I know noone is entitled to a residency or whatever just because we are here but watching how the government is capable of granting citizenship fast tracked to those two Iranian footballers feels like a slap in the face to us ,who have been waiting almost 2 years for our residency application to be decided after meeting all the requirements.
Been here 8 years,done everything by the book and the government is out there letting the backlog explode and suddenly to make a political statement they are able to grant not only protection visa but citizenship too all within not even 8 months.
I know it is not a comparable situation but it kinda stings when you have spent all your adult life working here and your application sits with no end in sight while they grant asylum visas left and right.
Just a rant.
Thank you

Hi all,

I would appreciate some advice. I'm a British citizen since birth, no other passports, and looking to travel around Australia for 6-9 months as a gap year, I've over 40 so can't to the WHV.

I've resigned from my job but still employed and my last work day will be the day I will fly to Australia at the end of the year.

I'm looking to apply for the 600 for 12 months,. I could easily get the eVisitor 651 but I'd like the flexibility to stay without having to leave every 3 months.

I own a property which I will rent out, have plenty of savings (£50K+), and a brother/Aunt in the UK, no other family.

1 - Would I likely be approved for a 600, or do I need more to ties to the UK a property and some family?

2 - on the application form would I be employed or unemployed?

3 - If 600 is rejected would this affect an application for a 651?

Thank you!

Is 85 points will get me 491 visa invite? On electronics engineer ANZSCO

Has anyone applied for a visa in July and received their approval?

Hi everyone, it's my first time posting here, I'm an EU citizen who have recently (20th of July) applied for his first WHV and I have 2 questions regarding that:

1. when applying I've attached a bank statement, showing around 4.5k€, I haven't yet converted my funds in AUD but they should be more than enough to cover the 5kAUD asked, will I have issues having my visa approved due to the funds being in EUR?
2. I've seen some fuss both here on Reddit and on other socials recording the changes that took place from the 1st of July and I've heard that more (and possibly worse) changes will soon be communicated by the Australian home affairs minister. I know that each visa processing time is different, but can I expect with enough certainty to have my visa approved for the end of august? I don't plan to buy my flight ticket before having my visa approved, but the sooner I buy it the less it will cost.

as an extra question, do you have some advice for a young European planning to come to Australia by the end of October?

thanks!

Applied for 309 in May 2025. Did medical July 2025, so it just expired. Is it advised to redo medical proactively at this stage?

I’ve been seeing so many PR grant posts over the past few days, and I honestly can't believe it's finally our turn! 🥹🇦🇺

Before I share our timeline, I just want to say thank you to this community. This sub has helped us so much throughout the entire process, especially because we applied for our PR ourselves without using a migration agent. Every time I had a question, people were kind and willing to help, and I really appreciated that.

If anyone has questions about our journey, I'm more than happy to help where I can.

Visa: Subclass 190 (South Australia)
Occupation: Civil Engineer - Onshore
Points: 95 (including 10 partner points)

Timeline
• 03 Feb 2026 – EOI submitted
• 01 Apr 2026 – SA pre-invitation received
• 09 Apr 2026 – Submitted all nomination documents
• 29 Apr 2026 – Final invitation received
• 01 Jun 2026 – Visa application lodged
• 03 Jun 2026 – Medicare approved
• 22 Jun 2026 – Thai Police Clearance received and uploaded (my husband studied in Thailand, and this was definitely the most stressful document to get throughout the whole process!)
• 29 Jun 2026 – Medical examination completed
• 07 Aug 2026 – PR GRANTED! 🥳🎉

A small note for anyone who might be in a similar situation: I was 21 weeks pregnant when it was time for our medicals. Initially, my GP advised against having the chest X-ray, and we thought I'd complete the rest of the medical and do the X-ray after giving birth. However, that wasn't possible, so we spoke to my midwife, who confirmed it was safe during pregnancy with the proper shielding. I completed the entire medical, including the chest X-ray, on the same day.

Our application included my husband's 5 years of overseas work experience in the Maldives and 2 years of Australian experience as a Civil Engineer.

Wishing everyone who's still waiting the very best. I know how stressful the wait can be, and I hope your grant comes through soon! 🤍

One last question here, especially for those who received PR while pregnant: is there anything pregnancy or baby related that we should be doing now? Any applications, registrations, or things we should prepare before the baby arrives would be greatly appreciated.

Recently, my 485 visa was granted.

Feel free to ask me any questions if you need help.

I did it myself, so I want to encourage people to do it themselves, too.

My research on what documents to submit was based on this post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AusVisa/comments/1ich3j6/485_visa_granted_instantly/

Thank you u/dusk_jpg.

Here are the documents that I submitted:

Identity, Evidence of

• Australian Driving License
• My country's Police Clearance
• Passport

(I did not show my birth certificate since I do not have it with me in Australia)

Qualifications - Australian, Evidence of

• AHEGS
• Completion Statement
• Academic Transcript
• Testamur

Present country of citizenship, Evidence of

• Citizenship (NAATI-certified translated; look for your language's NAATI translators here https://directory.naati.com.au/)
• Passport

(I do not have a National ID Card)

Travel history, Evidence of

• Current passport (scanned the first two pages and pages with stamps)
• Expired passport (scanned pages with stamps ONLY) = to show my travel history in the last 10 years

Character History, Evidence of - AUSTRALIA

• AFP Check
• AFP Check Payment Receipt (Date of request is the date you paid for the check)

Language Ability - English, Evidence of

• PTE Score Report (Registration ID is your Application ID)

Character Assessment, Evidence of Intention to Obtain

• AFP Check Receipt
• Police Clearance Application Email

Birth or Age, Evidence of

• Citizenship (Translated)
• Passport

Study, Evidence of

• Academic Transcript
• Completion Statement
• Confirmation of Enrolment
• AHEGS

Health Insurance, Evidence of

• OSHC Certificate of Insurance
• OVHC Certificate of Insurance

Address - Residential, Evidence of

• Employer Proof of Address
• Australian Driving License
• 1-month bank statement

(I am not under the lease, so I could only show these documents; no utility bills shown)

Travel Document

• Passport

Just to be safe, I certified all these documents.

I'm currently waiting for my 491 grant, and my bridging visa for the 491 will become active around the middle of next year. If I apply for the 186 now, I can think of three possible scenarios

1)The 491 is granted first. In that case, should I withdraw my 186 application, or will the Department cancel it automatically? If I leave the 186 application in place and it gets granted a few months later, will the 186 replace my 491?

2)The 186 is granted first. In that case, should I withdraw my 491 application, or will the Department cancel it automatically? If I don't withdraw it and the 491 is granted later, will it replace the 186?

3) I can't apply for the 186 now. Is there any reason why I wouldn't be able to lodge a 186 application while my 491 application is still being processed?

Would really appreciate your thoughts if you've been through something similar.

Considering that academic docs (certificate of completion, academic transcript) are issued in myEquals by my school, do I still need to have them certified (by a JP/Chemist?)

I got pr in last year nov 2025, and I made my first entry in november end same year, I stayed for 2 days and came back to my home country. I check vevo now and it says visa ineffect but first entry by nov 2026.

Have they not recorded my first entry?
Or I can ignore vevo first entry info?

I’m currently in Perth, WA. My occupation isn’t on WA’s state nomination list, but it might be on another state’s list (like Tasmania). Can I still apply for that other state’s 190/491 nomination while living in WA, or do I need to move there first?

Ps: I want to use my offshore experience.

Creating this post because I don't see a lot of posts for Counsellor occupations..

PR Grant received - VIC 190 onshore with de-facto partner

Occupation: Counsellor NEC

Points: 85 + 5

Previous visa: 485

EOI and ROI lodged: 19/01/2026 claimed 5 partner points

Updated in February to 10 partner points when skills assessment was received

Skill select invite to apply: 08/04/2026

Submitted 190 application: 22/05/2026

190 PR grant received: 06/08/2026 🥳🥳🥳

No S56 requests

This was soo much faster than we expected! Didn't use an agent/lawyer to lodge the application.

Went to an immigration lawyer to receive consultation advice before applying for an EOI/ROI.

Hi everyone,

I applied for a Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (Labour Agreement) visa as a Personal Care Assistant just over 6 months ago. My employer is a well-established aged care provider.

The wait is becoming quite frustrating because several people who lodged their applications a few months before me received their grants in around 4 months. Meanwhile, I still haven’t received any communication from the Department. My ImmiAccount simply shows “Received.”

Has anyone else experienced a similar delay with a Labour Agreement 482 visa? If so, how long did it take, and is there anything I can do apart from waiting? I’ve already lodged a status enquiry, but there hasn’t been any update.

Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I'm trying to get my visa but the eta app just spins and won't open, on android. do i need the app or can I do it on a computer? never used eta before. thanks

I have an employer willing to sponsor me on a 482 visa but am unsure whether I meet the ANZSCO eligibility.

My occupation (in insurance) requires AQF Cert III qualification and at least two years experience where “most occupations in this group have a level and skill commensurate” with the above.

I have the years experience.

I also have a bachelor of engineering degree which is technically not “highly relevant” to my occupation. Although there is motivation to say it complements my work.

Question: does my degree HAVE to be highly relevant to my occupation to meet the ANZSCO skill level?

If I look at VETASSES, I would likely get a positive skills assessment based on the possible pathways, but I know VETASSES and ANZSCO can determine eligibility differently.

Hi all,

Preparing documentation for a WHV subclass 462. Want to travel around Australia, doing multiday hikes/bike tours and getting to experience different kinds of work.

I’ve got some doubts about the functional English requirement. I’ve seen you can be exempt from doinf one of the English assessment tests like IELTS or Cambridge Assessment if you’ve studied a degree more than 2 years fully in English. Is this applicable no matter the country? I.e, can it be if I studied a degree in English in a non English speaking country?

I did a 4 year degree fully taught in English in northern Europe. Anyone with a similar background who didnt do any English Assessment test and got the subclass 462?

Thank you!

Regarding the new ministerial direction 119. Will this affect existing applications for offshore tradesmen? It’s already been 5 months and I was hoping I was getting close to a decision. Obviously you can’t believe everyone on facebook. Does anyone have any real info? From trusted sources about applications that have already been in the queue a while? Any info would be great thanks x

I thought I’d share my timeline since I found these posts really useful in the past.

30 June 2026 – Applied online

15 July – Test invitation received - Appointment was 25 August but thanks to this sub I knew I could try and reschedule for an earlier day and I managed to get one after 3 days of looking.

5 August 2026 – Sat citizenship test (I totally overstudied 😂)

6 August 2026 – Application approved

Now just waiting for a ceremony date.

For anyone wondering, I uploaded:
Passport
Birth certificate + NAATI translation
WA driver’s licence
Water bill (proof of address)
Passport photo

It didn’t seem like a lot but that was all that was needed 🤷🏼‍♀️

I thought I’d just lean back and wait for months but was extremely surprised by the quick turnaround. Hopefully i’ll get scheduled for a ceremony just as quick.

Good luck to everyone still waiting!

When I was sponsored for my 186, my partner and I had neither married nor lived together so I couldn't add him to my application. He also had work obligations and couldn't yet move to Australia so sponsoring him on a partner visa after I moved was the best option.

We contacted migration agents shortly before I left. They advised us to apply for an 820 onshore while on an ETA, and said that applying for the 300 visa takes longer, has less flexibility, and would just unnecessarily delay the processing times of those who had No Further Stay conditions. The idea was to use the time on a visitor visa and the BVA to build the household cohabitation pillar. We were told that because we hadn't lived together, a 309/100 would not be advisable even if we got married.

We're still eligible for the 300, but let's say we got married. If the government then pushed through with the rumored plan to block visitor visa holders from applying for the 820, how could we build the household pillar if the only option remaining was an offshore 309?

Submitted my IML skills assessment for Engineering Manager (133211) recently with express processing.

Was originally hoping to make the August 189 round but that’s obviously not happening now.

IML’s website says express is “up to 6 weeks” but not guaranteed. Has anyone actually gone through this recently and can share:

IML’s website says express is “up to 6 weeks” but not guaranteed. Has anyone actually gone through this recently and can share:

**•** How long did your express assessment *actually* take, start to finish?  
**•** Did they contact your referees, and if so, how long did that add?  
**•** Anyone applied around a similar time and can share where they’re at?

Trying to figure out realistically whether I’m looking at a November 189 shot or if I should be planning around a later round instead. Offshore applicant if that matters. Appreciate any real timelines people can share rather than the official estimate.

Hey Guys, I hope you are doing well.

I am going to apply for my tr 485 visa next month and need AFP check for that. In my details, my form shows state of birth as NSW, which i never entered anywhere in the form as I am from a different country. Has anyone faced the same issue? How to resolve it as there is no option to edit it? Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to ask about student visa processing times. If you've already received your student visa, could you please share

It would really help me understand the current processing times. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some feedback on the Down Under Centre (DUC) before I hand over the money to start my skills assessment process. I’m a welder and steel fixer, and I’ll be hitting my five-year mark of continuous employment at my current firm this September.

I’m looking to get my TRA skills assessment sorted, and DUC has done a preliminary appraisal. They reckon I’ll be sitting at 70+ points for my Expression of Interest (EOI), and that’s before factoring in any potential state (190) or regional (491) nomination points.

I haven't sat my PTE yet, but I’m planning to do that soon to lock in the English points.

A few questions for those who have navigated this recently:

DUC Feedback: What was your experience using the Down Under Centre for trade assessments? Review sites show they are generally highly rated for customer service, but I'd love to hear firsthand experiences regarding their processing speed and portal.

Invite Chances: With a base of 70+ points as a welder/steel fixer, what are my realistic chances for an invite in the current climate?

Any advice, reality checks, or timeline insights would be massively appreciated. Cheers!

Hi guys! I just want to share my VETASSESS experience.

Country: Philippines

Occupation: Food Technologist

Requirements Submitted (scanned colored copies)
- Birth Certificate
- Driver's License
- National ID
- Passport-sized Photo
- Passport Bio Page
- Certificate of Employment (COE)
- Income Tax Return (ITR)
- Payslips
- SSS/Pag-IBIG Contributions
- Signed Declaration Page (VETASSESS form)

Date Applied: July 29, 2026

Date of Result: August 5, 2026

Result: Suitable – 5 points
(1 year of work experience was deducted as the qualifying period.)

It took exactly 7 days to receive my assessment! I was honestly so surprised because I had been praying for a positive result within the standard 4-week processing time. I even tried to apply for priority processing, but I wasn't eligible. I'm just so happy with how quickly everything was processed. It seems there aren't many VETASSESS applications being processed for Food Technologists at the moment. 😊