Processing times · Subclass 191
How long does the subclass 191 visa take? (November 2026)
Reviewed by a registered migration agent ·
MARN 1795282
Updated
As at 2 November 2026, Home Affairs reports that 75% of Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (Subclass 191) applications (Regional Provisional Visa stream) were finalised within 8 months, and 90% within 11 months. In September 2026 the 75% figure was 9 months. These are official global processing times for applications decided in the previous month, not a promise for any individual case.
Subclass 191 processing times by stream
| Stream | 75% of applications | 90% of applications | 75% in September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional Provisional Visa | 8 months | 11 months | 9 months |
What to expect when you apply for the subclass 191
How the application moves
- You lodge once you have held the 491 or 494 for at least three years and can show the income requirement with Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for three of those years.
- Home Affairs checks compliance with the regional visa's conditions (living, working and studying in a designated regional area) and the income evidence, then health and character where needed.
What most often slows a 191 application
- Notices of assessment that are missing a year, or income that falls short of the required amount in one of the three years.
- Evidence of regional residence that is incomplete, for example rental agreements or employer letters that do not cover the whole period.
What to have ready before lodging
- All three ATO notices of assessment, and tenancy, utility and employment records that place you in a regional area for the entire provisional period.
What the 75% and 90% figures mean
Home Affairs publishes the time within which it finalised 75% and 90% of the applications decided in the previous month. Three in four applicants got a decision faster than the 75% figure; one in ten waited longer than the 90% figure, almost always because the application was incomplete, needed health or character follow-up, or sat outside the current processing priorities. The figures move every month, which is why we keep a history on the processing-times tracker.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the 191 visa take to process in November 2026?
Home Affairs reports that 75% of Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) applications in the Regional Provisional Visa stream were finalised within 8 months and 90% within 11 months, as at 2 November 2026.
What do the 75% and 90% figures mean?
They are the times within which Home Affairs finalised 75% and 90% of the applications it decided in the previous month. Three in four applications were decided faster than the 75% figure; one in ten took longer than the 90% figure, usually because the application was incomplete or needed extra checks.
Can a 191 visa be processed faster?
There is no paid priority service for the 191. The things that reliably shorten processing are lodging a complete, decision-ready application (identity, health, character and every eligibility document attached at lodgement), responding to any request for information quickly, and falling within the priority sectors set by the current ministerial direction.
Related visas: processing times and costs
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491): processing times · fees
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 494): processing times · fees
- Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190): processing times · fees
- Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189): processing times · fees
Source: Department of Home Affairs — global visa processing times, as at 2 November 2026. Cost: subclass 191 visa fees. Eligibility and steps: 191 Visa: PR After a 491 or 494 (Tax Records, Fee, Timing). General information only, not migration advice.