How long does the subclass 403 visa take? (November 2026)

Reviewed by a registered migration agent · MARN 1795282
Updated 2 November 2026

As at 2 November 2026, Home Affairs reports that 75% of MATES scheme — Temporary Work visa (Subclass 403, MATES stream) applications (Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) stream) were finalised within 3 months, and 90% within 3 months. In September 2026 the 75% figure was 4 months. The 403 has 5 streams with different times, listed below. These are official global processing times for applications decided in the previous month, not a promise for any individual case.

Subclass 403 processing times by stream

Stream	75% of applications	90% of applications	75% in September 2026
Government Agreement	28 days	41 days	29 days
Foreign Government Agency	85 days	4 months	85 days
Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular)	41 days	3 months	57 days
Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme	18 days	29 days	18 days
Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES)	3 months	3 months	4 months

What to expect when you apply for the subclass 403

How the application moves

For the MATES stream, selection in the annual ballot comes first; only selected registrants can lodge, within the period set in the notification of selection.
The visa application is then checked against the stream criteria (age, qualification from an eligible institution, graduation date, English), followed by health and character.

What most often slows a 403 application

Qualification documents that do not clearly show the institution, field of study and graduation date required by the stream.
Health and character checks for family members added to the application.

What to have ready before lodging

Degree certificate and transcript, passport, PAN card, English test result and police certificates ready before the ballot result so you can lodge immediately if selected.

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 403 visa take to process in November 2026?

Home Affairs reports that 75% of MATES scheme — Temporary Work visa (subclass 403) applications in the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) stream were finalised within 3 months and 90% within 3 months, as at 2 November 2026. Other streams differ; see the table on this page.

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 403 visa be processed faster?

There is no paid priority service for the 403. 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 avoiding avoidable requests for further information.

Related visas: processing times and costs

Source: Department of Home Affairs — global visa processing times, as at 2 November 2026. Cost: subclass 403 visa fees. Eligibility and steps: MATES Visa (403) for Indian Graduates: 2026 Guide. General information only, not migration advice.