Freedom of Information Request FA 21/02/01000
Requested: Documents showing any advice and any directive(s) that has been communicated to Posts regarding the
general processing (i.e. non-case specific) of 309 visas in the period 01/07/2020 to present.
Response: Email sent 8 February 2021 – “Network message - Granting certain offshore family visas when applicant is
onshore” (attached).
Requested: A statistical breakdown from 01/01/2020 to current of the number of applications in calendar days to decision
for 309 visa by post
Response:
Partner (Subclass 309) visa applications average processing time for the period 01/01/2020 to 28/02/2021
75th Percentile
90th Percentile
Nairobi
21 Months
23 Months
Pretoria
23 Months
32 Months
Brasilia
14 Months
19 Months
Ottawa
12 Months
18 Months
Santiago
11 Months
13 Months
Washington
12 Months
15 Months
Processing times are not
Processing times are not
Beijing
available*
available*
Guangzhou
20 Months
23 Months
Hong Kong
13 Months
18 Months
Seoul
12 Months
14 Months
Belgrade
13 Months
15 Months
Berlin
10 Months
14 Months
London
14 Months
18 Months
Tel Aviv
9 Months
14 Months
Bangkok
16 Months
22 Months
Ho Chi Minh
City
15 Months
21 Months
Phnom Penh
20 Months
28 Months
Amman
19 Months
24 Months
Ankara
10 Months
13 Months
Beirut
13 Months
15 Months
Cairo
12 Months
19 Months
Dubai
33 Months
48 Months
Islamabad
15 Months
19 Months
National
Office
15 Months
21 Months
75th Percentile
90th Percentile
Processing times are not
Processing times are not
Sydney
available*
available*
Brisbane
20 Months
23 Months
Colombo
24 Months
33 Months
New Delhi
18 Months
20 Months
Processing times are not
Processing times are not
Dili
available*
available*
Jakarta
17 Months
23 Months
Kuala
Lumpur
18 Months
25 Months
Manila
28 Months
31 Months
Singapore
8 Months
9 Months
Suva
14 Months
19 Months
Processing times are not
Processing times are not
Melbourne
available*
available*
Processing times are not
Processing times are not
Perth
available*
available*
* Processing times are not available where less than 30 decisions have been made at a processing location during the
specified period.
Note: The Department’s standard reporting for processing times is in months rather than calendar days.
Requested: A statistical breakdown from 01/01/2020 to current by decision type (granted/rejected)
Response:
A total of 14,533 Partner (Provisional) (subclass 309) visa applications were granted during the period 1 January 2020 to
28 February 2021.
A total of 1,273 Partner (Provisional) (subclass 309) visa applications were refused during the period 1 January 2020 to
28 February 2021.
Requested: forecasting/planning for family visa subclass for the 19/20 20/21 21/22 FY
Response:
The Family stream planning levels for 2021-22 and the previous 2 years are as follows:
Visa category
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
planning level
planning level
planning level
Partner1
39,799
72,300
72,300
Parent
7,371
4,500
4,500
Other Family
562
500
500
Child2
3,350
3,000
3,000
1The planning level for Partner visas is for first stage Partner (subclasses 309 and 820) and Prospective Marriage
(subclass 300) visa grants, and does not include second stage Partner (subclasses 100 and 801) grants.
2 The Child visa program is demand driven and is managed outside of the Migration Program.
The Department of Home Affairs website provides detailed information regarding the current Family visa processing
priorities at: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/Visa-subsite/Pages/Processing-times/Family-visa-processing-priorities.aspx
This web page includes a summary of family migration visas subject to processing priority directions, compelling and
compassionate circumstances that may affect priority processing and current global processing times for Partner visa
applications.
Requested: A statistical breakdown of 309 applications on hand since 01/07/2020 by country of passport broken down into
number of applications awaiting processing at each regional processing office and how many applications are yet to be
appointed for processing. The purpose is to illustrate how applications have been distributed globally based on specific
regional processing issues
Response:
Partner (provisional) (subclass 309) applications on hand as at 30 June 2020 compared to 28 February 2021
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Angola
<5
<5
Bahrain
<5
<5
Botswana
<5
<5
Burundi
53
67
Cameroon
12
13
Canada
<5
<5
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
<5
<5
Congo, Dem Republic of The
39
42
Congo, Republic of
19
21
Cote d'Ivoire
<5
<5
Djibouti
0
<5
Eritrea
41
49
Ethiopia
222
262
France
<5
0
Gambia
5
<5
Germany, Fed Republic of
<5
<5
Ghana
121
134
Greece
<5
0
Guinea
30
31
India
9
5
Israel
0
<5
Italy
<5
<5
Kenya
87
106
Lebanon
<5
<5
Lesotho
<5
<5
Africa Region
Liberia
64
57
Lithuania
0
<5
Madagascar
8
7
Malawi
6
6
Mauritius
35
18
Mozambique
<5
<5
Namibia
5
<5
Niger
<5
0
Nigeria
185
146
Not Specified
11
28
Pakistan
<5
0
Philippines
<5
<5
Portugal
<5
0
Republic of South Sudan
110
127
Russian Federation
<5
0
Rwanda
35
38
Senegal
7
8
Sierra Leone
71
69
Somalia
75
92
South Africa
259
155
Sudan
6
6
Tanzania
20
18
Togo
<5
<5
Uganda
30
35
United Kingdom
12
6
United States of America
<5
<5
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Yemen, Republic of
<5
<5
Zambia
17
10
Zimbabwe
83
56
Africa Region Total
1717
1645
Afghanistan
<5
<5
Albania
<5
<5
American Samoa
<5
0
Antigua and Barbuda
<5
<5
Argentina
16
12
Armenia
0
<5
Bangladesh
<5
0
Belgium
<5
<5
Bermuda
<5
0
Bolivia
<5
0
Brazil
60
29
Bulgaria
<5
0
Canada
128
133
Chile
14
11
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
11
8
Colombia
50
39
Costa Rica
<5
0
Croatia
<5
<5
Cuba
5
<5
Dominican Republic
<5
<5
Ecuador
8
<5
Egypt
<5
<5
El Salvador
9
7
Eritrea
<5
<5
Ethiopia
<5
0
France
<5
<5
Germany, Fed Republic of
<5
<5
Americas Region
Greece
<5
<5
Guatemala
<5
<5
Guyana
<5
<5
Honduras
<5
<5
Hong Kong (SAR of the PRC)
5
7
Hungary
<5
<5
India
43
28
Indonesia
<5
<5
Iran
<5
0
Iraq
<5
<5
Ireland, Republic of
<5
5
Israel
<5
<5
Italy
5
<5
Jamaica
<5
<5
Japan
<5
<5
Kazakhstan
<5
<5
Korea, South
<5
<5
Kyrgyzstan
<5
0
Lebanon
<5
<5
Liberia
0
<5
Lithuania
0
<5
Malaysia
<5
<5
Mauritius
<5
0
Mexico
22
31
Morocco
<5
0
Myanmar
<5
0
Nepal
<5
<5
Netherlands, Kingdom of The
0
<5
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
New Zealand
<5
<5
Nicaragua
<5
0
Not Specified
<5
<5
Pakistan
<5
<5
Palau
<5
<5
Panama
<5
<5
Peru
17
20
Paraguay
<5
0
Philippines
6
<5
Poland
<5
<5
Romania
<5
0
Russian Federation
<5
<5
Slovakia
<5
0
Slovenia
<5
<5
South Africa
<5
<5
Spain
5
<5
Sri Lanka
<5
<5
Sudan
<5
<5
Taiwan
<5
<5
Thailand
<5
<5
Tonga
<5
0
Tunisia
<5
<5
Turkey
<5
0
Ukraine
0
<5
United Kingdom
18
22
United States of America
353
434
Venezuela
8
9
Vietnam
0
<5
Zimbabwe
<5
0
Americas Region Total
881
887
Afghanistan
<5
0
Argentina
<5
<5
Bangladesh
<5
<5
Belarus
<5
<5
Brazil
<5
<5
Canada
5
10
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
2387
2243
Congo, Republic of
<5
<5
Costa Rica
0
<5
Ethiopia
<5
<5
France
<5
6
Germany, Fed Republic of
5
<5
Ghana
<5
0
Guinea
<5
<5
East Asia Region
Hong Kong (SAR of the PRC)
671
801
Hungary
0
<5
India
0
<5
Indonesia
5
6
Iran
<5
<5
Ireland, Republic of
<5
<5
Italy
<5
<5
Japan
111
82
Jordan
<5
<5
Kenya
<5
<5
Korea, South
118
58
Latvia
<5
<5
Liberia
<5
<5
Macau (SAR of the PRC)
8
10
Malaysia
<5
<5
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Mauritius
<5
0
Mexico
<5
0
Mongolia
6
10
Morocco
<5
<5
Myanmar
0
<5
Nepal
<5
<5
Netherlands, Kingdom of The
<5
<5
New Zealand
<5
0
Nigeria
<5
<5
Not Specified
7
8
Pakistan
<5
<5
Peru
<5
<5
Philippines
24
24
Portugal
<5
<5
Republic of South Sudan
<5
<5
Russian Federation
<5
8
Singapore
8
5
South Africa
10
6
Sri Lanka
<5
<5
Sweden
<5
<5
Switzerland
0
<5
Taiwan
132
140
Thailand
<5
<5
Tunisia
<5
<5
Uganda
<5
0
Ukraine
<5
<5
United Kingdom
53
74
United States of America
22
30
Vietnam
9
8
Yemen, Republic of
<5
<5
Zambia
<5
0
East Asia Region Total
3645
3586
Afghanistan
48
46
Albania
35
28
Antigua and Barbuda
0
<5
Algeria
<5
0
Argentina
<5
<5
Armenia
6
8
Austria
7
5
Bangladesh
<5
<5
Belarus
5
<5
Belgium
23
17
Bolivia
<5
0
Bosnia and Herzegovina
22
18
Brazil
9
6
Bulgaria
5
5
Europe Region
Burkina Faso
<5
0
Cameroon
<5
<5
Canada
7
6
Chile
0
<5
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
113
11
Colombia
<5
<5
Congo, Dem Republic of The
<5
<5
Croatia
11
6
Cuba
0
<5
Czechia
8
5
Denmark
12
6
Egypt
9
6
Eritrea
8
9
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Estonia
9
8
Ethiopia
<5
<5
Fiji
<5
<5
Finland
14
7
France
83
63
Gambia
<5
0
Georgia
<5
<5
Germany, Fed Republic of
69
53
Ghana
<5
0
Greece
12
15
Guatemala
<5
<5
Guinea
<5
<5
Guyana
<5
0
Hong Kong (SAR of the PRC)
<5
<5
Hungary
6
5
Iceland
<5
0
India
13
14
Indonesia
<5
<5
Iran
8
<5
Iraq
7
<5
Ireland, Republic of
79
54
Israel
16
7
Italy
47
40
Japan
0
<5
Jordan
<5
6
Kazakhstan
10
12
Kenya
<5
<5
Korea, South
<5
0
Kosovo
6
<5
Kyrgyzstan
<5
<5
Latvia
<5
<5
Lebanon
<5
<5
Lithuania
6
<5
Luxembourg
0
<5
Malawi
0
<5
Malaysia
<5
<5
Malta
<5
<5
Mauritius
<5
5
Mexico
6
<5
Moldova
0
<5
Montenegro
<5
<5
Morocco
5
<5
Namibia
0
<5
Nepal
<5
<5
Netherlands, Kingdom of The
29
22
New Zealand
<5
0
Nigeria
6
10
Norfolk Island
0
<5
North Macedonia
78
45
Norway
9
7
Not Specified
11
10
Pakistan
11
<5
Palestinian Authority
9
<5
Peru
<5
<5
Philippines
<5
<5
Poland
26
22
Portugal
11
9
Romania
15
12
Russian Federation
62
64
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Samoa
0
<5
Senegal
<5
<5
Serbia
55
23
Sierra Leone
<5
<5
Singapore
0
<5
Slovakia
6
0
Slovenia
<5
<5
Somalia
<5
<5
South Africa
17
87
Spain
24
27
Sri Lanka
14
7
Sudan
<5
<5
Sweden
33
17
Switzerland
14
8
Syrian Arab Republic
10
10
Taiwan
<5
<5
Thailand
<5
<5
Tunisia
<5
0
Turkey
<5
6
Ukraine
29
30
United Arab Emirates
<5
0
United Kingdom
906
700
United States of America
25
13
Uzbekistan
12
19
Vatican City State Holy See
<5
0
Venezuela
0
<5
Vietnam
34
<5
Zambia
0
5
Zimbabwe
<5
15
Europe Region Total
2257
1745
Bangladesh
0
51
Brazil
<5
0
Brunei Darussalam
0
<5
Cambodia
421
337
Canada
<5
<5
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
5
<5
El Salvador
0
<5
Estonia
<5
0
Finland
<5
0
France
<5
0
Gambia
0
<5
Germany, Fed Republic of
0
<5
Guinea
<5
0
India
<5
235
Mekong Region
Indonesia
<5
<5
Iran
<5
<5
Ireland, Republic of
<5
<5
Jordan
0
<5
Korea, South
<5
0
Lao Peoples Dem Republic
16
8
Malaysia
<5
<5
Myanmar
92
57
Nepal
0
34
Netherlands, Kingdom of The
0
<5
New Zealand
0
<5
Not Specified
14
15
Nigeria
<5
0
Pakistan
12
625
Philippines
9
279
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Portugal
<5
<5
Russian Federation
<5
<5
Solomon Islands
<5
<5
Switzerland
<5
0
Thailand
577
384
United Kingdom
9
6
United States of America
<5
<5
Vietnam
1587
629
Mekong Region Total
2771
2682
Afghanistan
6743
6368
Albania
<5
0
Algeria
9
9
Antigua and Barbuda
<5
<5
Armenia
<5
5
Azerbaijan
0
<5
Bahrain
0
<5
Bangladesh
6
8
Belarus
<5
<5
Brazil
<5
6
Bulgaria
<5
<5
Canada
7
11
Chad
<5
0
Chile
0
<5
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
<5
9
Colombia
<5
<5
Congo, Republic of
<5
0
Cyprus
<5
<5
Denmark
0
<5
Djibouti
<5
<5
Ecuador
<5
0
Egypt
109
149
Eritrea
31
35
Ethiopia
14
16
Middle East Region
France
<5
<5
Germany, Fed Republic of
0
<5
Guinea
<5
<5
Hong Kong (SAR of the PRC)
0
<5
India
39
53
Indonesia
5
5
Iran
278
322
Iraq
315
343
Ireland, Republic of
<5
<5
Italy
<5
<5
Japan
<5
<5
Jordan
72
97
Kazakhstan
<5
Kenya
<5
<5
Kosovo
0
<5
Kuwait
12
11
Kyrgyzstan
0
<5
Lebanon
461
626
Libya
<5
5
Lithuania
<5
<5
Malaysia
<5
<5
Malta
0
<5
Mexico
<5
<5
Moldova
<5
0
Montenegro
<5
0
Morocco
33
43
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Nepal
<5
<5
Netherlands, Kingdom of The
<5
<5
Nigeria
5
7
Not Specified
166
151
Oman
<5
0
Pakistan
1701
822
Palestinian Authority
18
14
Philippines
34
36
Portugal
<5
0
Qatar
<5
0
Republic of South Sudan
28
32
Romania
<5
<5
Russian Federation
<5
<5
Saudi Arabia
6
7
Senegal
0
<5
Serbia
<5
0
Slovakia
0
<5
Somalia
6
6
South Africa
11
12
Spain
0
<5
Sri Lanka
11
13
Sudan
80
100
Syrian Arab Republic
117
125
Tajikistan
0
<5
Tanzania
0
<5
Thailand
<5
8
Tunisia
13
17
Turkey
87
71
Turkmenistan
<5
<5
Uganda
<5
<5
Ukraine
<5
<5
United Arab Emirates
6
5
United Kingdom
29
39
United States of America
<5
7
Venezuela
0
<5
Vietnam
0
<5
Yemen, Republic of
15
15
Zimbabwe
<5
<5
Middle East Region Total
10534
9679
Afghanistan
47
32
Bangladesh
421
289
Bhutan
<5
<5
Canada
<5
0
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
0
<5
Ghana
<5
0
India
2770
2308
Japan
0
<5
Kenya
<5
<5
South Asia Region
Korea, South
0
<5
Maldives
<5
<5
Myanmar
68
29
Nepal
391
237
Not Specified
28
74
Oman
<5
<5
Philippines
<5
<5
Poland
<5
<5
Portugal
<5
<5
Russian Federation
<5
<5
Singapore
<5
<5
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
South Africa
<5
<5
Sri Lanka
647
675
United Kingdom
<5
<5
United States of America
<5
<5
Yemen, Republic of
<5
<5
South Asia Region Total
4395
3667
Afghanistan
31
35
Algeria
<5
0
Austria
<5
<5
Bangladesh
<5
<5
Belgium
<5
0
Brazil
<5
<5
Brunei Darussalam
<5
0
Burundi
<5
0
Canada
<5
<5
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
18
10
Cuba
<5
<5
Denmark
<5
0
Egypt
<5
0
Eritrea
0
<5
Ethiopia
<5
<5
France
<5
5
Germany, Fed Republic of
<5
<5
Hong Kong (SAR of the PRC)
5
<5
Hungary
<5
<5
India
19
13
Indonesia
253
272
Iran
<5
<5
Iraq
<5
<5
Ireland, Republic of
<5
<5
Italy
<5
0
Japan
10
10
South East Asia Region
Korea, South
<5
<5
Lebanon
<5
0
Malaysia
180
143
Mexico
<5
<5
Mongolia
0
<5
Myanmar
19
8
Netherlands, Kingdom of The
<5
<5
New Zealand
<5
<5
Nigeria
<5
<5
Not Specified
13
20
Norway
<5
0
Pakistan
8
<5
Palestinian Authority
5
<5
Philippines
1372
1082
Portugal
<5
0
Republic of South Sudan
0
<5
Russian Federation
<5
6
Rwanda
0
<5
Sierra Leone
<5
<5
Singapore
57
38
Somalia
26
26
South Africa
<5
<5
Sri Lanka
<5
<5
Sudan
<5
0
Sweden
<5
<5
Switzerland
<5
<5
Taiwan
<5
<5
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Thailand
<5
<5
Timor-Leste
<5
<5
Turkey
<5
<5
Ukraine
<5
<5
United Kingdom
16
9
United States of America
8
12
Uzbekistan
<5
<5
Vanuatu
0
<5
Vietnam
<5
<5
Yemen, Republic of
0
<5
South East Asia Region Total
2109
1751
American Samoa
0
<5
Bangladesh
<5
<5
Belgium
0
<5
Brazil
<5
<5
Bulgaria
<5
0
Cambodia
<5
<5
Canada
5
<5
Chile
<5
<5
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
<5
<5
Fiji
131
120
France
6
<5
Germany, Fed Republic of
<5
0
Ghana
<5
<5
India
16
13
Indonesia
5
0
Iran
<5
<5
Ireland, Republic of
<5
<5
Israel
<5
<5
Italy
<5
<5
Japan
<5
<5
Korea, South
<5
<5
Lebanon
<5
<5
Mongolia
0
<5
South Pacific Region
Netherlands, Kingdom of The
<5
0
New Caledonia
<5
<5
New Zealand
12
11
Nigeria
<5
<5
Pakistan
0
<5
Papua New Guinea
35
28
Philippines
12
11
Romania
<5
<5
Russian Federations
<5
0
Samoa
17
11
Singapore
0
<5
Solomon Islands
<5
5
Somalia
<5
<5
South Africa
<5
<5
Sri Lanka
<5
<5
Sweden
<5
0
Thailand
<5
0
Tonga
39
46
United Kingdom
21
13
United States of America
6
<5
Uruguay
<5
0
Vanuatu
<5
<5
Vietnam
<5
<5
Zimbabwe
<5
0
South Pacific Region Total
362
305
Processing Region
Citizenship Country of applicant
30/06/2020 28/02/2021
Offshore offices total
28671
25947
Afghanistan
9
10
Canada
<5
<5
China, Peoples Republic of (excl
SARs)
91
22
Colombia
<5
<5
Congo, Dem Republic of The
<5
0
Denmark
<5
<5
Egypt
<5
0
Ethiopia
<5
<5
Fiji
<5
0
Finland
<5
0
France
0
<5
Germany, Fed Republic of
<5
<5
Ghana
<5
<5
Greece
<5
0
Hong Kong (SAR of the PRC)
<5
0
India
<5
7
Indonesia
15
5
Iran
<5
0
Iraq
128
128
Ireland, Republic of
<5
<5
Japan
<5
<5
Lebanon
11
<5
Onshore offices
Malaysia
<5
<5
Myanmar
<5
<5
Nigeria
0
<5
North Macedonia
<5
<5
Not Specified
21
14
Pakistan
<5
<5
Papua New Guinea
<5
<5
Peru
<5
<5
Philippines
54
16
Samoa
<5
<5
South Africa
<5
<5
Spain
<5
<5
Sri Lanka
9
5
Syrian Arab Republic
<5
0
Thailand
33
22
Tonga
<5
<5
Turkey
<5
<5
Ukraine
<5
<5
United Kingdom
8
5
United States of America
<5
<5
Vietnam
11
11
Zimbabwe
<5
<5
Onshore Offices Total
442
290
Grand Total
29113
26237
Departmental systems are unable to report on the number of visa applications allocated to a visa decision maker for
assessment.
