How long ART reviews take
The ART reports that half of migration reviews finalised between 1 March and 31 August 2026 took 1 year and 5 months or less from lodgement. That describes past cases, and the ART calls it a guide only.
The ART says: "Of all migration reviews finalised between 1 March 2026 and 31 August 2026, half were finalised within 1 year and 5 months from the day the application was submitted (lodgement). Most (95%) were finalised within 2 years and 9 months from lodgement." That sentence is the ART's statistic, quoted as published.
It describes reviews that had already finished in that six-month window. The ART says its processing time data is based on applications already finalised and is "a guide only", and that it cannot guarantee any individual review will finish within those timeframes. This page does not predict how long any review will take.
The ART's figures by case category
| Case category | 50% finalised within | 95% finalised within |
|---|---|---|
| Bridging | 11 days | 1 year and 1 month |
| Family | 1 year and 9 months | 3 years |
| Nomination/Sponsor approval | 1 year and 6 months | 2 years and 4 months |
| Partner | 3 years and 2 months | 3 years and 11 months |
| Permanent business | 2 years and 4 months | 3 years |
| Skill linked | 9 months | 2 years and 10 months |
| Student cancellation | 1 year and 1 month | 1 year and 7 months |
| Student refusal | 1 year and 5 months | 2 years and 2 months |
| Temporary work | 1 year and 6 months | 2 years and 10 months |
| Visitor | 1 year | 2 years and 3 months |
| Other | 1 year and 1 month | 1 year and 8 months |
| All migration case categories | 1 year and 5 months | 2 years and 9 months |
Source: ART, Processing times, data for reviews finalised 1 March 2026 to 31 August 2026, checked 16 October 2026. The ART notes that character and citizenship caseloads are not included.
What the figures do and do not cover
- They are measured from lodgement to finalisation, for cases that have been finalised. Cases still waiting are not in the figures.
- They cover finalised reviews in a six-month window, and the ART says processing times change over time.
- They leave out character and citizenship reviews, and cases where the ART found it had no jurisdiction to review the decision (which the ART says were usually finalised more quickly).
- From 1 June 2026, most student visa refusal reviews must be decided without a hearing, including some lodged earlier but not yet assigned to a member. That date falls inside this window; the ART's page does not say whether or how the change affected these figures. See [student visa refusal review on the papers](/guides/student-visa-refusal-review-on-the-papers/).
- The ART lists factors that affect timing: how many applications it receives, how many members are available, the type of decision, the strategies it has for different caseloads and the complexity of the review.
Can a review be faster
The ART says it automatically expedites reviews where possible if the applicant is in immigration detention, has applied for review of a visa cancellation, or has a case returned from a court. It also describes situations in which an applicant can ask for a review to be expedited, for example when documentary evidence now objectively shows a visa criterion is met or when there are urgent exceptional circumstances. The ART decides whether to expedite.
Expedited character reviews have their own deadline: the ART says it will decide within 84 days of the date you were notified, and the Act says that if it has not decided by the end of that period, the original decision is taken to be affirmed, with listed exceptions. See character refusal and cancellation under section 501.
While you wait
The original decision usually continues to operate during a review, so what waiting means for your stay depends on your visa situation; see bridging visas while you seek review. The steps of a review are in what happens after you apply to the ART.
The ART's processing times page reports on reviews finalised over the past six months, so its figures move; check it for the current numbers. Nothing here predicts how long a particular review will take.
Where this came from
- ART, Processing times (checked 16 October 2026).
- ART, Caseload report 1 July to 31 August 2026 (checked 16 October 2026).
- ART, Immigration and citizenship (checked 16 October 2026).
- ART, Changes to the conduct of student visa reviews, 1 June 2026 (checked 16 October 2026).
- Migration Act 1958, section 500 (checked 16 October 2026).