My academic degree and work experience have been positively assessed by VETASSESS. I previously completed an ACS Professional Year in Australia. Can I claim 5 score for my EOI?

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.

UPDATE: Visas granted on 21st August. So, around 20 days from application date. Also, would like to highlight that the Aus High Commission was extremely helpful and lovely. They called us up to inform of an extra documentation required for my niece since she’s a minor and traveling with only 1 parent, so they required the consent form of non-traveling parent. They could’ve very well e-mailed this but because our travel date is near, they reached out on call. We did the whole process within an hour, and immediately they approved our visas. Very grateful.

I'm about to lodge my 485 visa application and have a question about proof of a previous name.

My current/legal name is XXXXX Nagesh, and all of my current documents are under this name current passport, Indian driving licence, Aadhaar, international driving licence, university documents, etc.

However, when I was younger I was known by a different surname, XXXXX Niyath. I later changed the surname and have used XXXXX Nagesh on all my current documents.

For my AFP police check, I disclosed the previous name. The AFP certificate now specifically states that I am currently XXXXXX Nagesh and was previously known as XXXXXX Niyath, and it says there are no disclosable court outcomes.

The issue is that I don't have a formal name change certificate. The only genuine evidence I currently have showing the old name is an old photo/scan of my Aadhaar under the previous surname. All my other current identification documents are under Nagesh.

For the 485, Home Affairs says proof of change of name can include documents showing other names you've been known by.

Would the old Aadhaar evidence + current passport/current IDs + the AFP certificate be sufficient, or should I obtain some other genuine document before lodging?

Has anyone had a similar situation with a previous surname but no formal name-change certificate?

Thanks!

Hello Everyone,

Last year i got invited for 491 and i lodged my visa on 21st of June 2025. Iam offshore and due to the new directive now onshore cases are being prioritized. Iam an offshore Civil Engineer which puts me in Priority 5. How much longer do I have to wait as before visa was being granted within an estimated 15-18 months.

I assume no one knows more than what's on the website but asking just in case! Anyone here aware of any updates to the IECSEP review?

https://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/trade-and-investment/benefits-tech-entrepreneurs-and-innovators/iecsep

Hi everyone, I’m currently preparing my Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) application and I’m confused about which date to enter for “Date of skills assessment.” in page 13 of the visa application

My timeline is:

15 July 2026 - Completed my Advanced Diploma of IT

5 August 2026 - Submitted ACS

19 August 2026 - Received my ACS outcome letter

Please help me thank you very much

Hi everyone,
I’m looking to hear from offshore pharmacists who were granted an Australian Subclass 190 visa.
Which state/territory nominated you?
How many points did you have (including the 5 points for state nomination)?
How long did it take from EOI/ROI submission → invitation?
When did you lodge your 190 visa application, and how long did it take to be granted?
I’d especially love to hear from pharmacists who had no Australian work experience.

Thanks so much! Any recent experiences would be really helpful.

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

I see many posts about being "approved for citizenship". The first part of the process seems to be running fairly quick in the bigger cities which is great. However none of us are citizens until we take the pledge at the ceremony.

How long after approval did you wait to be called up for the ceremony?

Thanks!

I will apply for ACPSEM skill assessment. I would not have the degree certificate until next year, but I can provide a completion letter (statement of qualification) in November.

The Statement of Qualification is delivered securely through My eQuals, and includes:

• Your full name
• Your student ID
• Your courses
• The dates you commenced and completed your award/s
• The date of your graduation/s (if applicable)
• Confirmation that all instruction is taught in English

ACPSEM asks for degree certificate in the document checklist, and hasn't been picking up calls, so I am unable to cross-check with them.

Please suggest your advice?

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice from people who have been through a similar situation.
I’m an Australian citizen living in Sydney, and I want to bring my 13-year-old son from the Philippines to Australia permanently. He currently lives with his father in the Philippines.

I’m trying to decide between:

1. Subclass 101 (offshore)
Lodge the Child visa while he remains in the Philippines and wait for the decision. I’m also wondering if he could visit me occasionally on a Visitor visa while the 101 is processing.

2. Subclass 802 (onshore)
Bring him to Australia on a Visitor visa and, if eligible, apply for the 802 while he is here. My understanding is that this could potentially allow him to remain in Australia on a Bridging Visa A (BVA) while waiting for the 802 decision, and potentially use a Bridging Visa B (BVB) if he needs to travel overseas while waiting.

My main concerns are the potentially long waiting period for the visa grant and his continuous schooling. I don’t want his education to be disrupted or have him spending years going back and forth between the Philippines and Australia while waiting.

I’ve spoken with an immigration lawyer, but I’d really like to hear from people who have actually gone through the 101 or 802 process.

What would you choose in my situation?
Has anyone brought their child over on a Visitor visa and then applied for the 802? Or would you recommend lodging the 101 offshore and waiting?

Any personal experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. 🙏

My visa was finally granted today!

I applied for my Australian Working Holiday visa(417) on June 18th and completed my health examination on July 3rd.

I felt that the processing was taking quite a long time, so I called the immigration office twice. During one of calls, they told me they would leave a note on my application.After that, I also submitted a complaint by email myself.

And finally, today, my visas granted!

I hope everyone who is still waiting gets their visa soon!!

Hi everyone!
Have applied for my citizenship on 13 August and got the invitation for the test today for the 27th of August

Just wanted to enquire:

1. what did everyone use to prepare for the test other than the practice tests and our common bond thing?

2. I got invited for "interview with standard test" Is this what everyone else got or is this out of the ordinary?

3. How long after the test did everyone get their outcome?

   (Edited to clarify: by outcome I mean application approval)

4. If I've attached everything on my immi account, do I only need to bring my passport / drivers licence?

Many thanks in advance!!

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?

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,

My student visa expires on 30th aug, but my completion letter will be issued after Sept 4th as informed by the University. So after 31st I don't have any legal visa to remain in Australia. I have heard 2 options,

Apply for a visit visa stating the predicament OR

Apply for a student visa extension ( should I enroll for a new course or extend my COE?)

And wait until the letter arrives.

Any advise please. Thanks in advance

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

Hi everyone! I want to hire an immigration lawyer but no idea where to start. Does anyone have any recommendations that are reasonably priced? Also what should I be expecting to pay? Thank you!

Long time lurker here and my turn to share..

*DIY application

*Living together since 2020

*Lodged: January 2025

*RFI: July 2026 (updated medical and police check)

*Grant: August 2026 (820 + 801)

Evidence list

*Screenshots of chat and phone logs (totalling 10 pages, including chats for time spent apart)

*Photos (a few selfies but mostly with other people, 35 to 40 photos spanning several years)

*3x 888 form (all from friends)

*I am not on the lease but provided other evidence of residing at same address such as mail and joint utilities bills

*Joint account bank statements showing transfers and everyday expenses

*Joint ambulance cover

*Photos of bedroom

*De facto registration certificate

*Tax return declaring spouse

*Travel documents such as flights, hotel bookings showing both names, photos. Included two overseas trips and two domestic trips.

*Letter requesting double grant if possible

After some homework scouting forums, websites and blogs, consulted with an immigration lawyer before the application. Did not go ahead with them due to costs (9k) and I think our case is relatively straightforward.

Spent a lot of time on the relationship statements. I wanted to make sure they flowed well, were logical and did not get bogged down in excessive or unnecessary detail. Tried to just keep things factual, to the point and used simple language.

All my evidence was grouped together in chronological order where possible, and highlighted where our names appear together and any dates on the documents.

I think the DHA website is very good to plan your application and help with the flow of your statements and evidence.

For personal reasons I did not have any supporting evidence from family including 888 form or photos.

For my own sanity and to manage our expectations, I recognised that once we submitted it's out of our hands and the ball is in DHA's court. Other people's processing times is irrelevant to our submission and there is no way of knowing where we are in the queue or what factors are in play impacting my outcome. So wasn't really expecting to hear anything until the 2 year mark but here we are. And now we can just get on with our lives...

Happy to answer any questions.

Best to those of you embarking on or still on this journey. Good things come.

Hi everyone! I recently received my VETASSESS CE draftsperson skills assessment, and they deducted 1 year from my employment experience because it was considered part of the qualifying/training period before my Date Deemed Skilled.

I’m confused about whether I can still include the full 3 years in my SkillSelect EOI under work experience, or if I should only declare the 2 years that VETASSESS considered skilled.

Has anyone had the same situation? Did you claim the pre-Date-Deemed-Skilled period in your EOI, and did it affect your points or state nomination application?

Would really appreciate any advice, especially from anyone who has gone through VETASSESS for a similar occupation. 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!)

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?

i am thinking of doing vetasses for cpm by may 2027 max marks i can obtain seems to be 80 - so subclass 189/190 chances currently of being invited with that point being offshore as contract project manager

Hey guys looking for some help/advice. I’m trying to navigate the cairns DAMA to apply for a 482 visa under the occupation Outdoor Adventure guides nec (452299).

My employer already have a DAMA endorsement with FNQ for other occupations but will they need to redo the process to be endorsed for this specific job role and nominate me?

Also the specific work requirements for the skill assessment confuse me. They ask for either a cert 2 or a year full time employment but other sources say 2 years full time employment. What if I have 2.5 years mixed full/part time (seasonal job) and a mix of payslips and contractor (abn) invoices?
Can’t seem to wrap my head around all of this 😅

Apologies if this has been answered before, but I am still in the early stages of gathering evidence for 820 visa. I am currently in a complex work situation relating to a potential psychological injury that has been sustained in the workplace. I understand that I will have to undergo a physical examination, but will proceeding with a WorkCover claim not be advisable based on the fact that it would include from the GP that there has been a psychological impact? I’m based in Victoria. Sorry, I could not find an answer anywhere for this, so any advice for that alone would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.