How long does the subclass 408 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 Temporary Activity visa (Subclass 408) applications (Entertainment Activities stream) were finalised within 33 days, and 90% within 40 days. In September 2026 the 75% figure was 36 days. The 408 has 8 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 408 processing times by stream

Stream	75% of applications	90% of applications	75% in September 2026
Entertainment Activities	33 days	40 days	36 days
Research Activities	3 months	14 months	17 months
Religious Work	8 months	10 months	4 months
Special Programs	13 days	30 days	34 days
Invited for Other Social and Cultural Activity	13 days	34 days	11 days
Exchange Arrangements	41 days	50 days	41 days
Superyacht Crew	12 days	15 days	9 days
Sporting Activities	28 days	56 days	32 days

What to expect when you apply for the subclass 408

How the application moves

Most streams require an approved temporary activities sponsor; the sponsor lodges a nomination (or provides a supporting letter for some streams) and the applicant lodges the visa.
Home Affairs checks that the activity fits the stream, that any sponsor is approved, and then health and character.

What most often slows a 408 application

Sponsorship approval still pending when the visa is lodged, or an activity that does not clearly fall within the stream claimed.
Event, sporting and entertainment applications lodged close to the start date, leaving no margin for a request for information.

What to have ready before lodging

Sponsor approval and the nomination or supporting letter in hand before the visa is lodged, plus evidence of your role in the activity and the dates.

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 408 visa take to process in November 2026?

Home Affairs reports that 75% of Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) applications in the Entertainment Activities stream were finalised within 33 days and 90% within 40 days, 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 408 visa be processed faster?

There is no paid priority service for the 408. 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 408 visa fees. Eligibility and steps: 408 Visa Australia 2026: Who Qualifies, Fee & Processing Time. General information only, not migration advice.