What do the 4-month and 16-month figures mean?

The Home Affairs guide reports two percentiles for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190):

• 50% processed in 4 months. Half of recently decided applications were finalised within 4 months of lodgement.

• 90% processed in 16 months. Nine in ten were finalised within 16 months. The remaining 10% took longer.

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Home Affairs bases these figures on recently decided applications. The guide states that it does not guarantee a decision within the timeframe and does not check anything specific to your application.

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The gap between 4 and 16 months is wide because applications move through different queues. A priority-sector application lodged onshore and an offshore application with family members are counted in the same figures, but they do not wait in the same line.

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Which 190 processing queue are you in?

Ministerial Direction No. 122 came into effect on 19 September 2026. It replaced the processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 119 and sets four priority levels for 190 applications.

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The 190 visa page on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au shows the lodgement dates Home Affairs is currently processing for each group:

• Priority 1 – lodged in or before March 2026. Applications relating to the Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing and Resources sectors, or to Australia's law enforcement and defence interests.

• Priority 2 – lodged in or before January 2026. Applications where the primary applicant was in Australia when they lodged.

• Priority 3 – lodged in or before February 2025. Applications where the primary applicant was outside Australia when they lodged, and the application is not combined with another person's application at any time.

• Priority 4 – lodged in or before February 2025. All other applications from applicants who were outside Australia when they applied.

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Two details matter here.

First, Priority 2 and 3 depend on where the primary applicant was at the time they lodged the application.

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Second, Priority 3 covers offshore applications that stay single-applicant. An offshore application that includes another person, such as a partner or child, falls into Priority 4.

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Home Affairs also notes that published allocation dates and processing timeframes may fluctuate during the transition to Direction 122. Some timeframes may temporarily increase as applications are reprioritised.

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For a full breakdown of how the Direction works across all skilled visas, read our guide to Ministerial Direction 122 skilled visa processing priorities.

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How long does the whole 190 visa process take?

The Home Affairs processing time only covers the last stage. Before you can lodge, you pass through several steps, each with its own wait.

• Skills assessment. The assessing authority for your occupation sets its own timeframe. Check your occupation and assessing authority on our skilled occupation list.

• Expression of Interest (EOI). You submit an EOI through SkillSelect. You must be invited before you can apply for the 190 visa.

• State or territory nomination. Each state sets its own process and publishes its own timeframe. See the published figures below.

• Lodging the visa application. Once invited, you have 60 days from the date of your invitation to apply.

• Home Affairs processing. Currently 4 months (50%) to 16 months (90%), depending on your priority group.

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Published state nomination processing times

Only some states publish a nomination timeframe. These are the figures each state government shows on its own website:

• Victoria: an average of 20 business days for skilled visa nomination applications. This excludes time spent waiting on requested information.

• New South Wales: applications are typically assessed within six weeks. NSW invitations to apply for nomination are valid for 14 days only and are not extended.

• South Australia: 2 to 8 weeks for Subclass 190 nomination applications.

• Tasmania: publishes processing and invitation data rather than a set timeframe, including the oldest nomination application not yet allocated to a case officer.

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Queensland, Western Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory do not show a single current figure for 190 nomination on the pages we checked. Check their state program pages directly, or start with our state nomination guide for 190 and 491.

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How do you check the processing time for your own application?

The Home Affairs visa processing times guide now asks for your application date.

1. Select Skilled - Nominated visa (subclass 190) as the visa type.

2. Enter the date you lodged your application.

3. Select Submit.

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The tool shows the current 50% and 90% timeframes and tells you whether your application is within or outside the standard processing timeframe.

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If your application is within the standard timeframe, Home Affairs does not give status updates. You can log in to ImmiAccount to check whether the Department has asked you for more information.

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If your application is outside the standard timeframe, Home Affairs states that some visas take longer to process and that it will contact you when it decides your application.

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RACC also keeps a summary of current figures across all visa types on our Australia visa processing times page.

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Why do some 190 applications take longer?

Home Affairs assesses each application individually. The 190 visa page lists these reasons an application can take longer:

• You lodged an incomplete application or left out supporting documents.

• You take time to respond to requests for more information.

• Required checks on your supporting information take time.

• External agencies take time to return health, character or national security information.

• Few places remain in the permanent Migration Program.

Your priority group adds a further layer. Home Affairs considers Priority 4 applications after Priorities 1 to 3.