Work visa wait times

Find out how long it takes us to process work visas.

Table 1: Wait times for work visa applications processed in the last 4 weeks. This page is updated weekly.
Visa type *Average wait time *Most completed within
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) 2 weeks 6 weeks
Working Holiday Visa 2 days 1 week
Partner of a Worker Work Visa 4 weeks 6 weeks
Post Study Work Visa 2 weeks 4 weeks

*'Average wait time' is how long it took for 50% of applications to be processed. 'Most completed within' is based on 80% of applications processed. Both figures are calculated using working days. ‘Working days’ excludes Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

If your application includes all the documentation we need, it will be processed closer to the average wait time. We also provide the timeframe that we complete most applications in, to provide certainty when planning your application.

AEWV wait times

You can find more detailed processing time information for AEWVs on our Employer accreditation, job check and AEWV wait times page. This page also includes wait time information for employer accreditations for the AEWV and Job Checks.

Employer accreditation, job check and AEWV wait times

Find other visa wait times

To find the wait time for a visa or accreditation type that is not listed on this page you can use our fees, decision times and where to apply tool.

Fees, decision times and where to apply

Check your application status

To find out information on your visa application you can log in to your Immigration Online account and check your visa status.

Checking your visa application status

Some applications can take longer to process

Some visa applications may take longer to process than others. If your application is taking longer than what is shown in Table 1 you can find out what factors may affect visa wait times.

Why some visa applications take longer to process than others

Escalating an urgent application

You can request to have your application allocated urgently for assessment using our visa escalation process.

Find out how to escalate your application