Thinking of permanent residency (PR) in Australia? Great — but timelines vary wildly depending on the visa pathway you choose. Below I’ll walk you through the common routes, explain how long each generally takes (both time to first PR grant and time spent on temporary visas before eligibility), what affects those timelines, and practical tips to shorten waiting where possible.
Note: “PR granted” means you are given permanent residency. “Eligibility delay” means you must hold a temporary visa for X years before you become eligible to apply for PR.
Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) — Direct permanent visa: Application processing: months (commonly 6–14 months, median varies). PR is granted when visa is approved.
Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) — Direct permanent visa: Processing similar to 189; PR granted on approval.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491 / 494) → Subclass 191 (Skilled Regional PR): Must live/work in regional Australia for ~3 years on provisional visa before applying for PR; processing of PR application adds months.
Employer-sponsored TSS / Temporary (Subclass 482) → Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186): Common pathway: hold 482 for ~2 years (TRT stream), then employer nominates for 186 → PR (processing months). Time-to-PR ≈ 2 years + processing.
Regional Employer-Sponsored (Subclass 494) → PR (Subclass 191): ~3 years regional conditional period then PR pathway.
Partner visas (onshore 820 → 801; offshore 309 → 100): Two-stage — temporary partner visa first, then permanent. Processing for partner temporary visa often ~8–21 months, and permanent stage can take 6–16+ months after that (varies widely). Total time often 1.5–3+ years.
Parent visas (various subclasses): Can take many years — non-contributory parent visas have had waits of a decade or more; reports show waiting times up to decades (e.g., up to 31 years reported for some parent visa streams). Notoriously slow/backlogged.
What they are: Points-tested skilled visas that lead directly to PR when granted. No temporary stage if your visa is approved.
How long to PR: You become a permanent resident on grant — so the key delay is processing time from when you lodge a complete application. The Dept of Home Affairs publishes median processing times and a processing-times tool (updated monthly); medians vary by month and occupation, but recent median values for the permanent skilled category have been reported in the range of several months to about a year.
Practical note: If you already have an onshore temporary visa while waiting, you may be able to live/work in Australia during processing (subject to conditions).
What they are: Provisional regional visas (491 family-sponsored / 494 employer-sponsored) require you to live and work in a regional area for a set period (typically 3 years) before applying for the permanent regional visa (191). The 191 visa grants PR upon approval.
How long to PR: At least ~3 years of lawful regional residence/work, plus the time it takes to lodge and process the 191 PR application (months). So typical time-to-PR ≈ 3 years + processing.
What they are: The Temporary Skill Shortage (482) visa is a common temporary route; many holders transition to PR via the Employer Nomination Scheme (186) under the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream after working for the nominating employer for a required period. Recent practice commonly expects ~2 years on an eligible temporary sponsored visa to meet TRT requirements (this can vary by stream and reforms).
How long to PR: If you meet the TRT requirement, expect ~2 years (on 482) + processing time for the 186 application. If you are eligible for the Direct Entry stream, processing times can vary (sometimes longer because of skills assessments).
What they are: Two-stage partner pathway: temporary partner visa, then permanent partner visa after relationship criteria are re-assessed.
How long to PR: The temporary stage (820 or 309) is often processed in many months to 2 years depending on circumstances; the permanent stage (801 or 100) is assessed later and can add several more months. Typical total: 1.5–3+ years, but complex cases (character checks, incomplete evidence) can be longer.
What they are: Parent visa categories include contributory and non-contributory streams; caps and queues vary.
How long to PR: Often extremely long for non-contributory parent visas — media and reporting have documented waits measured in years to decades (e.g., reporting of up to 31 years for some streams). Contributory parent visas cost much more but move faster (though still can be years). If you’re a parent visa applicant, expect very long waits unless you choose a contributory option.
Visa type — permanent direct visas are fastest to PR on grant; provisional visas require a waiting/conditional period (2–3 years).
Completeness & accuracy of your application — missing documents or health/character issues add delays. The Department emphasizes lodging a complete application.
Processing backlogs & government priorities — intake caps, program changes, or surges in lodgements can change median processing times month-to-month. The Dept updates medians monthly.
External factors — policy reform, public health checks, security checks, or large backlogs (e.g., parent visa backlog) can dramatically increase waits.
A skilled worker with a successful Subclass 189 application: once the Dept grants the visa after their process (say 8–12 months for many cases recently), they’re PR immediately.
A 482 visa holder nominated by employer for 186 (TRT) after two years: timeline ≈ 2 years on 482, then months for 186 processing — total ~2–2.5 years to PR if everything goes smoothly.
A family applying for a Parent (non-contributory) visa: could be many years to decades in the queue unless they choose a contributory parent visa (which shortens waiting but raises cost). Recent reporting flagged extremely long waits and tragic outcomes for applicants who waited many years.
Pick the right stream for your circumstances. If you qualify for a direct permanent skilled visa (189/190), that’s the fastest way to get PR on grant. If you’re tied to an employer, check options under 186 or regional nomination schemes.
Lodge a complete application (medicals, police checks, correct supporting evidence). The Dept’s guidance stresses completeness to avoid delays.
Consider regional pathways if you’re willing to live/work in regional Australia — they offer additional nomination points and structured routes to PR (but typically require 3 years in region first).
If family is the priority (parents), understand the queue and strongly consider contributory options or temporary visitor visas to bridge separation, while noting the limitations and cost.
Use a registered migration agent for complex cases — they can help avoid procedural errors that cause long delays.
Always confirm current medians and specific visa processing pages on the Department of Home Affairs site — they publish a monthly processing-times guide and individual visa pages explaining required steps and indicative times. (This post used those pages as primary sources.)
If you want PR fastest overall: aim for a direct permanent visa (e.g., 189/190) when eligible — you become PR as soon as the visa is granted (the waiting is the application processing time).
If you need to build work experience or employer ties: employer- and regional-sponsored provisional visas are realistic paths but require years of qualifying work/residence before PR eligibility (commonly 2–3 years) plus processing time.
If parents are involved: be prepared for potentially very long waits for some parent visa streams; research contributory vs non-contributory options carefully.
