Last updated: 30 March 2026

189 Visa Processing Time: Current Wait Times and Factors

Once you receive your 189 invitation and lodge your application, the processing period begins. At this stage, the Department of Home Affairs works through your case on its own timeline — but how you prepare your application and respond during the wait has a real effect on where you land within the published range.

This page covers current 189 processing time data by stream, what the percentile figures actually mean, the factors that move your case toward the faster or slower end of the range, how to manage your bridging visa and work rights while you wait, and how to monitor your status through ImmiAccount and VEVO.

Published Processing Times: What the Percentile Data Means

The Department of Home Affairs publishes indicative processing times on its website as percentile estimates. These figures are updated regularly and reflect the entire pool of recently decided applications — not a commitment about your individual case.

Subclass 189 Independent stream

Reading these figures correctly:

• 75th percentile: Three-quarters of recent 189 Independent stream applications were finalised within this range from the date of lodgement.
• 90th percentile: Nine in ten applications were decided within this range.
• The remaining 10% took longer — typically due to unresolved health waivers, character considerations, or missing documents that generated extended follow-up.

Subclass 189 Graduate Research stream

This stream is available to doctoral and masters-by-research graduates from Australian institutions in relevant occupations. It carries a similar processing profile to the Independent stream, with slightly lower volumes.

A note on published figures

Indicative times reflect recent experience — not a schedule. During periods of high lodgement volume, such as after occupation list changes, times can extend. During quieter periods, they may shorten. Always verify the current figures directly on the Department of Home Affairs processing times page on or close to the date you lodge your application.

The pre-lodgement wait: invitation timing context

Processing time is measured from lodgement — but the time you spend waiting for an invitation is separate and now potentially longer than in previous years. As of 2025–26, SkillSelect invitation rounds run quarterly rather than monthly. The November 2025 round issued 10,000 invitations for the subclass 189 — the largest single round of the program year — but applicants whose EOIs were not selected must wait until the next quarterly round. This means the total time from EOI submission to visa grant now includes a longer pre-lodgement phase for many applicants.

How Processing Time Is Measured

The clock starts when the Department receives your lodged application and confirms payment through ImmiAccount. It does not start when you submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.

There is one important nuance: if the Department sends you a formal request for additional information — called a Section 56 request — the time you spend preparing your response does not count toward the Department’s processing performance metrics. The clock effectively pauses while they wait for you. This means your response speed to any request is directly within your control and has a real effect on how long your total wait lasts.

Factors That Support Faster Processing

Complete application at lodgement. Submitting all required documents on day one of your 60-day invitation window is the most controllable factor. An application that reaches a case officer complete — with employment evidence, qualification certificates, English test scores, identity documents, and police clearances — moves through initial assessment without interruption. Any gap triggers a formal request, which adds weeks or months.

Uncomplicated health assessment. If your health examination raises no concerns requiring referral to the Department’s Medical Advisory Unit (MAU), health clears quickly. Panel physicians upload results directly to your ImmiAccount — the Department receives them without you needing to do anything. Completing your health examination before or immediately after lodgement removes this as a bottleneck.

Clean character record. Police clearances from countries with efficient certificate processes, combined with no criminal history to disclose, allow character assessment to complete without manual review. Applicants with a straightforward character profile move through this step without delay.

Consistent documentation. When the employment history you claimed in your EOI, the skills assessment outcome, and the employment evidence you submit all align precisely — same ANZSCO code, matching dates, consistent job titles — case officers have nothing to query. Inconsistencies between claimed dates in the EOI and what reference letters or payslips show generate queries that pause processing.

Factors That Extend Processing Time

Missing or incomplete documents at lodgement. The most common cause of delays. Gaps in employment reference letters — letters that do not clearly state job title, duties, start and end dates, and full-time or part-time status — are especially frequent. Missing skills assessment letters, expired English test score reports, or police clearances that have not yet arrived from overseas are others.

Health conditions requiring MAU referral. Pre-existing health conditions that the panel physician flags are referred to the Department’s Medical Advisory Unit. The MAU operates as a separate queue. Depending on the condition and referral volume at the time, MAU review can add 3 to 6 months or more to your total wait.

Police clearances from countries with long processing times. Some countries — including India, China, several Middle Eastern countries, and parts of Africa — take 2 to 6 months or longer to issue police certificates. If a secondary applicant on your application lived in such a country for 12 months or more in the past 10 years, an outstanding clearance becomes a significant bottleneck. Start this process early.

Discrepancies triggering verification. If the Department identifies a mismatch between what you claimed in your EOI and what your documents support — employment dates that do not match, a qualification that cannot be verified, a skills assessment under a different ANZSCO code — additional verification steps are initiated. These are unpredictable in how long they take.

Secondary applicants. Adding a partner and dependent children to your application multiplies the documents involved. Each secondary applicant requires individual health examinations and police clearances. One component in delay can hold up the entire application.

High lodgement volumes. Occupations with large numbers of applicants in the SkillSelect pool — such as software engineers, ICT business analysts, civil engineers, and accountants — generate higher application volumes at the federal stage. This does not slow individual cases directly, but it contributes to the overall queue.

Managing Your Bridging Visa and Work Rights

If you were in Australia on a substantive visa when you lodged your 189 application, you are typically granted a Bridging Visa A (BVA) at the time of lodgement. This allows you to remain in Australia lawfully while your application is under assessment.

Work rights on a BVA

A BVA for a 189 applicant generally carries the same work rights as your previous substantive visa unless a specific condition restricts this. In most cases, you can continue working for any employer during the processing period. Check the specific conditions on your bridging visa in ImmiAccount.

Travelling internationally while on a BVA

A Bridging Visa A does not allow you to re-enter Australia if you depart. If you need to travel while your 189 is being assessed:

1. Confirm whether your substantive visa is still valid and allows re-entry, or
2. Apply for a Bridging Visa B (BVB) before you leave Australia

The BVB covers the specific travel dates you declare and permits re-entry during that period. Lodge the BVB application before departing. If you depart on a BVA without a BVB, you cannot re-enter on the bridging visa — you would need to obtain a new substantive visa offshore before returning to Australia.

If your substantive visa expires while you are overseas and you have no BVB in place, contact a MARA-registered migration agent immediately.

Medicare during processing

If your current substantive visa includes Medicare access, that access typically continues on the bridging visa. Confirm your entitlement directly with Medicare Australia if there is any uncertainty about your specific situation.

How to Check Your Application Status

ImmiAccount

ImmiAccount is the primary platform for monitoring your 189 application. Log in at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au with the credentials you used when you lodged. Your application dashboard shows:

• Current status label (Received, Initial Assessment, Further Assessment, Decision Ready, Finalised)
• Uploaded documents and their processing status
• Any requests for further information
• Contact options for the processing team

Status labels are high-level administrative markers. “Further Assessment” can mean a routine mid-point review or an active investigation — it does not indicate where in the queue your case sits. Do not read detailed meaning into these labels beyond their basic description.

VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online)

VEVO confirms your current visa status and entitlements. It is most useful for verifying your bridging visa conditions — your right to remain, work rights, and whether travel conditions apply. VEVO does not show your 189 application status, but it confirms your current legal position while you wait.

The Department’s processing time tool

The Department’s website includes a processing time tool. Entering subclass 189 shows current indicative figures. Use this to calibrate expectations. If your application has been in assessment significantly longer than the published 90th percentile time, this is the appropriate threshold at which to consider contacting the Department.

Responding to Department Requests

If the Department issues a Section 56 request for additional information or documents, treat it as a priority. The request will include a response deadline. Respond completely before that deadline — partial responses generate follow-up requests and extend the pause on your processing.

If you need more time to gather documents, you can request an extension through ImmiAccount before the deadline expires. Do not miss the deadline and assume you can catch up later.

When responding, be thorough. A complete and well-organised response that directly addresses what was asked closes the request in one exchange. An incomplete response reopens the same issue.

When to Contact the Department

The Department does not provide individual timeline updates during normal processing. Contacting them to ask where your application is in the queue will not produce useful information and will not move your case forward.

Contact is appropriate in the following situations:

• Your application has exceeded the published 90th percentile processing time and you have received no communication
• You need to notify the Department of a material change in your circumstances — relationship status, a new secondary applicant, a passport change, a change of address
• You receive a formal request and need clarification about what is being asked
• You need to apply for a BVB before travelling

A MARA-registered migration agent can contact the Department on your behalf and may obtain more specific information about a stalled application than you would receive through the standard contact channels.

How the 189 Compares on Processing Time

The 189 Independent stream and the 190 have broadly similar federal processing times. The practical difference is that the 190 requires state nomination first, which adds weeks or months before the federal application is lodged. The 189 has no nomination stage — once you receive your SkillSelect invitation, you move directly to federal lodgement.

For a full subclass 189 visa guide covering eligibility, invitation, and what happens after grant, see our overview page. For context on how the 189 sits within the broader permanent residency in Australia framework, see our PR overview.

After Your 189 Is Granted

When the Department approves your 189 application:

• You receive written notification through ImmiAccount and by email to the address on your application
• The grant takes effect from the date of the decision — you become a permanent resident from that date
• Full Medicare access begins from the grant date; you may need to re-enrol if your previous Medicare entitlement was through a temporary visa
• Your permanent residency travel facility allows you to enter and re-enter Australia for 5 years from the date of grant
• Your Australian citizenship eligibility period begins from the date of your permanent visa grant, subject to the relevant residency requirements

If the application is refused, you receive a written notice stating the reasons. Depending on the grounds, you may have review rights through the Administrative Review Tribunal or other avenues. Seek advice from a migration agent or registered migration lawyer before the deadline for any review application — those deadlines are firm.

Frequently Asked Questions About 189 Visa Processing Time

How long does the 189 visa take to process?

Most 189 applications are processed within 6 to 12 months of lodgement. The 75th percentile — meaning three-quarters of applications — falls within this range. The 90th percentile extends to approximately 9 to 15 months. Applications that are complete at lodgement, with no outstanding health, character, or verification issues, tend toward the lower end. Cases requiring information requests or MAU referrals can take significantly longer. Always check current indicative times on the Department of Home Affairs website, as these figures are updated regularly.

What causes delays in 189 processing?

The most common causes of delays are incomplete applications at lodgement — missing employment evidence, expired documents, or absent police clearances — that trigger formal information requests from the Department. Health conditions referred to the Medical Advisory Unit, police clearances from countries with slow processing times, and discrepancies between EOI claims and lodgement documents are other frequent causes. Each adds time proportional to how long the relevant issue takes to resolve.

Can you speed up 189 visa processing?

There is no fee-based or formal priority processing option for the subclass 189. The most effective steps are within your control at lodgement: submit a complete application on day one of the 60-day window, book your health examination as soon as possible, obtain police clearances well in advance, and respond to any Department requests quickly and completely. These actions remove the avoidable delays — they do not compress the Department’s standard assessment timeline.