How Long Does an Australian Visitor Visa 600 Take? Check the Official Guide
There is no single number of days that applies to every Australian Visitor visa (subclass 600) application. Home Affairs’ processing-time guide estimates how long recently decided applications took. It does not look up your individual case and does not guarantee when a decision will be made. Check the correct subclass 600 stream, then use your ImmiAccount notices for case-specific instructions.
Select the right subclass 600 stream
Open the Home Affairs Global visa processing times guide, choose Visitor visa (subclass 600), and use the stream and application date that match your lodgement. Applications made outside Australia, applications made in Australia and the Sponsored Family stream have different criteria. An estimate may not be available for every stream. The guide describes recent decisions; it does not show your application’s place in a queue.
Do not treat a broad Visitor category median as a subclass 600 estimate. Some Home Affairs Visitor statistics combine subclasses 600, 601 and 651. The 601 and 651 streams are often decided faster, so a combined figure cannot predict the timing of one 600 case. If the guide does not show an estimate for your stream, do not substitute a number from another stream or an older month.
What to check while your application is pending
Sign in to ImmiAccount and check that your application remains in progress, your contact details are current, and there are no new requests for documents, health examinations or biometrics. Open the messages and outstanding tasks rather than relying only on the home-page status. Record each request and its stated due date, then provide clear, complete material in the way the notice specifies.
If your personal details or family circumstances change after lodgement, use the relevant Home Affairs update process. The processing-time guide cannot provide an individual progress update. If you cannot meet a request deadline, follow the instructions in the notice and explain the reason with supporting evidence before the deadline where possible.
Leave room in your travel plans
Home Affairs encourages applicants to apply well before travel. Avoid relying on an estimate for non-refundable flights, accommodation or event bookings, and do not treat a visa grant as certain. If you applied in Australia, the relevant stream may require you to remain in Australia when the decision is made. Check that stream’s rules and your current visa conditions before leaving.
A practical check is: confirm the subclass 600 stream and lodgement date; see whether the official guide has an estimate; read the individual notices in ImmiAccount; and act on each request by its stated deadline. The estimate describes a group of recently decided cases, not a promise for your application. Policy checked: 21 October 2026.
Official sources and date checked
21 October 2026
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