Global Visa and Australian Citizenship Processing Times
Global visa and Australian Citizenship processing times
Global visa and Australian Citizenship processing times will be updated monthly, providing you with an indicative timeframe for processing applications. Processing times are available for the majority of visa subclasses and citizenship products, but will exclude a few subclasses such as those closed to new entrants, capped and queued, or which have a low volume of applications. Two processing times are displayed, indicating how long it is taking to finalise 75 and 90 per cent of applications submitted globally.
Processing times are impacted each month by changes in application volumes, seasonal peaks, complex cases, and incomplete applications. Processing times include applications lodged online and by paper. Where available, you should lodge your application online as it helps streamline processing arrangements.
Australian Citizenship processing times
Due to COVID-19, some visa processing times have been affected and applications may take longer to finalise.
Last updated: month ending 31 August 2022
Australian Citizenship application type | 75% of applications processed in | 90% of applications processed in |
---|---|---|
Conferral – lodgement to decision* | 14 months | 17 months |
Conferral – approval to ceremony** | 9 months | 12 months |
Conferral – lodgement to ceremony** | 17 months | 21 months |
Descent (lodgement to decision)*** | 78 days | 4 months |
Evidence (lodgement to decision)*** | 21 days | 38 days |
* Decision includes approved, refused and invalidated decision outcomes.
** Most, but not all applicants for Australian citizenship by conferral acquire citizenship at a citizenship 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.
*** Allow an extra 10 days after approval of your application for printing and postage of your citizenship document. If you applied from outside Australia, postage will take longer.
Circumstances that affect processing times
We assess applications on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:
- whether you have lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents
- how promptly you respond to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to
- health, character, and national security requirements
- for permanent migration visa applications, how many places are available in the migration programme
- for Australian Citizenship applications, the time taken to attend a Citizenship Ceremony or receive a Citizenship Certificate.
How to view processing times
You can view current processing times on the page for specific visa subclasses or citizenship types. You should check regularly to ensure you remain aware of the current processing times for your visa or citizenship as these may change over time.
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