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Partner visas are included in the Family visa category and account for the majority of visa granted in this category. The visas allow the married spouses …
In an unprecedented move, the Department of Immigration has announced that the processing times for global visa and citizenship is now available online.
In a new move towards greater transparency, the Department of Immigration is all set to publish the processing times of global visa and citizenship applications online.
In a statement released by the Department, they advise that this new initiative is intended to provide the people with more meaningful data about the visa or citizenship product of their choice.
According to the statement, the updates is now available online.
Processing times will be updated monthly to reflect current caseloads and processing pressures. It will be available for most visa sub classes and citizenship application types.
Visa application processing times
Last updated: 14 March 2017 (Source from DIBP)
| Visa type | Description | 75% of applications processed in | 90% of applications processed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) (Short Stay Specialist) | 9 days | 16 days |
| 403 | Temporary Work (International Relations) (Government Agreement) | 32 days | 43 days |
| 403 | Temporary Work (International Relations) (Foreign Government Agency) | 28 days | 43 days |
| 403 | Temporary Work (International Relations) (Seasonal Worker Programme) | 9 days | 13 days |
| 407 | Training | 65 days | 77 days |
| 408 | Temporary Activity (Entertainment Activities) | 7 days | 16 days |
| 408 | Temporary Activity (Sporting Activities) | 22 days | 32 days |
| 408 | Temporary Activity (Religious Work) | 67 days | 76 days |
| 408 | Temporary Activity (Research Activities) | 47 days | 69 days |
| 408 | Temporary Activity (Special Programmes) | 66 days | 75 days |
| 408 | Temporary Activity (Invited for Other Social and Cultural Activity) | 8 days | 14 days |
| 417 | Working Holiday | 14 days | 34 days |
| 457 | Temporary Work (Skilled) | 86 days | 6 months |
| 461 | New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 8 months | 11 months |
| 462 | Work and Holiday | 7 days | 19 days |
| 476 | Skilled – Recognised Graduate | 4 months | 4 months |
| 485 | Temporary Graduate (Graduate Work) | 5 months | 6 months |
| 485 | Temporary Graduate (Post-Study Work) | 71 days | 90 days |
| 500 | Student (Independent ELICOS Sector) | 55 days | 71 days |
| 500 | Student (Schools Sector) | 55 days | 86 days |
| 500 | Student (Vocational Education and Training Sector) | 43 days | 76 days |
| 500 | Student (Higher Education Sector) | 24 days | 52 days |
| 500 | Student (Postgraduate Research Sector) | 48 days | 4 months |
| 500 | Student (Non-Award Sector) | 29 days | 46 days |
| 500 | Student (Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector) | 15 days | 35 days |
| 590 | Student Guardian | 71 days | 4 months |
| 600 | Visitor (Tourist) | 20 days | 30 days |
| 600 | Visitor (Sponsored Family) | 41 days | 58 days |
| 600 | Visitor (Business Visitor) | 6 days | 15 days |
| 600 | Visitor (Approved Destination Status) | 3 days | 5 days |
| 600 | Visitor (Frequent Traveller) | 5 days | 12 days |
| 602 | Medical Treatment | 25 days | 56 days |
| 651 | eVisitor | 1 day | 3 days |
| 771 | Transit | 6 days | 9 days |
| 988 | Maritime Crew Visa | 4 days | 6 months |
| 100 | Partner | 15 months | 23 months |
| 101 | Child | 9 months | 15 months |
| 117 | Orphan Relative | 22 months | 26 months |
| 143 | Contributory Parent (Migrant) | 32 months | 33 months |
| 155 | Five Year Resident Return | 2 days | 6 days |
| 173 | Contributory Parent (Temporary) | 32 months | 32 months |
| 186 | Employer Nomination Scheme (Direct Entry Pathway) | 9 months | 11 months |
| 186 | Employer Nomination Scheme (Transition Pathway) | 8 months | 9 months |
| 187 | Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Direct Entry Pathway) | 11 months | 12 months |
| 187 | Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Transition Pathway) | 8 months | 9 months |
| 188 | Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (Business Innovation) | 16 months | 18 months |
| 189 | Skilled – Independent | 4 months | 6 months |
| 190 | Skilled – Nominated | 4 months | 7 months |
| 300 | Prospective Marriage | 12 months | 17 months |
| 309 | Partner (Provisional) | 11 months | 15 months |
| 489 | Skilled – Regional (Provisional) (Skilled Regional – GSM) | 5 months | 6 months |
| 489 | Skilled – Regional (Provisional) (State/Territory Nominated visa classes – GSM) | 5 months | 7 months |
| 801 | Partner | 16 months | 20 months |
| 802 | Child | 7 months | 8 months |
| 820 | Partner | 18 months | 20 months |
| 864 | Contributory Aged-Parent (Residence) | 15 months | 15 months |
| 887 | Skilled – Regional | 7 months | 10 months |
| 892 | State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner | 15 months | 17 months |
Australian citizenship application processing times
Last updated: 14 March 2017
| Australian Citizenship application type | 75% of applications processed in | 90% of applications processed in |
|---|---|---|
| Conferral (lodgement to ceremony*) | 10 months | 12 months |
| Descent (lodgement to decision) | 63 days | 4 months |
| Evidence (lodgement to decision) | 5 days | 12 days |
*a small proportion of applicants for Australian citizenship by conferral are not required to attend a ceremony. For Descent and Evidence applications, allow an additional 10 days for printing and postage of your certificate. If you applied from outside Australia, postage will take longer.
Global visa and citizenship processing times will be available online for the first time from 13 March 2017.
As part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to improve client information, the publishing of current visa and citizenship processing times will give you more meaningful data about the visa or citizenship product of your choice.
The latest processing times will replace the previously published service standards to give you a better idea of how long it is taking to process a particular visa subclass, stream, or citizenship application.
Processing times will be updated monthly to reflect current caseloads and processing pressures, and will be available for most visa subclasses and citizenship application types. We do not publish processing times for some subclasses, as they are closed to new entrants, or capped and queued.
To ensure that your application falls within the published processing times, you must lodge a complete application. Your application will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances, including:
- whether you have lodged a complete application and included all necessary supporting documents
- how promptly you respond to requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external parties, particularly in relation to health, character, national security, and Assurance of Support requirements
- the number of places available in the migration programme
- surges in demand and peak periods.
Australia will introduce a new temporary sponsored parent visa to allow Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand residents to sponsor their parents to stay in Australia for up to five years.
This was confirmed Friday by Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Alex Hawke in a media release.
“The (Malcolm) Turnbull Government recognises that many Australian migrant communities face particular pressures through the separation of children from parents and grandchildren from grandparents,” Hawke said.
“We want to help families reunite and spend time together, while ensuring that we do so in a way that does not burden Australia’s health care system.” he said.
“Improving arrangements for parents of Australians to spend time with their family in Australia, whilst mitigating costs to the Australian taxpayer, was a key objective of both major parties at the recent election. It is now important we get this balance right in the design of the temporary sponsored parent visa.”
The government now is seeking community submissions on a series of issues which will affect the final design of the temporary sponsored parent visa. A discussion paper containing the design issues under consideration was also released Friday.
“I encourage migrant communities to get involved in the consultation process and provide feedback to assist in the design of this visa,” Hawke said.
It is expected that this new visa type will be introduced in 2017.
The proposed changes would provide an option for parents that sits between a temporary visitor visa and permanent parent visa.
Currently, demand for places in the permanent parent stream far exceeds the number of places available, resulting in a queue of approximately 30 years for non-contributory parent visas and two years for contributory parent.
There are two visa categories available to parents of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen wishing to migrate to Australia: the non-contributory parent category and the contributory parent category.
The contributory parent category has more visa places available each Migration Program year. By applying for a visa in the contributory parent visa, parents have to make a substantially higher contribution to their future health and welfare costs.
A new Temporary Activity Visa Framework will commence on 19 November 2016, integrating the seven existing temporary activity visa subclasses into four.
Subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
This visa would be for people who want to come to Australia on a temporary basis to:
- undertake short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work
- in limited circumstances, participate in an activity or work relating to Australia’s interests.
Subclass 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa
This visa would be for people who want to come to Australia on a temporary basis:
- in relation to a bilateral agreement
- to represent a foreign government or to teach a foreign language in an Australian school
- to undertake full-time domestic work for a diplomat
- as a person with statutory privileges and immunities
- to participate in the Seasonal Worker Programme.
Subclass 407 Training visa
This visa would be for people who want to come to Australia on a temporary basis to undertake occupational training or participate in classroom based professional development activities.
Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa
This visa would be for people who want to come to Australia on a temporary basis to:
- work in the entertainment industry
- participate in a non-ongoing cultural or social activities at the invitation of an Australian organisation
- observe or participate as an academic in a research project
- undertake full-time religious work
- participate in a special programme to enhance international relations and cultural exchange
- participate in high-level sports (including training)
- work in a skilled position under a staff exchange arrangement
- participate in an Australian government endorsed event
- work as a superyacht crew member
- undertake full-time domestic work in the household of certain senior foreign executives.
Five visa subclasses will cease from 19 November 2016: Subclass 401 Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity), Subclass 402 Training and Research, Subclass 416 Special Program, Subclass 420 Temporary Work (Entertainment), and Subclass 488 Superyacht Crew.
The framework will reduce red tape by removing sponsorship and nomination requirements for specific short stay activities.
Please note that applications lodged before 19 November 2016 will be processed under pre-19 November 2016 legislation. However, applications for visas made after 19 November cannot be linked to nominations approved prior to 19 November 2016.
Contact us
Head Office
T: 03 9889 3048
Email: visa@firstmigrationservice.com
Ground Floor, 470 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne VIC 3004
T: 03 9889 3048
Email: visa@firstmigrationservice.com
Ground Floor, 470 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne VIC 3004
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