Australia’s student visa appeal backlog surges 42% to 54,176

Australia’s student visa appeal backlog surged by 42% in 2025–26, reaching 54,176 pending cases by June 30, despite the country’s Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) more than doubling the number of reviews it completed.

The growing backlog highlights mounting pressure on the tribunal, where thousands of international students facing visa refusals are waiting for decisions, with processing times continuing to lengthen.

The latest annual report shows that pending student visa review applications have climbed sharply from 11,528 in June 2024. Although the ART increased the number of cases finalised by 135% to 13,231 in 2025–26, this remained far below the 29,346 new applications lodged during the year.

New applications declined slightly from the previous year but remained more than 1,300% above the 2022–23 level, reflecting the sustained pressure on the review system.

Waiting times continue to rise

The delays have also grown longer. The median time taken to finalise a student visa review increased to 68 weeks, up from 59 weeks a year earlier. Only about one-third of cases were completed within 12 months, leaving many applicants facing prolonged uncertainty over their immigration status and future plans.

The ART attributed the increase in completed cases to changes in case management and decision-making processes, alongside training for Tribunal members. However, it acknowledged that available resources remain insufficient to handle the volume of applications, contributing to the growing backlog and extended waiting periods.

New rules expected to speed up decisions

Legislative changes introduced in June require certain reviews of student visa refusals to be decided on the papers, without an oral hearing. The tribunal expects the changes to streamline proceedings and significantly increase the number of cases finalised in 2026–27.

Separate student visa reforms introduced earlier this month have also tightened eligibility for applying for a student visa from within Australia. While the changes do not directly limit access to the ART, they could reduce the number of student visa refusals that proceed to review.

Graduate and training visa reviews also face delays

The annual report has, for the first time, provided separate figures for graduate and training visa reviews. More than 3,300 applications were lodged in these categories during 2025–26, while nearly 5,000 cases remained pending at June 30.

The median time to finalise these reviews stood at 43 weeks, indicating that applicants in these categories are also facing lengthy waits.

The ART has identified reducing the student visa backlog as a key priority for 2026–27. Whether the new procedures can significantly narrow the gap between incoming applications and completed reviews will be crucial to easing delays for students awaiting decisions.