# Australia Work Visa Processing Time from India (2026) > Home Affairs processing times for every Australian work and skilled visa an Indian can use, from the 485 and 482 to MATES, the 462 ballot and the 189, 190, 491 and 186. _Published: 2026-10-25 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1097_ ## TL;DR Home Affairs' global guide shows Australian work visas ranging from days to years: the 485 decides 50% in 5 days and 90% in 55 days, the 482 Core Skills stream 50% in 4 months and 90% in 9 months, and the 186 Direct Entry stream up to 25 months. The figures cover all nationalities; Home Affairs publishes no India-only processing data for work visas. ## Key takeaways - 485 Post-Higher Education Work: 50% in 5 days, 90% in 55 days. - 482 Core Skills: 50% in 4 months, 90% in 9 months; Specialist Skills: 50% in 37 days, 90% in 78 days. - MATES (403): 50% in 4 months, 90% in 5 months, after a ballot selection. - Permanent skilled visas take longest: 190 up to 16 months, 491 up to 18 months, 186 Direct Entry up to 25 months (90% figures). - Home Affairs publishes India-specific times only for student and visitor visas, not for work visas. **According to the Department of Home Affairs' global processing-time guide, Australian work and skilled visas range from days to years: the Temporary Graduate (485) visa decides 50% in 5 days and 90% in 55 days, the Skills in Demand (482) Core Skills stream 50% in 4 months and 90% in 9 months. Figures cover all nationalities, not India specifically.** ## Article The guide was checked on 15 October 2026, and all figures below are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. Every application is lodged online in ImmiAccount, so there is no Indian consulate queue to factor in. For the wider picture of Australian visas, see our Australia visa guide for Indians. ### How long does each Australian work visa take? Visa50% decided in90% decided inMain applicant chargeTemporary Graduate (485), Post-Higher Education Work5 days55 daysAUD 5,750Skills in Demand (482), Core Skills4 months9 monthsAUD 4,015Skills in Demand (482), Specialist Skills37 days78 daysAUD 4,015MATES (403)4 months5 monthsAUD 470Work and Holiday (462)3 days44 daysAUD 840Skilled Independent (189)61 days8 monthsAUD 6,135Skilled Nominated (190)4 months16 monthsAUD 6,140Skilled Work Regional (491), state nominated5 months18 monthsAUD 6,140Employer Nomination Scheme (186), Direct Entry21 months25 monthsAUD 6,140Charges are the Home Affairs prices in AUD; no rupee amounts are published. Family members pay separately. ### What do the 50% and 90% figures mean for you? Home Affairs measures how long recently decided applications took. Half were finished by the first figure and nine in ten by the second. The numbers look backwards and pool every nationality. Plan around the 90% figure. A Core Skills 482 applicant should allow 9 months, not 4. The guide is not a promise for any single case. India-specific data exists only for other visa types. Home Affairs' program reports for October to December 2025 show a median of 23 days for Student visas granted to Indians applying outside Australia, and a median of 14 days for Indian tourist visitor visas. There is no equivalent India-only figure for the 482, 485 or skilled permanent visas. ### Why does a sponsored job take longer than the visa figure? The 482 figures start only when you lodge. Before that, your employer's paperwork has its own queues: sponsorship approval takes 11 days for 50% and 57 days for 90%, and the nomination takes 64 days for 50% and 9 months for 90%. If your employer is a new sponsor, those stages run before yours. Two pre-steps on your side can also hold you up: a mandatory skills assessment must be started before you apply, and the English result must come from a test Home Affairs accepts. ### When does the clock start for ballot visas? MATES and the Work and Holiday visa begin with a ballot, so the published processing time comes after selection. - MATES (403): up to 3,000 places a year for Indian graduates aged 18 to 30. Registration costs AUD 25; the 2025-26 window ran from 1 November to 14 December 2025. If selected, you have 30 days to apply online from outside Australia, then the 4 to 5 month processing applies. - Work and Holiday (462): the 2026-27 registration ran from 4 to 25 June 2026 and is closed. Selections run from 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027, with rounds on 10 August and 25 September 2026 and a third round to be announced. You get 28 calendar days to apply after selection. Home Affairs says offshore applications may take about 3 months because onshore applications are prioritised, which is longer than the global 3 to 44 day range suggests. ### What can slow a work visa application down? - Missing pre-requisites: skills assessments, English tests and, for the 485, evidence that you have applied for an Australian Federal Police check when you apply. - Health and character checks: health examinations and police certificates when requested. - Biometrics: India is not on the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre list (March 2026); the Department tells you if you must provide biometrics. - Incomplete evidence: work references without referee contact details or dates, or documents not translated into English. ### Which route is fastest for your situation? Speed depends mostly on which visa you are eligible for. Match your profile to the row that fits: Your situationLikely route90% decided inRecent Australian bachelor's or higher graduate, aged 35 or under, still in Australia48555 daysJob offer paying at least AUD 146,576 in an eligible ANZSCO major group482 Specialist Skills78 daysJob offer on the Core Skills Occupation List paying at least AUD 79,423482 Core Skills9 monthsGraduate of a Top 100 NIRF institution within 2 years, aged 18 to 30, in an eligible fieldMATES ballot, then 4035 monthsNo job offer, skilled occupation, at least 65 points, under 45 when invited189 after invitation8 monthsThe 189 clock starts only after you are invited through SkillSelect, and the invitation itself may require a score above 65. ### How should you plan a move from India? - Pick the right visa first; the gap between a 485 and a 186 is the difference between weeks and about two years. - Start skills assessments and English tests before your employer lodges the nomination. - Use the 90% column for your notice period, lease and school planning. - Do not resign from your Indian job or buy non-refundable flights until the visa is granted. - Recheck the Home Affairs guide just before lodging, because the published figures change over time. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or reach us through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Does Home Affairs publish Australian work visa processing times for Indians specifically? No. The work and skilled visa times in the global guide cover all nationalities. Home Affairs publishes India-specific processing data only in its student and visitor visa program reports. #### Can I apply for the Australian 485 visa from India? No. You must be in Australia when you apply, hold an eligible visa and have held a Student visa in the last 6 months. The degree must have been completed within the 6 months before applying. #### Do Indians need biometrics for an Australian work visa? Only if Home Affairs asks. India was not on the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre list as of March 2026, and the Department tells each applicant whether biometrics are needed. #### Which English results does the Australian 482 visa accept? At least IELTS 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, from a test taken on or after 13 September 2025 and within 3 years before applying, unless you are exempt. ## FAQ ### Does Home Affairs publish Australian work visa processing times for Indians specifically? No. The work and skilled visa times in the global guide cover all nationalities. Home Affairs publishes India-specific processing data only in its student and visitor visa program reports. ### Can I apply for the Australian 485 visa from India? No. You must be in Australia when you apply, hold an eligible visa and have held a Student visa in the last 6 months. The degree must have been completed within the 6 months before applying. ### Do Indians need biometrics for an Australian work visa? Only if Home Affairs asks. India was not on the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre list as of March 2026, and the Department tells each applicant whether biometrics are needed. ### Which English results does the Australian 482 visa accept? At least IELTS 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, from a test taken on or after 13 September 2025 and within 3 years before applying, unless you are exempt. ## Sources 1. [Department of Home Affairs - Global visa processing times guide](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia 2. [Department of Home Affairs - MATES stream (subclass 403)](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-work-403/mates/mobility-arrangement-for-talented-early-professionals-scheme-403) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia 3. [Department of Home Affairs - Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa pre-application (ballot) process, 2026-27](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/whm-program/latest-news/new-work-and-holiday-subclass-462-visa-pre-application-process) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia