Three details to have ready
Find the subclass, any stream or sector the tool offers, and lodgement date in your application record. Keep identifiers such as your passport number or transaction reference in your own account; the public processing-time tool does not ask for them.
- Open the official guide and choose Visa Type.
- Use the matching Visa Stream if the tool offers choices. For 417 and 462 it currently shows Not applicable; leave that field as shown. For Student 500, this field lists education sectors.
- Enter your Application Date, then select Submit. Read the result and its explanatory text together.
Open Home Affairs processing times guide
| Your application | What to match in the tool | Check the route |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor 600 | Visitor visa (subclass 600), then Tourist, Sponsored Family or Business Visitor as applicable. | Tourist vs Sponsored Family · Business Visitor |
| Student 500 | Student visa (subclass 500), then your education sector. Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, and Independent ELICOS are different choices. | Course and application checks |
| ETA 601 or eVisitor 651 | The exact subclass, rather than the Visitor 600 row. | ETA and eVisitor comparison |
These are field-selection examples checked on 30 September 2026. The live list can change. If you have not applied, first identify the correct route; do not invent a lodgement date and treat the tool's elapsed-time marker as a forecast.
What do “50% processed” and “90% processed” mean?
The percentages describe time taken by recently decided applications. A 50% marker means half of those cases were processed within the displayed duration; a 90% marker means nine in ten. They are not approval rates and do not give your application a personal chance of a decision by that date.
The tool may label the elapsed period “Within standard processing timeframe” or “Outside standard processing timeframe.” Neither label is a visa outcome. Even outside the range, some cases take longer; Home Affairs says it will contact you when a decision is made.
The broad Visitor median on Home Affairs' overview combines 600, 601 and 651. That combined number can hide the very different time taken by Visitor 600 cases. Use your subclass and stream above rather than applying a headline Visitor average to your own Tourist application.
Official explanation of the combined Visitor category · Read the current tool result
Why a Working Holiday headline may understate an offshore wait
Home Affairs' August 2026 overview shows one median for the broad Working Holiday Maker category. Its accompanying note says onshore applications are being prioritised and some offshore applications may take approximately three months. A category median is based on recently finalised cases; it is not a deadline for your first 417 or 462 application. Choose the exact 417 or 462 visa type in the live tool; its stream field currently says Not applicable. Then leave room for individual requests before making flight, work or study commitments.
For a first-462 applicant from a ballot country, waiting for selection is a separate step before a visa application can be lodged. A ballot round or selection notice is not a visa decision and does not turn the broad category median into your own decision date.
Home Affairs WHM category note and offshore warning · Check the exact visa processing tool · First-462 ballot steps · Compare Working Holiday routes →
Why is my visa missing from the list?
Home Affairs does not publish a figure for every visa. Its overview lists three reasons: the visa is closed to new applications, it is a capped and queued family visa, or too few cases were decided in the month to give a reliable indicator. Do not borrow a similar subclass's time.
For a Parent or Other Family route, check its own queue and processing information. If a field or result fails to load, the official tool recommends refreshing the page and clearing the browser cache. A blank result is not evidence of a decision or an application problem.
Visas without published times · Official family processing and queue information
What can I do while waiting?
- For an application managed in ImmiAccount, open it there and read Messages and Actions required. Record any request deadline before making a new plan.
- Check that requested files were attached through the instructed channel. Keep your own dated record of the response.
- Update a changed passport, contact detail or other relevant circumstance using the official process.
- If a response or visa-status question is unclear, use the official help route for your circumstances. A third party's claimed queue position is not a processing-tool result.
Will calling give me a decision date?
Home Affairs says it cannot provide further application-status information while an application is within the standard processing time, even by phone. Use the live tool and your own application record first. Being outside the displayed range does not guarantee an immediate decision or priority processing. If you need help with an unclear request or your personal record, use the Department's current contact options and describe the specific issue rather than treating the range as a promised deadline.
Home Affairs contact and application-status instructions
App-based ETA follow-up: check the email address used for the ETA, including junk mail. If Home Affairs asks for further processing, use the specific form link in your letter and its document instructions. Do not assume an ordinary ImmiAccount application record exists or submit repeated ETA app applications. Application-channel note checked 8 October 2026. Official ETA follow-up instructions
“Further assessment” means the application is being assessed; it is not a countdown. “Finalised” means a decision was made, so read the notice to learn the outcome. Biometrics and medical examinations are separate steps and do not start a new universal decision clock.
ImmiAccount status and request guide → · Updating a passport → · Health requests →
A processing estimate does not extend your current visa
If you are already in Australia, keep your current visa's expiry, conditions and any bridging-visa questions separate from the public processing range. Use your own grant and VEVO, and obtain qualified help where your lawful stay is unclear. Check whether your current visa or bridging visa permits your stay and work; the public processing range cannot answer those questions.
For travel, Home Affairs encourages applying well ahead and booking flights after the visa is granted. For a course start, ask the provider about its options if you are still waiting; a provider's date does not become a Home Affairs decision deadline. Once granted, read the actual entries, arrival date, stay period and conditions before travelling.
Official preparation and travel advice · Check your current visa in VEVO · Travel with a pending application → · Check the written grant →
Keep the lookup and request deadlines together
Save your own record of the tool settings, date checked, messages and actions. The printable two-page record and editable text version are free, with no email required. Neither predicts a decision date; keep completed records on your own device.
Get practical visa preparation updates
Join for occasional source-checked guide and document updates. These emails do not track your application; this guide and checklist remain free without joining.