This page gives information about the time taken to finalise different review types at the Administrative Review Tribunal.
We aim to resolve applications as quickly, and with as little formality and expense, as we can while giving proper consideration of a matter. By law, some cases need to be finalised within a set period. If your case is one of these, we will let you know.
On this page
Processing times by case type
At the moment, we can only provide processing times for reviews related to migration and protection (refugee) decisions. We plan to share more information about how long it takes to finalise different case types when the data becomes available. Refer to Common questions for more information about other case types.
These figures do not include cases where the Tribunal found it did not have jurisdiction to review the decision. These were usually finalised more quickly than other reviews.
Of all migration reviews finalised between 1 May and 31 October 2025, half were finalised within 1 year and 3 months from the day the application was submitted (lodgement). Most (95%) were finalised within 2 years and 8 months from lodgement.
The table below outlines processing times for reviews of migration decisions by case category finalised between 1 May and 31 October 2025.
| Case category | 50% of cases finalised within | 95% of cases finalised within |
|---|---|---|
| Bridging | 10 days | 5 months |
| Family | 2 years | 3 years and 11 months |
| Nomination/Sponsor approval | 1 year and 11 months | 3 years and 1 month |
| Partner | 2 years and 5 months | 3 years and 7 months |
| Permanent business | 2 years and 3 months | 2 years and 11 months |
| Skill linked | 8 months | 2 years and 6 months |
| Student cancellation | 1 year and 2 months | 1 year and 9 months |
| Student refusal | 1 year and 3 months | 1 year and 11 months |
| Temporary work | 1 year and 7 months | 2 years and 8 months |
| Visitor | 1 year and 3 months | 1 year and 11 months |
| Other | 9 months | 1 year and 5 months |
| All migration case categories | 1 year and 3 months | 2 years and 8 months |
Note: Processing times for the character and citizenship caseloads are not included.
Of all protection (refugee) reviews finalised between 1 May and 31 October 2025, half were finalised within 3 years and 8 months from the day the application was submitted (lodgement). Most (95%) were finalised within 5 years and 7 months from lodgement.
How to interpret processing times
Using data from reviews finalised over the past 6 months, we show how long it took for:
- half (50%) of the cases in a certain caseload to be finalised
- most (95%) of the cases in a certain caseload to be finalised.
The time it takes for us to complete the review process depends on a range of factors, including:
- how many applications we receive
- how many members are available to conduct reviews
- the type of decision under review
- the strategies we have in place for dealing with different caseloads
- the complexity of the review.
Our data on processing times is based on applications that have already been finalised and is a guide only. We cannot guarantee that we will finalise any individual review of the same case category within these timeframes.
Common questions
The processing times above are based on data from reviews that have been finalised over the past 6 months and are a guide only. How long it takes to process a review depends on several factors (see How to interpret processing times) and changes over time. Some cases will be finalised faster than what is listed on this page, and some will take longer.
While most cases will be finalised in the number of months given for 95% of cases, there will be some that take longer to finalise.
We can’t guarantee that we will finalise any individual review of the same case category within these timeframes.
We plan to share more information about processing times for different case types as the data becomes available.
Our corporate plan 2025–26 outlines target processing times for several of our caseloads. We aim to finalise:
- 90% of social security cases within 6 months
- 85% of NDIS cases within 12 months
- 80% of general and other cases within 12 months.
In addition, our whole of caseload report [PDF, <1 MB] lists how many weeks it took for half (50%) of all cases on hand to be finalised for each case type (see the ‘Median time to finalise (weeks)’ column).
For the latest information about the number of cases we have on hand, visit our statistics page.
You can also find more detail about our caseloads in our annual reports, and how we allocate Tribunal resources to manage them in our caseload priority framework.