QueueCheckofficial waits, shared datesAustralian student visa (subclass 500) processing time
Visa topicPublished as percentiles
Australian student visa (subclass 500): Home Affairs publishes percentile processing times that vary by education sector and applicant; check the official global processing times page for the current figures
Last checked August 13, 2026.
Unchanged at every check since July 21, 2026.
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Published as percentiles
Published as official guidance rather than one number; the official summary on this page has the full picture.
Updated Aug 13
The official figure is the only timing on this page so far. Reader comparisons appear here once people share their dates below.
Official updates over time
Australian student visa (subclass 500): Home Affairs publishes percentile processing times that vary by education sector and applicant; check the official global processing times page for the current figures
Updated Aug 13, 2026, 4:33 PM
Guidance
Australian student visa (subclass 500): Home Affairs publishes percentile processing times that vary by education sector and applicant; check the official global processing times page for the current figures
Updated Jul 21, 2026, 7:16 AM
Guidance
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Reading the Australian student visa (subclass 500) figure
The provider's paperwork comes before the visa exists
A subclass 500 application cannot be lodged without a Confirmation of Enrolment issued by a registered provider, which follows an accepted offer and any required deposit. That means the first stretch of a student's timeline belongs to the institution rather than to Home Affairs, and a name on the enrolment record that does not match the passport exactly is a routine cause of trouble that no processing figure will ever show.
Why identical-looking applications are processed differently
Home Affairs prioritises student applications by the provider a student is enrolled with, so two applicants lodging the same day with the same documents can sit in different queues because their institutions fall into different priority treatment. The published percentile times describe the mix of everyone rather than any one applicant, which is why a friend's fast grant tells you nothing about your own file.
The genuine-student assessment is substantive
The application asks directly why this course, why Australia, and how it fits the applicant's background and plans. Those answers are assessed rather than filed, and thin or copied answers generate scrutiny, requests, or refusal. Financial capacity, health cover, and English evidence are checked alongside them, and an application missing one of those is not slow, it is incomplete.
News
Recent official updates connected to this queue.
Sep 3, 2026
Australia confirms TOEFL iBT testing is unavailable in Iran
Australia's Department of Home Affairs says ETS has advised that TOEFL iBT testing services are currently unavailable in Iran. Visa applicants can consider approved testing options available in other countries.
Jul 23, 2026
Australia student visa fee rises to AUD 2,500 as WHM waits slow
From July 1, 2026, Australia's subclass 500 student visa base charge for primary applicants is AUD 2,500, while Home Affairs warns subclass 417 and 462 Working Holiday Maker applications are taking longer than usual.