In 2025–26 the Administrative Review Tribunal received 47,976 migration review applications and finalised 23,830, leaving 80,855 cases on hand at 30 June 2026. Of the reviews finalised, 37% ended with the Department’s decision set aside, varied or remitted, 21% were affirmed (including 1,511 dismissals for non-attendance) and 31% were withdrawn by the applicant. Student visa refusals made up 60% of all lodgements. The median time to finalise a migration review was 64 weeks. All figures below are taken directly from the Tribunal’s published caseload reports and show the date they were checked.
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How to read these statistics
“Set aside” means the Tribunal varied or set aside the Department’s decision or remitted it with a direction — the applicant’s position improved. “Affirmed” means the refusal or cancellation stands; the Tribunal counts dismissals for failing to appear at a hearing inside this figure. “Withdrawn” means the applicant ended the review. “Other” mostly means the Tribunal had no jurisdiction — for example the application was late, unpaid or the decision was not reviewable. A set-aside rate is a population figure, not a probability for any individual case: outcomes depend on the criterion in dispute and the evidence available.
Migration reviews at the ART — three reporting periods
| Period | Lodged | Finalised | On hand at period end | Set aside | Affirmed | Withdrawn | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 2024 – 30 Jun 2025 (ART’s first partial year) | 34,643 | 9,634 | 56,684 | 42% | 22% | 29% | 7% |
| 1 Jul 2025 – 30 Jun 2026 (full year) | 47,976 | 23,830 | 80,855 | 37% | 21% | 31% | 11% |
| 1 Jul 2026 – 31 Aug 2026 (year to date) | 8,518 | 5,450 | 83,847 | 45% | 15% | 29% | 11% |
Source: ART Migration Detailed Caseload Statistics 2024–25, 2025–26 and 2026–27 (to 31 August 2026) (art.gov.au). Checked 26 September 2026.
The backlog grew by about 24,000 cases during 2025–26 because lodgements ran at twice the rate of finalisations. In the first two months of 2026–27 the set-aside share rose to 45%, while the on-hand total kept climbing to 83,847.
By visa group (1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026)
| Visa group | Lodged | Finalised | On hand 30 Jun 2026 | Finalised within 12 months | Median weeks to finalise | Decision changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study visas | 29,346 | 13,231 | 54,176 | 34% | 68 | 41% |
| Working, skilled and investment visas | 6,602 | 2,895 | 9,632 | 28% | 82 | 38% |
| Visitor, bridging and other visas | 5,549 | 3,743 | 5,908 | 69% | 27 | 15% |
| Graduate and training visas | 3,345 | 1,111 | 4,917 | 58% | 43 | 30% |
| Family and partner visas | 2,165 | 1,732 | 5,751 | 19% | 134 | 54% |
| Character and citizenship | 969 | 1,118 | 471 | 82% | 12 | 36% |
| All migration | 47,976 | 23,830 | 80,855 | 41% | 64 | 37% |
Source: ART Caseload Report 2025–26 (whole of Tribunal) (art.gov.au). Checked 26 September 2026.
Family and partner reviews take longest (median 134 weeks) but have the highest rate of changed decisions (54%). Visitor, bridging and other visas are decided fastest (27 weeks) but only 15% of decisions are changed — largely because more than half of visitor-visa applications fall outside the Tribunal’s jurisdiction. Character matters are prioritised: 82% are finalised within 12 months, median 12 weeks.
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By visa subclass (1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026)
| Review type | Lodged | Finalised | Set aside | Affirmed | Withdrawn | Other | On hand 30 Jun 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 500 Student — refusal | 28,705 | 12,172 | 41% | 20% (959 dismissed) | 37% | 2% | 53,463 |
| Subclass 500 Student — cancellation | 595 | 980 | 39% | 48% (107 dismissed) | 8% | 5% | 652 |
| Subclass 600 Visitor — refusal | 3,214 | 2,920 | 15% | 5% | 25% | 55% | 3,429 |
| Subclass 820 Partner (onshore) — refusal | 596 | 720 | 61% | 20% | 17% | 3% | 2,386 |
| Subclass 309 Partner (offshore) — refusal | 336 | 314 | 65% | 20% | 11% | 4% | 881 |
| Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage — refusal | 156 | 72 | 58% | 13% | 18% | 11% | 254 |
| Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage — refusal | 2,706 | 919 | 44% | 12% | 36% | 8% | 3,503 |
| Subclass 186 Employer Nomination — refusal | 196 | 138 | 38% | 29% | 31% | 1% | 349 |
| Employer nomination refusal (sponsor/nomination list) | 2,438 | 1,121 | 38% | 18% | 41% | 3% | 3,647 |
| Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate — refusal | 1,853 | 733 | 42% | 20% | 34% | 4% | 3,091 |
| Subclass 407 Training — refusal | 1,459 | 351 | 6% | 4% | 53% | 37% | 1,803 |
| Section 501 cancellation/refusal — expedited | 189 | 199 | 52% | 38% | 4% | 6% | 36 |
| Section 501CA cancellation not revoked — expedited | 289 | 340 | 34% | 60% | 2% | 4% | 87 |
Source: ART 2025–26 Migration Detailed Caseload Statistics (art.gov.au). Checked 26 September 2026.
What stands out
- Student visa refusals dominate: 28,705 lodged, 53,463 waiting at year end. Of 12,172 finalised, 41% were set aside, 20% affirmed and 37% withdrawn — and 959 were dismissed because the applicant did not attend the hearing.
- Partner visa refusals have the highest set-aside rates of any large caseload: 61% for onshore subclass 820 and 65% for offshore subclass 309, typically because relationship evidence is completed by the time of the hearing.
- Visitor visa refusals: only 15% set aside, and 55% ended as “other” — most commonly because offshore applicants had no review right. Checking the review right before paying the fee matters more here than anywhere else.
- Employer-sponsored: subclass 482 refusals were set aside in 44% of finalised reviews and nomination refusals in 38%, with roughly a third withdrawn.
- Training visa 407 refusals were set aside in only 6% of cases; 53% were withdrawn and 37% fell outside jurisdiction.
- Character (section 501): expedited cancellation/refusal reviews were set aside in 52% of cases, but where a mandatory cancellation was not revoked (s501CA) only 34% were set aside and 60% affirmed.
Latest snapshot: 1 July – 31 August 2026
| Review type | Lodged | Finalised | Set aside | Affirmed | Withdrawn | On hand 31 Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 500 Student — refusal | 2,846 | 2,912 | 47% | 14% | 37% | 53,357 |
| Subclass 820 Partner — refusal | 305 | 146 | 75% | 16% | 6% | 2,550 |
| Subclass 600 Visitor — refusal | 335 | 465 | 11% | 5% | 18% | 3,269 |
| Subclass 482 — refusal | 250 | 220 | 45% | 21% | 28% | 3,530 |
| Subclass 485 — refusal | 223 | 431 | 84% | 6% | 9% | 2,882 |
| All migration | 8,518 | 5,450 | 45% | 15% | 29% | 83,847 |
Source: ART Migration Detailed Caseload Statistics 2026–27 (to 31 August 2026) (art.gov.au). Checked 26 September 2026.
Fees, time limits and current processing times
The application fee for most migration reviews is $3,727; half of all migration reviews finalised in the latest published window were decided within 1 year 5 months. Time limits are printed on the decision letter and cannot be extended by the Tribunal.
| Case category | 50% finalised within | 95% finalised within |
|---|---|---|
| All migration categories | 1 year 5 months | 2 years 9 months |
| Student visa refusal | 1 year 5 months | 2 years 2 months |
| Student visa cancellation | 1 year 1 month | 1 year 7 months |
| Partner visa | 3 years 2 months | 3 years 11 months |
| Visitor visa | 1 year | 2 years 3 months |
| Nomination / sponsor approval | 1 year 6 months | 2 years 4 months |
| Temporary work visa | 1 year 6 months | 2 years 10 months |
| Bridging visa | 11 days | 1 year 1 month |
| Protection (refugee) visa | 2 years 1 month | 4 years 11 months |
Tribunal-published processing times for reviews finalised 1 March – 31 August 2026, measured from lodgement. Source: art.gov.au/about-us/accountability-and-reporting/processing-times. Checked 25 September 2026. Verify before relying on it.
Full tables of fees, deadlines and definitions are on the knowledge hub; the process itself is explained in the ART review guide and the visa refusal appeal guide.
Notes on the data
- Figures are reproduced from reports published by the Administrative Review Tribunal (Commonwealth of Australia). The Tribunal notes that figures may vary slightly between reports and because of AAT-to-ART transition arrangements.
- 2024–25 covers only 14 October 2024 (the ART’s first day) to 30 June 2025.
- Percentages are of finalisations in the period, not of lodgements.
- This page is updated when the Tribunal publishes a new caseload report; the check date is shown under each table.
Every one of these cases started with a letter and a deadline. If yours arrived this week, the first 15-minute call is free.
Check your appeal options · Call 1300 770 585 (first 15-minute call is free).
Sources
- ART — Statistics (caseload reports)
- Migration Detailed Caseload Statistics 2025–26 (PDF)
- Migration Detailed Caseload Statistics 2026–27, to 31 August 2026 (PDF)
- ART Migration Caseload 2024–25, 14 Oct 2024 – 30 Jun 2025 (PDF)
- ART Caseload Report 2025–26, whole of Tribunal (PDF)
- ART — Processing times
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