Your visa application has now been lodged with the immigration department and will be processed in accordance with the department’s published processing times.

Please visit the immigration department’s website for targeted processing times.

As a general proposition, the processing times will vary depending upon:

• The complexity of your visa application;
• Whether you have lodged a decision read application;
• The department’s resources available at the time of allocation;
• Whether you have been randomly selected to undergo security checks.

The immigration department receives several thousand applications every day and as such you should be aware that there may be some delays experienced with the allocation and eventual decision of your visa application.

Shortly after you have lodged your visa application, the immigration department will assess whether the application meets the criteria under Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994. For onshore visa applications, this is a critical step to ensure that you remain lawful whilst the visa application is being processed.

After the visa application has been deemed valid, the immigration department may issue an acknowledgement letter (particularly for permanent visa applications). In some cases, you may need to apply for an acknowledgement letter (i.e. for onshore GSM applications).

At this stage, your visa application will most likely be placed in a queue and will be allocated to a case officer (decision maker) in accord with the date on which the visa application was lodged (as resources become available).

It is our aim to ensure a fluid and predictable visa application process. It is for that reason that we strive to assist you to prepare and lodge visa applications which we consider decision ready (aside from requisite health examination requirements).

This means that all information and documentation required by the immigration department is included with the visa application at the time of lodgement, which includes all identification documents, police clearances and evidence to support your claims (such as employment references, tax returns, qualifications etc).

By providing all the necessary information and documentation at the time of lodging the visa application, we are assisting the immigration department with the management of a substantial caseload. In return, we expect your visa application to be afforded the best opportunity for being decided as quickly as possible.

After your visa application has been lodged, the immigration department will undertake a number of administrative checks including verification of any claims made in your visa application.

The following link provides a breakdown of the immigration department’s internal processes.

You should carefully review this document so that you understand the processes involved in the decision-making process.

You should keep us informed of:

• Your travel plans to ensure that you have the appropriate visa to depart and return to Australia;
• Your contact details including residential address and telephone numbers;
• Changes to your family composition
• Changes to your personal circumstance (including employment status etc);
• Updates to your passport details.

You should be aware that the immigration department has requested that visa applicants or their representatives not seek updates of the status of their visa applications until after the published processing times have passed.

For that reason, we will only seek an update from the immigration department within the published processing times under compelling circumstances.

We will keep you informed of the progress of your visa application as information comes to hand.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide you with access to your ImmiAccount for privacy reasons.

The portal used to access your ImmiAccount contains the confidential information of all our clients.  We greatly value the confidentiality of all our client’s information as a matter of policy and compliance to our professional standards.

We understand that you may feel stressed or anxious about receiving a decision on your application.  Rest assured that we are committed to keeping you updated with any changes in the status of your application and helping to ensure the process is as seamless as possible.

Health examinations are required for permanent and provisional visa applicants and their accompanying family members.

Health examinations may also be required for temporary visa applicants and their accompanying family members contingent upon the following factors:

• The type of temporary visa;
• The length of your planned stay in Australia;
• The level of risk of your country for tuberculosis;
• Any special circumstances (if you are pregnant, intending to work or study in healthcare or work in childcare).
• Whether there were any significant medical conditions declared in your visa application.

Generally speaking, we will email you the health instructions post lodgement so please do keep an eye out for an email.

After lodgement of your visa application, you remain bound by the conditions attached to your existing visa which transfer to the your bridging A visa.

You may lawfully work/study in Australia provided that there are no specified restrictions or limitations for work or study on your current visa or bridging visa.  In the event that there are restrictions/limitations imposed on your current visa or bridging visa we will inform you of the meaning of these restrictions/limitations and the impact they may have on your plans to work or study in Australia.

If you hold a valid visa, the act of lodging an onshore application for a further substantive visa triggers an automatic application for a bridging visa.  The bridging visa comes into effect on the expiry of your existing visa.

If you do not hold a valid visa, you may need to make a separate application for a bridging visa.

For sponsored visa holders

You can be promoted without your sponsor having to submit a new nomination provided that your duties remain fundamentally unchanged.

In the event that you are promoted to a new role with changes in duties, your sponsor must submit a fresh nomination followed by a fresh visa application.

If this applies to you, please inform us immediately so that we can discuss an appropriate strategy with you.

If you are a Subclass 482 visa holder, you are permitted to take annual leave, carers leave, compassionate leave, unpaid leave etc. in accordance with the Fair Work Act.

However, note that any unpaid leave taken will not count towards your 2 year work requirement for permanent residency, Subclass 186 visa under the Temporary Residence Transition Stream.

As a general proposition, we will advise you of the necessary health and character requirements post lodgement.  In the event you are unable to provide health examinations or police clearances by a departmental deadline, you should inform us of the date on which you can reasonably expect to receive these documents and the reasons for the delay.

We will then submit a request for an extension on your behalf to the Department of Home Affairs.

After receiving the documents requested in response to a Request for Information (“RFI”), our team will be diligently working to our submissions in parallel with the documents provided.

Upon response to the RFI, we typically receive an outcome in no later than 28 days.  This may vary.

Whilst awaiting a decision on your visa application, you will most likely be holding a bridging A visa.  In order to travel, you must apply and be granted a bridging B visa, which is granted on the basis of urgent travel.

There should be no impact on your visa application being processed.  As a general proposition, you can travel for up to 3 months.

If you are not able to re-enter Australia by the expiry of the bridging B visa, you will need to apply and be granted another visa before you can enter Australia.

If your circumstances change, you are obligated to notify the department within 28 days.  Typical change of circumstances include the following:

1. Updated passport – please provide us with your updated passport bio data page;
2. Changing address (prior to visa grant) or moving between States post visa grant (e.g moving from NSW to QLD);
3. Breakdown of your relationship – this will affect who can be granted a visa and may also impact the currency of a visa;
4. Changes to your contact details – whilst we will be your authorised recipient, you should ensure that you notify us of changes to your email and telephone;
5. Changes to your family unit – newborns are granted the most favourable visa held by either parent and will require ‘registration’ of their visa.  Please notify us in the unfortunate event an immediate family member passes;
6. Change of name – please provide us with official documents and updated passport bio data page.

Please reach out to us if your circumstances change so that we can ensure your compliance with visa conditions and the relevant law.