190 Processing Delays 2026: What Slows Down a Case

A subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated visa) case that sits in the queue for months is usually delayed by more than one thing at once. According to the Department of Home Affairs' Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) official page, as at the July 2026 version of that page, applications are assessed case by case and actual processing times vary for five stated reasons: whether you lodged a complete application with all necessary supporting documents, how quickly you respond to requests for more information, how long it takes to perform required checks on the information you provided, how long it takes to receive information from external agencies — particularly on health, character and national security — and, for permanent migration visas, how many places are available in the migration program. The department's visa processing time guide tool shows the times for recently decided applications; it is a guide only and not specific to your application.

This article explains how the process works generally and is not personalised advice on any individual case or a substitute for the official page, which remains the source to check for current rules.

What actually causes a 190 case to slow down?

The five factors the department names behave very differently in practice. Some are decided before you ever lodge, some depend on how you respond during processing, and some sit entirely outside the department's own timeline.

Factor	What it covers	Who influences it
Completeness at lodgement	All necessary supporting documents attached when you apply	Applicant
Speed of response	How fast you answer requests for additional information	Applicant
Verification of your material	Checks performed on the supporting information you submitted	Department
External agency information	Health, character and national security information from other agencies	External agencies
Program places	How many places are available in the permanent migration program	Government planning levels

Only the first two are fully in your hands, and they are also the two most frequently overlooked, because a 190 application is assembled under time pressure: once you receive an invitation, you have 60 calendar days to apply, and the department says that period cannot be extended.

Why does an incomplete application cost more time than a slow one?

Because the department is not obliged to come back and ask. Its instruction is that if you did not attach all documents when you applied, you should attach them as soon as you can in ImmiAccount — but it also states plainly that it may request further information, is not obliged to do so, and may make a decision on your application without requesting more documents. A missing item is therefore not a guaranteed "please supply" letter; it can become the reason for a decision you do not want.

The second drag is silence at your end. The department says it does not give updates on applications within the standard processing time, and it directs applicants to ImmiAccount to check whether more information is needed. A request that sits unread for weeks is pure elapsed time that no amount of queue position can recover.

Practical consequences follow from how these documents behave over time:

• Australian police certificates for immigration purposes are valid for 12 months from the date of issue, so a long wait can turn an already-supplied certificate into an expired one.
• Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted; standard disclosure certificates and state or territory police certificates are not.
• Health examinations are typically requested after you apply, and biometrics may also be requested — both arrive as ImmiAccount notifications rather than at lodgement.

How much of the wait is external checks rather than assessment?

Often a large part of it, and it is the part least visible to the applicant. The department separates checks on the information you provided from the time it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, and it names health, character and national security as the areas where that wait concentrates.

Character documentation is where files most commonly stall in practice. You are asked for an Australian police certificate if you have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16, plus an overseas police certificate from every country — including your home country — where you spent a total of 12 months or more in that same 10-year window, and military service records or discharge papers if you served in any country's armed forces. Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment) and Form 1221 (Additional personal particulars information) are also part of that package. A file that needs certificates from several countries is dependent on several foreign issuing authorities, none of which work to the department's timeline.

Does the number of places in the migration program affect an individual case?

Yes, and the department lists it separately precisely because it is not about your paperwork. Places for the skilled migration program are allocated to meet the Australian Government's migration planning levels, and for permanent migration applications the number of places available is given as one of the reasons processing times vary.

Place availability also shapes the stage before the application exists. The department allocates invitations against those planning levels, an invitation can arrive up to two years after you submit your EOI, and your EOI is removed from SkillSelect if you do not apply after two invitations. An invitation is not a grant: after you apply you must still show you can meet the points score on your invitation, including proving every claim made in your EOI, and meet all other eligibility criteria. Note also that the department will not process your visa application if you are 45 at the time of your invitation.

What happens when the case changes while it is waiting?

Long waits create their own problems, because facts that were true on the day you lodged can stop being true before a decision is made.

• Adding family. You may add members of the family unit after lodging but before the decision, using Form 1436, paying through ImmiAccount and attaching the form and supporting documents. Each added person must meet health and character requirements, which means new external checks on an already-queued file.
• Children ageing during processing. If a child is likely to turn 18 while the application is being processed, you need evidence they are dependent on you; a child who turns 18 while the application is being processed and is not dependent cannot satisfy the criteria. Similar dependency evidence, including a medical practitioner's report where relevant, is required around turning 23.
• Correcting your own answers. If you made a mistake on the application, you must tell the department as soon as possible using Form 1023, attached in ImmiAccount.
• Changes in circumstances. Changes to phone number, email, address or passport, changes to marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, and withdrawal requests all need to be notified after you apply.

Late-stage changes are expensive in time even when they are legitimate, because they restart verification on the parts of the file they touch.

Can a migration agent speed up a 190 application?

No one can move an application ahead of the department's own checks, but who helps you is still a regulated question. Only some people can help with an application: if you appoint someone to give immigration assistance they must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person. Anyone may be appointed to receive documents on your behalf, but giving immigration assistance is restricted. Appointments are made with Form 956 (registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person) and Form 956A (authorised recipient), uploaded in ImmiAccount.

What assistance can realistically change is the two factors the department lists first: whether the application is complete at lodgement, and how quickly requests for further information are answered. It cannot change external agency turnaround, the department's verification work, or program place availability.

What should applicants do while the case is with the department?

Check ImmiAccount rather than waiting for a letter, since the department does not provide updates within the standard processing time and uses ImmiAccount to signal that more information is needed. Keep documents valid — a police certificate issued more than 12 months earlier no longer serves its purpose. Attach anything missing as soon as you can, rather than assuming a request will arrive. Keep your circumstances current with the department. If you are in Australia, stay lawful: a Bridging visa A granted with the application comes into effect if your current visa expires before the decision, and asking to have your current visa cancelled would leave you unlawful and end that bridging visa. If you applied outside Australia, do not arrange travel to Australia, leave your job or sell your home until the grant is advised in writing.

One administrative item can hold the grant itself: if a second instalment applies — charged where an applicant aged 18 or over has less than functional English — it is requested only when the department is going to grant the visa, and the second instalment charge for family members is AUD 4,885. It should be paid when the invoice arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fixed processing time for the subclass 190?

No. The department's visa processing time guide tool shows processing times for recently decided applications and states that it is a guide only, not specific to your application. Applications are assessed case by case, and the time varies with the completeness of your lodgement, your response speed, checks on your information, external agency information, and the number of places available in the migration program.

Will the department tell me how my application is progressing?

Not as a matter of routine. The department says it does not give updates on applications within the standard processing time, and directs applicants to ImmiAccount to check whether more information is needed from them.

Can I send documents after I have lodged?

Yes. If you did not attach everything when you applied, you should attach it as soon as you can in ImmiAccount. The department may also ask for more information, but it is not obliged to do so and may decide the application without requesting further documents.

How long is a police certificate valid for a 190 application?

Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue for immigration purposes. You need one if you spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16, plus an overseas certificate from every country where you spent 12 months or more in that period.

Can I add my partner or child after lodging?

Yes, members of the family unit can be added after you lodge but before the decision, using Form 1436 with payment through ImmiAccount and supporting documents attached. They must meet the health and character requirements, and non-accompanying family members may also have to meet them.

Is the application charge refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The department states it will not refund the application charge if it refuses your application. If refused, it will tell you why and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

References

• Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)