Agreement Pathway
Current Home Affairs data shows 50% of recently decided applications were finalised within 50 Days, while 90% were finalised within 12 Months.
Subclass 186 visa processing time
Use the stream and lodgement date shown in your application to compare your wait with current Home Affairs checkpoints.
- Official benchmarks
- No account needed
- Current figures
Choose your visa subclass
How long does a Subclass 186 visa take?
For Agreement Pathway, Home Affairs lists 50% processed in 50 Days and 90% in 12 Months. These figures describe recently decided applications, not a guaranteed deadline.
Source published: · Last verified:
| Stream | 50% processed | 90% processed |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement Pathway | 50 Days | 12 Months |
| Direct Entry Pathway | 21 Months | 25 Months |
| Transition Pathway | 21 Months | 25 Months |
Processing-time historyVerify with Home AffairsWhat do 50% and 90% processed mean?
Your selected visa
Subclass 186
Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
For skilled workers nominated by their employer for permanent residence in Australia.
Eligibility, costs and application stepsBuild your waiting timeline
Two details are enough to compare your wait with current Home Affairs benchmarks.
Published benchmarks
Current Processing Times
Compare how long 50% and 90% of recently decided applications took in each pathway.
What do 50% and 90% processed mean?Agreement Pathway
For workers nominated under a labour agreement between an employer and the Australian Government.
50Days
50% processed
12Months
90% processed
Last updated: 5 Oct 2026
Direct Entry Pathway
For skilled workers nominated by an Australian employer with an occupation on the relevant eligible skilled occupation list.
21Months
50% processed
25Months
90% processed
Last updated: 5 Oct 2026
Transition Pathway
For workers who hold a subclass 457 or 482 visa, or an eligible bridging visa, and have usually worked in eligible sponsored employment for at least 2 years.
21Months
50% processed
25Months
90% processed
Last updated: 5 Oct 2026
Stream-specific guide
Subclass 186 processing time by ENS stream
Employer Nomination Scheme processing times differ between Direct Entry, Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) and the Agreement stream. Compare the stream named in your visa application rather than relying on one headline Subclass 186 timeframe.
Direct Entry Pathway
Current Home Affairs data shows 50% of recently decided applications were finalised within 21 Months, while 90% were finalised within 25 Months.
Transition Pathway
Current Home Affairs data shows 50% of recently decided applications were finalised within 21 Months, while 90% were finalised within 25 Months.
Nomination and the Subclass 186 visa are separate stages
An employer nomination can be assessed separately from the visa application. The figures on this page describe the visa stream selected in the current Home Affairs processing-time data; they are not a combined estimate for every employer and visa step.
Which date should I enter?
Use the date the Subclass 186 visa application was lodged, not the date you first discussed sponsorship or began preparing the nomination.
50% processed does not mean your application is half complete
These percentages describe recently decided applications, not progress inside one individual case.
Subclass 186 processing-time history
These are recorded publications, not a continuous daily history. Charts use official publication dates. Missing periods are not interpolated, and lower checkpoints do not predict your decision date.
Agreement Pathway
Change since source publication 2026-09-04: 50% −8 days; 90% +12 days.
Solid: 50% processed. Dashed: 90% processed. Exact days on the vertical axis.
- 3-month comparison
- Recorded sources 2026-06-26 to 2026-09-29: 50% −202 days; 90% +51 days.
- 6-month comparison
- Insufficient comparable history.
- 12-month comparison
- Insufficient comparable history.
| Source published | Checked | 50% processed | 90% processed | Record source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Months 252 days | 11 Months 325 days | Historical Home Affairs record | ||
| 8 Months 247 days | 10 Months 311 days | Historical Home Affairs record | ||
| 58 Days 58 days | 12 Months 364 days | Recorded snapshot | ||
| 50 Days 50 days | 12 Months 376 days | Recorded snapshot |
Direct Entry Pathway
Change since source publication 2026-09-04: 50% +250 days; 90% +124 days.
Solid: 50% processed. Dashed: 90% processed. Exact days on the vertical axis.
- 3-month comparison
- Recorded sources 2026-06-26 to 2026-09-29: 50% +358 days; 90% +386 days.
- 6-month comparison
- Insufficient comparable history.
- 12-month comparison
- Insufficient comparable history.
| Source published | Checked | 50% processed | 90% processed | Record source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Months 273 days | 12 Months 371 days | Historical Home Affairs record | ||
| 10 Months 301 days | 14 Months 437 days | Historical Home Affairs record | ||
| 13 Months 381 days | 21 Months 633 days | Recorded snapshot | ||
| 21 Months 631 days | 25 Months 757 days | Recorded snapshot |
Transition Pathway
Change since source publication 2026-09-04: 50% +228 days; 90% +84 days.
Solid: 50% processed. Dashed: 90% processed. Exact days on the vertical axis.
- 3-month comparison
- Recorded sources 2026-06-26 to 2026-09-29: 50% +374 days; 90% +344 days.
- 6-month comparison
- Insufficient comparable history.
- 12-month comparison
- Insufficient comparable history.
| Source published | Checked | 50% processed | 90% processed | Record source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Months 275 days | 14 Months 413 days | Historical Home Affairs record | ||
| 11 Months 338 days | 15 Months 469 days | Historical Home Affairs record | ||
| 14 Months 421 days | 22 Months 673 days | Recorded snapshot | ||
| 21 Months 649 days | 25 Months 757 days | Recorded snapshot |
Historical figures retain their original recorded dates and values. Streams added later have no earlier data.