Monthly · from the Department's own figures
The WIDEN Processing Times Report — August 2026
Short answer: as published by the Department of Home Affairs on 4 August 2026 — 482 nomination 50% within 5 days, 90% within 9 months; 482 Core Skills 50% within 69 days, 90% within 10 months; onshore partner (820) 50% within 18 months, 90% within 32 months; skilled independent (189) 50% within 7 months, 90% within 9 months. This is the first edition; from next month the report leads with what moved.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 2026-08-17
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Edition
- August 2026
- Department's stamp
- 4 August 2026
- Streams covered
- 76
- Moved since last month
- first edition
- Published by
- Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536
The figures that decide planning right now
First edition. From next month this section leads with what moved; this month it states the baseline.
Headline streams — August 2026
| Visa / stream | 50% within | 90% within |
|---|---|---|
| Skills In Demand (482) — Nomination | 5 days | 9 months |
| Skills In Demand (482) — Core Skills | 69 days | 10 months |
| Skills In Demand (482) — Specialist Skills | 8 days | 43 days |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (186) — Direct Entry Pathway | 10 months | 14 months |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (186) — Transition Pathway | 11 months | 15 months |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (494) — Employer Sponsored | 7 months | 11 months |
| Skilled - Independent (189) — Points-Tested | 7 months | 9 months |
| Skilled - Nominated (190) | 12 months | 17 months |
| Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (491) — State/Territory Government Nominated Regional | 12 months | 18 months |
| Partner (820) | 18 months | 32 months |
| Partner (Provisional) (309) | 17 months | 30 months |
| Student (500) — Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector | 4 days | 31 days |
| Temporary Graduate (485) — Post-Vocational Education Work | 80 days | 3 months |
| Training (407) | 11 months | 18 months |
| Visitor (600) — Tourist | 13 days | 35 days |
Every one of the 76 streams is on the full processing-times table. Source: Department of Home Affairs, stamped 4 August 2026; read 2026-08-17.
How to read it
The Department publishes the time within which 50% and 90% of recently finalised applications were decided. Plan on the 90% figure: it is the number a decision-ready application should comfortably beat, and the number a weak one will not. A stream that gets slower month on month is usually a caseload signal, not a rule change — check the threshold and fee pages for anything that actually changed.
Share this edition
Copy for LinkedIn, a newsletter or a client note — the same figures, already worded.
Previous editions
- September 2026
- August 2026 (this edition)
Questions we get asked first
What changed in Australian visa processing times in August 2026?
This is the first edition (Department stamp 4 August 2026); month-on-month changes are tracked from the next edition.
How long does a 482 nomination take right now?
50% within 5 days, 90% within 9 months (Department of Home Affairs, 4 August 2026).
Where do these figures come from?
The Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times, read directly from the Department's own endpoint and republished unchanged. WIDEN adds the month-on-month comparison and the commentary; the figures themselves are the Department's.
When is the next report?
The Department re-stamps its figures around the 4th of each month; the WIDEN report is published within the following week, every month.
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