How long does the subclass 189 visa take? (November 2026)

Reviewed by a registered migration agent · MARN 1795282
Updated 2 November 2026

As at 2 November 2026, Home Affairs reports that 75% of Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) applications (Points-Tested stream) were finalised within 4 months, and 90% within 9 months. In September 2026 the 75% figure was 8 months. The 189 has 2 streams with different times, listed below. These are official global processing times for applications decided in the previous month, not a promise for any individual case.

Subclass 189 processing times by stream

Stream	75% of applications	90% of applications	75% in September 2026
Points-Tested	4 months	9 months	8 months
New Zealand	59 months	62 months	58 months

What to expect when you apply for the subclass 189

How the application moves

You first submit an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect with a positive skills assessment, English result and points claim; the clock on this page does not start until you are invited and lodge.
Invitation rounds are run by Home Affairs periodically; once invited you have 60 days to lodge the visa application and pay the charge.
Home Affairs verifies every points claim (age, English, qualifications, employment, partner points), then health and character, then decides.

What most often slows a 189 application

Points claims that cannot be verified from the documents lodged, especially overseas employment and partner skills.
Health and character for family members overseas, and police certificates that expire during processing.
Occupations outside the priority sectors of the ministerial direction in force, which are decided after construction, healthcare and teaching cases.

What to have ready before lodging

A document for every point you claim: skills assessment, English test, qualification transcripts, employment references on letterhead with duties and hours, and payslips or tax records.
Police certificates and health examinations arranged as soon as you are invited, not after lodgement.

What the 75% and 90% figures mean

Home Affairs publishes the time within which it finalised 75% and 90% of the applications decided in the previous month. Three in four applicants got a decision faster than the 75% figure; one in ten waited longer than the 90% figure, almost always because the application was incomplete, needed health or character follow-up, or sat outside the current processing priorities. The figures move every month, which is why we keep a history on the processing-times tracker.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the 189 visa take to process in November 2026?

Home Affairs reports that 75% of Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) applications in the Points-Tested stream were finalised within 4 months and 90% within 9 months, as at 2 November 2026. Other streams differ; see the table on this page.

What do the 75% and 90% figures mean?

They are the times within which Home Affairs finalised 75% and 90% of the applications it decided in the previous month. Three in four applications were decided faster than the 75% figure; one in ten took longer than the 90% figure, usually because the application was incomplete or needed extra checks.

Can a 189 visa be processed faster?

There is no paid priority service for the 189. The things that reliably shorten processing are lodging a complete, decision-ready application (identity, health, character and every eligibility document attached at lodgement), responding to any request for information quickly, and falling within the priority sectors set by the current ministerial direction.

Related visas: processing times and costs

Source: Department of Home Affairs — global visa processing times, as at 2 November 2026. Cost: subclass 189 visa fees. Eligibility and steps: 189 Visa 2026: Points Needed, Fee & Processing. General information only, not migration advice.