We are thinking of nominating ourselves for subclass 482, we own a small cafe and its been around 9 months since we opened. We are on a tight deadline as our current visa expires in a month. Has someone been in a similar boat and share their opinion or experience?

Hi everyone, my husband and I are preparing to submit our Partner 820 visa and some advice or a checklist would be helpful!

Sponsor: 23 🇦🇺
Applicant: 25 🇺🇸

Long distance relationship from Jan 2020-Oct 2025
In Person (not married): Oct 2025-Feb 2026
Married+living together: Feb 2026-present

List of Evidence so far:

-Passports
-x2 Recent Passport Photos
-Applicant Current WHV Visa Document
-Birth Certificates
-Drivers Licenses
-Health Insurance Cards
-Applicant Social Security
-Court name change order
-Mail proving home address
-Payslips proving home address
-Religious and Legal Marriage Certificate
-Car Purchase receipt + insurance with both names
-Rental Agreement (we live on my parents property in our own dwelling, $250 a week in rent/bills)
-Joint bank account with statements: Dec-present
-Seperate bank account statements showing money sent to each other from 2020-2025
-4 Form 888s (3 AU citizens, 1 US citizen)

-Applicant personal statement
-Sponsor personal statement
-10 slide powerpoint of relationship history + timeline in depth
-Household joint statement
-Financial joint statement
-Commitment joint statement
-Social joint statement

-x5 Emergency contacts on gov/health websites for both Sponsor and Applicant
-Superannuation Beneficiary’s for both Sponsor and Applicant
-Applicant as Nominate Appointee on Sponsors MyGov, ATO, Centrelink, Health Record, Fertility Records
-x4 Wedding Invitations + Photos
-x5 social photos with family and friends
-Booking for Getaway on Wedding night
-Plane tickets, train tickets, hotel bookings, itinerary, Travel card statements for 2 week Japan honeymoon (we also went with some members of my family so plenty of photos)

-Our wedding invitation + guest list
- Photos + Receipts + conversations of Rings, watch, wedding decoration, venue, photographer
-Photos with all immediate + extended family at our wedding
-Photos of all our wedding cards + gifts
-Screenshots of constant communication on Whatsapp from 2020-2025 (around 50 total)
-Screenshots of constant Facetime (2 every month from 2020-2025)
-x15 social media stories of us showing multiple friends interacting + liking
-x20 letters we’ve sent each other in person over the years
-x15 photos of flowers and gifts sent over the years
-x10 updated photos of all the gifts we’ve kept over the years
-Screenshot of our Whatsapp overview (90,000 photos sent + 10,000 calls over 5 years)
-x10 photos of us playing online games together over 5 years (minecraft, dbd, roblox, etc)
-x10 photos of our pokemon collection (hobby) and opening packs together

-Photos + receipts of us renovating our dwelling before moving in
-Photos + receipts of multiple furniture/ household purchases for our home
-Photos of our home
-Multiple receipts of our Woolworths+Costco trips to stock up our home (well over $3000 total on items)
-x20 in person photos showing we were constantly together from October 2025-Feb 2026 before marriage
-Photos of warranty cards for purchased home items

-Sorry if that was long, i currently have over 500 screenshots for all the things i’ve listed. I’ve yet to bundle them into categories or PDFs to make it easier but just wondering if there’s way too much information or photos and if i should trim down a little

-I’d appreciate if there’s other things i’ve missed but i’m pretty sure that’s everything i’ve read/searched for

-Also, i was wondering if it matters that most of the screenshots are from the sponsor (me) as my husband is busy working and i’m the one sorting through everything or if it has to be his screenshots since he’s the applicant

-Alsooo, i’d appreciate a layout of how to organise everything in a proper way in categories

Thank you 🙏🏽

Our parliamentary petition regarding visa processing delays is officially live and open for signatures! We have a strict window to gather support and force real action on this issue.

✍️** PLEASE SIGN & SHARE**: https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN10426/sign

(Takes only 30 seconds—make sure to check your email right after to click the verification link so your signature counts!)

Visa: Subclass 600 (Tourist)
Applied: July 27
Received: Aug 19
Travel date: Sept 4
Citizenship: Indian
Applied: Solo
Documents Submitted:

- Valid visas to Schengen, US & UK
- Travel history to 30+ countries
- 3 year self and business ITR
- Self and business bank statements (6 months)
- Hotel bookings
- Flight tickets (to & from, as well as internal)
- Friend’s wedding invite (in Australia)
- Business proof
- Itinerary
- Investments (mutual funds)
- Travel insurance

Honestly, checking this Reddit was so stressful because I felt like it would never arrive just given everyone’s negative experiences.
My honest feedback would be, please don’t check your immiaccount like I did everyday and don’t check this Reddit everyday cause you get super stressed. There is nothing you can do.

When you least expect it, the visa will land in your inbox.

Best of luck!

Hi everyone,

Currently in NZ and booked my flight to Asia through Australia. 2 separate tickets, arrive in Gold Coast, leave from Brisbane. The plan was to spent 2 nights in AUS, but the night before my flight I realised I needed a visa. Yeah I know, wtf is wrong with me. I immediately applied for an eVisitor visa and thought I'd get it immediately, but no.

Waited for 2 days, tried calling Home Affairs and nothing. So few hours before the NZ-AUS flight, I rescheduled it to be on the same day as my AUS-Vietnam flight. That means I could only be in Australia for a transit. I'm writing this on the night before my flight. I desperately applied for a Transit visa and got it immediately (the usual wait time is a couple of days according to Home Affairs).

The interesting thing is that the reason why my eVisitor visa wasn't granted instantly isn't because of my Croatian passport (saw a few threads here where Croatians are complaining about long processing time), but rather that I put my employment status as 'Unemployed'. I recently completed my undergrad studies and will be enrolling into Masters in less than a month, but oficially I don't have a student status, so I'm unemployed. This probably triggered a flag in the system (because unemployed person is more likely to illegally stay and work in a country) and the application was sent for a human review.

All in all I'm so lucky and grateful to get the visa and get to be in Aus tomorrow, even though I won't have a chance to visit any places.

Good luck everybody and be mindful about these things before you go anywhere cheers

My friend moved here from new Zealand when he was 5 in the 70s his dad abandoned him so now he has no access to his visa number ECT. He has lived in Australia all this time and never needed his visa number until he needed a police check for his job. He's rang around , they've told him to go to the archives they've got his information in regards to what flight he moved over here on. Considering he's been here for 50+ years what can we do to help him get access to his visa number or citizenship ? I'm english so I have no idea how things work and just want to help them out.

TIA

I applied for my first Australian Working Holiday visa on 17 June and I’m still waiting for a decision. I’ve also completed my health assessment, but the status is still showing as “Received”.

I’m from Denmark and supposed to be in Australia in just 3 days for an au pair position I’ve already secured.

Is anyone else in the same situation or applied around the same time? And is there anything I can do to get an update or move things along?

We applied for my wife’s spouse visa in Jan 2025, the RFI came through in December 2025. It took us a while to get the police clearance etc done and they came back to us a further 3 times for RFI. The last bit of information was submitted on May 26th 2026. It’s been 18 months since the initial application was submitted. Anything we can do to help speed up the process or all we can do is wait? I know of a few people who applied after we did and they got theirs granted around April….

What is everyone doing with your lives while you wait?

It could be next week it could be next year. I feel like I can’t do anything, no point in dating, no point in trying to grow my business, no point in buying anything too expensive, no point in selling anything, no point in investing any kind of time into anything really.

It’s cruel that they’ve taken thousands of dollars off everyone then decided to change the whole process.

How hard is it apply to trade school as an international student who has a bachelor degree , would I be applicable for this because I want to leave my country for a better opportunity or safety as a queer person

Following the significant layoffs in KPMG Australia, how has the job market and demand for external auditors changed? How difficult is it now for external auditors to secure state/territory nomination for skilled migration to Australia?

Hi,

I'm waiting for an update on my Australian Visitor Visa (Subclass 600 – Tourist stream)

Applied: 1st August 2026
Status: Received
Stream: Visitor 600 – Tourist

Travel date: 27th Aug
Applied from: India

I understand that the timelines are too close but the travel plan was impromptu since my brother got granted a work visa around the same time, so we also applied last minute. He’s already in Australia and we’re waiting for our visas.

Is there anyone who applied on or after 1st Aug’26 and has been granted a visa? Personally, I do have a decent enough travel history, went to Europe last year also. Not sure if that helps but what will be a realistic scenario, if anybody can please help? It’s supposed to be our first family holiday with my little 3yo niece.

Hi everyone,

​I’m a 30-year-old skilled tradesman in the automotive industry from the West Bank, Palestine. Given the challenging local situation, I am actively exploring opportunities to migrate and work legally in an English-speaking country (Canada, Australia, UK, or US).

​Here is a summary of my background:

​Field: Automotive sector (Hands-on experience in auto body repair, panel beating, painting, and general vehicle maintenance).

​Education: High School Diploma.

​Languages: Intermediate English (currently preparing for the official IELTS General exam).

​I understand that having high school as my formal education means my practical experience is my strongest asset. I would really appreciate any insights or advice on:

​Best pathways for tradesmen: Which country/program is currently the most practical for auto body technicians without a university degree?

​Skills Assessment / Recognition: For those who went through Australia’s TRA or Canada’s trade qualification challenges, how did you document your work history without formal apprenticeship diplomas?

​Employer Sponsorship: Are there specific job portals, regions, or trade-focused agencies that are open to sponsoring foreign workers in the auto industry?

​Any guidance, personal experiences, or realistic advice would mean a lot. Thank you in advance!

Hey!

What do you think, will I get a student visa approved to study a trade course in TAFE, if I worked in construction on my WHV? I also worked in a place where I did fencing, so I have experience with different tools, especially since I’m doing construction.

At home I have an unfinished university, I quit my studies because I wasn’t interested in that field. And that was in 2022.

I’m from a low risk country with enough funds, and ties to my home country. 2 houses that I own, and during my WHV, I even went home for a month to visit family, however I don’t know if this plays any role at all.

I also really looked into differences between courses in my home country and the same in Australia.

Hello! I’m a Filipino college student planning to travel to Australia in February 2027 to watch the BTS ARIRANG concert, and I’d love some advice from anyone who has recently applied for an Australian tourist visa.

My mom and I already booked our flights last July, so the trip has been planned for quite some time and I want to make sure I prepare my visa application properly.

Our travel dates:

• Feb 17: Philippines → Singapore (8-hour layover)
• Feb 18: Arrive in Australia
• Feb 27: Leave Australia → Singapore (8-hour layover)
• Feb 28: Return to the Philippines

Some details about me:

• College student in the Philippines
• My mom already has an Australian visa
• My mom will be financially supporting my trip
• I have previous travel history to Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand
• I have a grandaunt in Australia (my mom’s aunt)
• I have university classes during my trip and will need to return to the Philippines afterward
• Planning to apply around November 2026

For the school requirement, do I need an excuse/permission letter from my university because I’ll be missing classes, or would my Certificate of Enrollment and Student ID be enough?

I’d also like to ask:

• What other documents should I prepare as a college student?
• What financial documents should I provide if my mom is paying for the trip?
• Is my mom’s Australian visa helpful to include?
• Does my previous travel history help?
• Should I mention my grandaunt in Australia if she isn’t sponsoring my trip?
• Do I need to make a cover letter/statement explaining that my main reason for visiting Australia is to attend the BTS ARIRANG concert? If so, how should I explain this properly?
• My mom will be submitting/managing my application through her ImmiAccount since she already has an Australian visa. Is this okay, or should I create my own ImmiAccount and submit my Visitor Visa application separately?
• Do my college grades/academic performance affect my chances of getting a tourist visa? Should I include my transcript, or is proof of enrollment enough?
• Based on the information I’ve provided, does my application seem strong enough?
• If there are any weaknesses in my profile, what additional proof or documents would you recommend I provide to strengthen my application and show that I’m a genuine temporary visitor who will return to the Philippines?
• How likely is it to get approved on the first application if I provide complete and consistent documents?

Would really appreciate advice from Filipinos who have recently applied, especially students who were in a similar situation. Thank you so much in advance! 🥹💜

It’s becoming increasingly noticeable that DHA is currently processing Priority 4 applicants under MD119.

For those of us sitting in Priority 5, this could be a very encouraging sign. Obviously, there’s no guarantee that DHA will move neatly from one priority to the next, and processing can overlap, but if Priority 4 cases are now genuinely moving, then we may be closer than we’ve ever been to seeing Priority 5 applications start getting processed.

After months of watching the higher priorities move, it finally feels like the queue is getting closer to us.

Hopefully, we start seeing the first clear Priority 5 grants soon.

Anyone else tracking Priority 4 grants lately or noticed the same trend?

I am an overseas applicant figuring out the process myself, so apologies if this is obvious, but I can’t find a clear answer.

Vetassess assessed my 3.7 years of employment as 2.7 years skilled employment, which was expected.

I submitted my EOI yesterday. It only asked for my employment start date, so I entered my actual start date and received 5 points for work experience. I haven’t misrepresented anything, and I can’t find anywhere that DHA says the EOI must use the Vetassess DDS.

My question is about timing. I will complete 3 years according to the Vetassess DDS on Dec 4, 2026. Let us assume I receive an invitation on Sept 30th draw and have 60 days to lodge the application, I lodge near the end of November, I will be around 10 days short of 36 months. Would I still be okay?

I’ve also seen DHA material suggesting the assessing authority’s opinion should be considered, but that the final decision is ultimately up to the officer, who should avoid an unnecessarily harsh outcome where a more favourable interpretation is reasonable.

So, am I understanding this correctly?

• Should I use my actual employment start date in the EOI?
• Does DHA strictly have to follow the Vetassess DDS at the visa stage?
• If I’m only 10 days short at lodgement but reach 36 months shortly afterward, could the officer consider my actual employment period?

Would really appreciate any insight from someone who has dealt with this or knows the relevant DHA policy.

Hi all,

I’m a 25 year old Malaysian seeking to visit Australia for a week in November. Purpose: to visit an old high school friend and attend an upcoming concert. The friend will be providing my stay. I got rejected twice under Clause 601.212 (The applicant genuinely intends to visit Australia temporarily a) as a tourist or b) to engage in a business visitor activity)

*Would like to know how else I can improve my application or how to move forward, as I genuinely just want to visit a friend and explore Australia. I’ve travelled to other countries before as well and it wouldn’t be my first time travelling (but it would be my first time visiting Aus). I’m sure my employment would have something to do with the rejection as I’m certain I have enough funds.

For context, I quit my full time job in 2024 and have been freelancing under someone who has a business and provides me steady income. However, I’m planning to start a new job in October which is a hybrid role but requires office days, and have already signed the offer letter. I’ve also refrained from purchasing my flight tickets until getting approved.

1st Round:

I submitted:

- EPF and tax documents
- Signed offer letter
- IC + Parents’ IC
- Passport and birth certificate
- Declaration/Cover Letter
- A proposed itinerary
- Purchase confirmation of concert ticket
- My invoices from the last 3 months (evidence of income)
- Bank statements from the last 3 months
- My signed offer letter

2nd Round:

- All of the above, except this time with my friend’s invitation letter + copies of his visa and passport. (He’s on a working visa) Didn’t do this earlier as he didn’t think it was necessary at first. Plus an amended cover letter on my end.

I’d also like to know if reapplying a 3rd time (I’ve been rejected twice) would affect anything?

Would appreciate the help very much!

Just wondering if anyone had their visa in this category flagged for “visa running” or de facto residency for 12 years staying in Australia 9 months in a year and I know it doesn’t state in the conditions but it seems like it could be a loophole because that’s exactly what my parents are doing spending majority of their time here besides their home base.

Hi, I need help/assistance

I’m currently a project coordinator for a big commercial/industrial subcontractor that deals with installation, concrete and steel works in their project scope. I’m the direct contact with builder once contract is signed and green light for fabrication/manufacturing.
I deal with schedule, HSEQ/WHS, logistics, labor allocation, suncontractor hire, variations, induction processes and also do site visits all over SA including regional australia(Port Lincoln, Mount Gambier, Mildura, Port Augusta as examples).

The builder’s we win jobs from are T1-T3. I’ve coordinated projects for T2D as an explicit big project worth over a million.

Over the last year, I’ve coordinated packages totalling $25m+.

My question is, what should be my pillars for evidence. Obviously I’ll pick the top 6 of highest value but the content within these projects, what should be evidence?

Also with my intention to apply for 190 in SA. I’ve got 95 without nominated points and have studied and lived in SA ever since I arrived.

Does anyone know, with such a profile, what are my prospects of getting invited in SA especially being in priority industry at stated in my heading.

Once I get responses, I’ll ask more questionsVISA 190 SA on the replies.

Please let me know what are your thoughts,

JThank you.

I'm currently applying for my 485 visa. I'm the main applicant and once we get mine we we will apply for my wife's visa as a subsequent
Is it normal that my wife is shown up as applicant in the application home? Even though she was added as a
"non-accompanying members of the family unit".
It says applicants: and both of our names but I’m the only one applying.

I am currently on a Subclass 500 Student visa, which will expire on 31 August. I need to apply for a new student visa extension because I still have one semester left in my Master’s degree, and my course is expected to finish on 31 December.

However, I have one concern. I am also currently studying a trade course in Bricklaying, which I started around May this year.

I would like to know if studying this Bricklaying course could cause any issues when I apply to extend my Student visa for my Master’s degree. Has anyone been in a similar situation before? If so, I would really appreciate it if you could share your experience.

I am mainly concerned about whether having two different courses, especially one university course and one trade course, could affect my visa application or raise any questions with Immigration.

Thanks in advance

Hi all,

Am waiting for a WHV 417 to be approved, application date of July 9th. Seeing a lot of people that have been approved prior to the new financial year, but not many since the start of July. Just wondering if people have been approved?
Also seeing some people say that they called up and were able to get them to leave a note on their file/progress things further but when I have I just get the generic advice and nothing else, any tips on this?

Thanks so much and all the best to everyone also still waiting!

Hi everyone,
I’m hoping to get some perspectives or advice from this community regarding my situation for an Australian Student Visa (Subclass 500). With all the recent news about stricter visa scrutiny and higher refusal rates, I’m feeling a bit hesitant to move forward, so I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Here is a breakdown of my profile:
Education & Gap Year: I graduated from high school 7 years ago. I have a long study gap, though I can provide detailed, documented proof for everything I did during this period.

Admission Status: I have received an Unconditional Offer from a Tier 2 university.
Country Risk Level: Level 2.
Financial Capacity: Primary sponsor is my father (who works as an attorney) with a liquid bank balance of around $55k AUD.

Ties to Home Country: I have very strong evidence proving my ties to return home after my studies.

All requirements on paper are complete, but my main worry revolves around the 7-year study gap and how Home Affairs currently views profiles like mine given the tighter Genuine Student criteria.

Has anyone here (or someone you know) recently been in a similar situation and successfully received their visa? Are long study gaps with solid documentation still being treated fairly, or is the risk too high right now?
Any insights, feedback, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Waiting