Client Service Charter
This Charter describes the department’s commitment to quality service in the delivery of visa, citizenship, settlement and language services and the application of immigration law. This charter lets you know what you can expect in your dealings with us and what you can do to help us serve you better. See: Client Service Charter.
Processing Times
Indicative timeframes for applications lodged with complete documentation
| Types of Visas/Applications | Duration |
| Tourists/Visitors | 10 days |
| Business Visa (Short Stay) | 10 days |
| Student Visa | 8 weeks |
| Transit Visa | 2 days |
| Temporary Resident Visa | 3 months |
| Spouse / De Facto Partner (Temporary) | 10 months |
| Spouse / De Facto Partner (Permanent) | 10 months |
| Prospective Spouse | 10 months |
| Child | 10 months |
| Other Family Migration | 10 months |
| Other Family Migration | 10 months |
| New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) | 3 months |
| Refugee & Special Humanitarian Applications | within 12 months |
These service standards are linked to the Department’s Portfolio Budget Statement. We aim to process 75% of cases within this service standard. However, actual processing times may vary from this standard as the following notes explain:
- The service standard is indicative only. Individual cases may be decided in longer or shorter periods than the service standard depending on a range of factors, individual circumstances and the complexity of each case.
- The service standard applies to visa applications lodged with complete documentation. You can expect your application to take longer than the service standard if it was lodged without all the required documentation or information.
- Processing times vary by location, reflecting the differing circumstances of national and regional caseloads.
If you need to contact us or provide new information about your ongoing application, please make sure you provide your file number.
Contact us: [email protected]