Australian Visa Processing Times

The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Andrew Giles, has announced several new initiatives to improve the efficiency of Australian visa processing. In his latest statement, he highlighted the government’s commitment to reducing backlogs and accelerating decision timelines across all major visa categories.

To achieve this, officers who were earlier handling travel exemptions have now been reassigned to visa processing duties. Since May 2022, nearly 140 new team members have joined visa processing roles to help meet the growing demand. Additionally, a surge workforce from the Department and the Australian Border Force has been introduced, enabling staff to work overtime and clear pending cases faster.

Since the start of June 2022, more than 745,000 visa applications have been finalised — this includes around 645,000 offshore visa cases. Among these, approximately 388,000 visitor visas, 62,000 student visas, and 9,550 temporary skilled visas have been processed successfully.

Compared to May 2022, June saw a 6.5% increase in new applications and a 10.6% rise in completed cases, showing visible progress in the system’s performance.

The government has confirmed that visa processing will continue to prioritise temporary skilled, student, and visitor visas — categories that directly support Australia’s economy and help address workforce shortages. These improvements are expected to make it easier for international students, skilled professionals, and tourists to travel, study, and contribute to Australia’s recovery and growth.

For individuals planning to migrate or study, getting expert guidance from a best migration consultant or migration consultants melbourne can help ensure faster and more accurate submissions. Whether applying under skilled, study, or visitor categories, consulting with a registered migration agent australia ensures your documents and eligibility meet updated DHA standards.

If you’re a student or skilled worker planning your move, a migration agent melbourne or best immigration agent melbourne can provide case-specific advice on visa pathways like temporary skilled visa australia and student visa australia.

The recent efforts by the government mark an important shift toward faster processing and a more responsive australian immigration process — a welcome development for individuals waiting to start their journey to Australia.