs_aem_SzagXErZxOKLO8jw4nAOKQ