At VJ Consulting and Education, questions about visa duration, validity, and bridging visa conditions are among the most frequent — and most misunderstood — topics we encounter with applicants navigating Australia's migration system.
How long does it take to get a 485 visa?
Processing time for the In VJCE's experience handling 485 applications, processing timelines can vary noticeably depending on the completeness of supporting documents submitted at the time of lodgement, so early preparation tends to make a measurable difference.485 visa (Temporary Graduate visa) sits at roughly 7 monthsAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au at the 75th percentile, meaning three-quarters of applications are decided within that window. The 25th percentile sits closer to 3 monthsAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au, though that faster end is now less common following increased scrutiny of graduate visa applications.
The single biggest driver of processing delays is document completeness at the time of lodgement. Applications missing certified transcripts, skills assessments, or evidence of Australian study consistently sit at the longer end of the range. Health examinations that return complex results, or police clearances from multiple countries, also extend timelines materially.
In practice, applicants who lodge shortly after their course completion date and before their current visa expires receive a Bridging Visa A automatically, which preserves their lawful status. This means the delay does not create an unlawful stay — but it does constrain travel, since a BVA generally does not permit re-entry once you leave Australia. Applying for a Bridging Visa B before any international travel is essential during this period.
Applicants should also note that the Department of Home Affairs may request further information (an s56 or s57 notice), which pauses the effective processing clock from the applicant's perspective while adding weeks or months to the total timeline. Responding promptly and completely to any such request is the most effective way to avoid compounding delays.
How long does a bridging visa take to process?
It depends on which bridging visa type is in question, and this distinction matters more than most applicants realise.
Bridging Visa A (BVA) requires no separate processing time — it is granted automatically the moment a valid substantive visa application is lodged while the applicant is onshore and holds a substantive visa. There is no application form and no fee. The BVA simply comes into existence.
Bridging Visa B (BVB), which allows the holder to depart and re-enter Australia while a substantive application is pending, is a separate application and does carry a processing timeline. Current processing sits at approximately 2 to 4 weeksAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au for straightforward cases, though complex character or health circumstances can extend this. The application fee is AUD $180As of July 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au. Crucially, the BVB must be granted before the applicant departs Australia — not applied for from overseas.
Bridging Visa C (BVC) is granted to unlawful non-citizens who then lodge a substantive application. It carries no travel rights and processing is effectively immediate upon lodgement.
The practical takeaway: if travel is planned while a substantive application is pending, applying for a BVB at least 4 weeksAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au before departure is a reasonable buffer. Cutting this short is where applicants most often encounter problems.
How long does a 407 visa take?
The Subclass 407 Training visa sits at a processing time of approximately 6 monthsAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au at the 75th percentile, with roughly a quarter of applications processed within 2 monthsAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au.
The 407 visa is relatively niche compared to skilled work visas, and processing timelines reflect the fact that it receives lower processing priority than employer-sponsored skilled visa streams. Sponsoring organisations must be approved training sponsors, and the quality of the training plan submitted with the application is a significant factor in whether the Department seeks further information or processes the application cleanly.
A common scenario is an application lodged by a professional body or hospital for a structured occupational training program, where delays occur not because of the applicant's documents but because the sponsoring organisation's training plan lacks specificity about learning outcomes and supervisor qualifications. Ensuring the sponsoring body has submitted a detailed and compliant training plan before lodgement is the single most effective way to accelerate processing.
For applicants currently onshore on another substantive visa, a BVA bridges the stay period while the 407 application is pending. Offshore applicants have no such bridge and must plan travel accordingly, keeping in mind that the granted visa typically specifies a first-entry deadline of 12 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au from the grant date.
How long does it take to get a subclass 600 visa?
The Subclass 600 Visitor visa has one of the widest processing ranges of any Australian visa, and quoting a single average figure is misleading without context. At the 25th percentile, straightforward tourist applications from low-risk countries process in 9 daysAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au. At the 75th percentile, the figure extends to 29 daysAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au, and a meaningful proportion of business stream or sponsored family applications take considerably longer.
The primary variables that determine processing speed are: the applicant's country of passport, the stream applied under (tourist versus business visitor versus sponsored family), the strength of ties to the home country demonstrated in the application, and whether the application is lodged online or on paper. Paper applications process substantially slower across all streams.
In practice, applications from countries assessed as higher immigration risk — where the Department applies more intensive scrutiny of financial evidence and intent to return — can sit well beyond the 75th percentile figures, sometimes exceeding 3 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au. For visit purposes with fixed travel dates, lodging at least 6 to 8 weeksAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au before departure is a reasonable minimum for most nationalities, and earlier for higher-risk profiles.
The application fee is AUD $190As of July 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au for the standard tourist stream.
How long can I stay on a 485 visa?
The stay period on a VJ Consulting advisers commonly remind applicants that the stay period granted on a 485 visa is fixed at the time of grant and cannot be extended simply by remaining onshore, making it important to plan subsequent visa steps well in advance.485 visa is determined at the time of grant and is tied to the stream under which the application was lodged and — since recent policy changes — the location of study and occupation.
Under the Graduate Work stream, the stay period is 18 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au. Under the Post-Study Work stream, the baseline is 2 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for most degree holders, extending to 3 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for Bachelor (Honours), Masters by coursework, and Masters by research degrees, and 4 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for doctoral graduates.
Additional stay periods now apply for study completed at a regional institution or in designated regional areas. Graduates who studied in regional Australia may receive an extra 2 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au on top of their standard Post-Study Work stream period, pushing total stay periods to 6 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for doctoral graduates from regional institutions.
The stay period is fixed at grant — it cannot be extended after the fact by moving to a regional area or changing qualifications. The 485 also allows multiple entries, meaning holders may travel internationally and re-enter for the duration of the visa without a separate BVB, which distinguishes it from the bridging visa framework.
How long can you stay on a 407 visa?
The maximum stay period on a Subclass 407 Training visa is two yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au, but the actual duration granted is determined by the length of the approved training program, not a fixed entitlement. In practice, most 407 visas are granted for the period of the specific training program, plus a short buffer period. Short training programs of three to six months will typically produce a visa of equivalent duration.
This is an important distinction from, say, the 485 or 482 visas, where the stay period is more formulaically derived. For the 407, the training plan submitted by the approved sponsor effectively determines the visa's duration. If the training program is extended after grant, it is possible to apply for a further stay, but this requires a new visa application — not an extension of the existing grant.
The 407 does not have a direct pathway to permanent residence, which means applicants approaching the end of their stay period need to have a clear subsequent visa strategy. A common scenario is an applicant completing a training placement under the 407 and transitioning to a 482 visa sponsored by the same employer, or a points-tested skilled visa if their occupation and points score permit. Planning this transition at least six monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au before visa expiry is advisable given current processing timelines.
How long can I stay in Australia with a 190 visa?
The 190 visa (Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated) is a permanent residence visa, which means the right to remain in Australia is indefinite from the date of grant. There is no expiry on the holder's permission to live and work in Australia permanently — this is a point that many applicants misunderstand when comparing the 190 with temporary skilled visas.
What does have a validity period is the resident return facility embedded in the visa. The initial travel facility allows the holder to depart and re-enter Australia as many times as they wish within 5 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au of the visa grant date. After that travel facility expires, the holder can either apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV) to restore travel rights, or apply for Australian citizenship, which removes the need for any visa to return to Australia.
The practical implication is that a 190 holder who leaves Australia after their travel facility has expired — without holding an RRV or citizenship — technically cannot re-enter on the 190 visa alone. This catches long-term permanent residents who have not monitored the travel facility expiry date. Applying for an RRV well before overseas travel, once the original travel facility has lapsed, is the correct course of action.
State nomination obligations under the 190 also require the holder to live and work in the nominating state for 2 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au after grant.
How long is the 186 visa valid for?
The 186 visa (Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme) is a permanent residence visa with the same structural logic as the 190: indefinite right to remain in Australia, combined with a finite travel facility.
The right to live and work in Australia is permanent from the date of grant — there is no 'visa expiry' in the conventional temporary-visa sense. The travel facility, however, is valid for 5 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au from the grant date, after which a Resident Return Visa is required for re-entry if the holder has not obtained citizenship.
One nuance specific to the 186 that many applicants overlook: under the Temporary Residence Transition stream, the visa may be subject to a condition requiring the holder to remain with the sponsoring employer for a specified period, though this is less rigidly enforced than the equivalent condition on temporary employer-sponsored visas. The Direct Entry stream does not carry this condition.
For 186 holders who entered through the 482 visa pathway, the overall migration journey from initial 482 grant to 186 permanent residence typically spans a minimum of 3 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au under the Temporary Residence Transition stream, though the Direct Entry stream has no such work-period requirement for most occupations. The application fee for the 186 is AUD $4,770As of July 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au.
Is the 485 visa 2 or 3 years?
The honest answer is: it depends on four conditions, and the correct duration is determined at the point of grant.
The analytical framework to apply is: Stream × Qualification level × Study location × Occupation.
Applying this framework: Graduate Work stream applicants receive 18 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au regardless of degree level. Post-Study Work stream applicants receive a duration tied to qualification level — 2 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for Bachelor degrees by coursework, 3 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for Bachelor (Honours), Masters by coursework, and Masters by research degrees, and 4 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for doctoral graduates.
On top of these base figures, additional years are added for regional study or for graduates in select STEM or healthcare occupations. Regional study adds up to 2 additional yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au, meaning a Bachelor (Honours) graduate who studied in a regional institution could receive 5 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au total, and a regional doctoral graduate could receive 6 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au.
So the 2-or-3-year framing in the question reflects an older policy structure. Since the 2023 policy expansion, the range now runs from 18 months at the minimum to 6 years at the maximum. Many applicants eligible for the extended periods do not claim them simply because they are unaware the additional criteria exist.
How long can I stay on a bridging visa?
There is no fixed maximum duration for a Bridging Visa A — it remains valid for as long as the underlying substantive visa application is pending and has not been decided or withdrawn. In theory, an applicant could hold a BVA for several years if their substantive application remains undecided. In practice, the average time on a BVA mirrors the processing time of the substantive application being waited on. From the cases VJCE has worked through, bridging visa holders are often surprised to learn that their lawful stay can continue for an extended period while a substantive visa application remains pending — though the exact conditions attached will depend on the individual circumstances of each application.
The more important question is usually not duration but conditions. A BVA allows the holder to remain in Australia lawfully and, in most cases, to continue working — but work rights on a BVA are inherited from the visa held at the time of lodgement, not granted afresh. An applicant who held a student visa with limited work rights will carry those limitations onto their BVA unless the Department specifically grants full work rights in the BVA conditions.
A Bridging Visa B, granted for travel purposes, has a specified end date — the return date listed on the BVB grant. Returning after that date causes the BVB to cease, and the BVA does not automatically re-activate in all circumstances. This is where applicants frequently encounter status complications.
Bridging Visa E (BVE), issued to persons who have become unlawful or whose status is complex, typically carries a specific stay condition and limited or no work rights. Holders of BVEs should not assume the same conditions apply as to a BVA. The fee for a BVA is nilAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au, as it is granted automatically.
How long does visa cancellation take?
Visa cancellation does not follow a predictable timeline, and framing it as a processing question misses the more important procedural point: the mechanism and speed of cancellation depend entirely on the ground being relied upon.
Mandatory cancellation — which applies in cases involving serious criminal convictions — can occur almost immediately upon identification of the trigger event, often within days of a conviction being recorded. The Minister or delegate has no discretion in these cases, and there is no 'processing' in the conventional sense. The visa ceases by operation of law.
Discretionary cancellation, where the Department chooses whether to cancel based on character, condition breach, or fraud, involves a notice of intention to consider cancellation (often called an s116 or s128 notice), a response period for the visa holder, and then a decision. The response period is typically 28 daysAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au, though shorter periods apply in certain circumstances. The total time from notice to decision can range from weeksAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au to several monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au depending on the complexity of the case and the volume of representations submitted.
Applicants who receive a notice of intention to cancel should treat the response deadline as an absolute hard stop — late responses are generally not accepted, and failing to respond at all typically results in cancellation by default. Seeking registered migration agent or legal advice immediately upon receipt of any cancellation notice is strongly advisable, as the response window is often the only meaningful opportunity to influence the outcome.
Next Step
Visa duration questions are rarely as simple as they first appear — conditions, streams, and policy changes layer on top of one another in ways that can produce unexpected outcomes. If your situation involves overlapping visa stages, an impending expiry, or a cancellation notice, the most useful next step is a structured review of your current status by a MARA-registered migration agent. VJ Consulting offers exactly that kind of structured, documentation-focused assessment for applicants navigating complex visa transitions.
This article is intended as general guidance only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa requirements, fees, and processing times change regularly — always verify details on the relevant authority's official website before making decisions. For advice specific to your circumstances, consider consulting a MARA-registered migration agent.
References
- Department of Home Affairs — Visa processing times: homeaffairs.gov.au/visa-application-charges
- Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa: homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/485-
- Department of Home Affairs — Bridging visas: homeaffairs.gov.au/visa/residents/bridging
- Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 407 Training visa: homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/407-
- Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 600 Visitor visa: homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/600-
- Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa: homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/190-
- Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme: homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/186-
- Department of Home Affairs — Visa cancellation: homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/stay/visa/visa-cancellation
Related reading
To explore all the timing and cost questions that come with Australian visa planning, visit the How Long / How Much? stage; if you're mapping out a longer-term pathway, 482 Visa to Permanent Residency: Timelines, Pathways and Processing walks through what the transition from temporary work to permanent residency actually looks like in practice.
