FACTORS AFFECTING VISA APPLICATION PROCESSING
When it comes to visa processing, it is not easy to accurately predict how long the process will take, nor is it possible to put a particular time limit to the processing.
This is because visa-processing time is influenced by a variety of factors, which includes:
Popularity of the visa class:
Certain visas classes have significant queues due to their extreme popularity and in some cases those take years for DIBP to process.
Type of visa:
The type of visa plays a crucial role in determining how long the processing will take. Short-term visa options such as tourist, study, and medical visas are usually processed quickly whilst family or skilled immigrant visas, where the applicant is seeking to become a permanent resident of Australia, take much longer periods.
Duration of stay:
Another key factor is the amount of time one plans to spend in Australia. Generally, short stay visas require less processing time (which maybe a couple of weeks) whilst longer stay and/or permanent residence visas take significant time to be processed (from several months to several years, in some instances).
Country of origin:
Individuals from ‘low risk’ countries, where the risk of over-staying or other migration infringements occurs less readily, generally take less time to process, whilst the opposite holds true for applicants from high risk countries, where higher levels of scrutiny and checking take place.