How long does Australian PR take?
From starting the skills assessment to holding the visa, Australian PR usually takes eighteen months to two and a half years: two to four months for the skills assessment, an unpredictable wait for an invitation, then roughly eight to fourteen months of visa processing. The invitation wait is the part your score controls.
The phases, and who controls each
Skills assessment, two to four months. You control the start. The assessing authority controls the rest, and it will send the file back if references are incomplete. Some authorities take longer for certain occupations.
English test, a few weeks. Results are quick; getting the band you need may take a second sitting.
Expression of interest and invitation, unknown. Once lodged, your profile competes in every round for your occupation. A high score in a listed occupation can be invited within weeks. A borderline score can sit for the full two years the expression of interest is valid and never be invited. State nominations have their own queues on top.
Visa processing, about eight to fourteen months. The Department publishes processing times for each subclass and updates them monthly. After an invitation you have 60 days to apply with medicals and police certificates; the decision follows.
What adds months
- a skills assessment returned for more evidence
- an English result that expires before the visa is lodged (results are valid for three years for the visa, but check the assessing authority's own rule)
- a medical referral
- a state that pauses its programme mid-year
What you can shorten
Only the first phase. Preparing references in the assessor's exact format before you apply, and sitting the English test early enough to resit once, saves more time than anything later.
The free assessment tells you whether your score puts the middle phase in weeks or years, which is the only honest estimate anyone can give you.
Sources
Checked against these on by Hari Prasad, Head of Sales — Australia Migration. Immigration rules change without notice — if you are reading this much later, check them again.