How long does the 491 visa take right now? Most applicants get their grant in 8–12 months.

Based on 13 grants reported by the community, half of subclass 491 applicants get their grant within 7m 19d of lodgement, and 75% within 11m 20d.

The fastest reported subclass 491 grant took 4m 15d from lodgement to grant; the slowest took 16m 22d.

Yes — processing queues differ. Community medians: Priority sectors: 7m 19d · Onshore • Standard: 11m 20d.

Ministerial Direction 122 commenced on 19 September 2026 and replaced Direction 119. Applications are processed in four tiers: (1) priority sectors — construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture/aquaculture/fishing, resources, and law enforcement/defence — regardless of where the applicant lives; (2) all other applicants who were in Australia when they applied; (3) offshore applicants whose application is not combined with family members; (4) all other offshore applicants. Home Affairs warns that processing dates may fluctuate or move backwards while applications are reprioritised during the transition.

Every data point is a visa timeline reported by a real applicant in the Skilled Visa Tracker app. These are community-sourced estimates, not migration advice, and are not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs.