It comes after a number of main examine locations discovered themselves coping with crippling visa delays in 2022, when numbers surged because the world step by step emerged from the pandemic.

The advance, in keeping with a spokesperson from the division of residence affairs, was achieved via a $48.1m allocation of funds over 12 months from the nation’s funds and a collection of different strikes to assist repair the visa delays.

“Virtually 600 new employees [were] recruited between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, and are actually supporting non permanent and migration visa processing,” the spokesperson advised The PIE Information.

“Processing on-hand visa functions is a authorities precedence. In most cases, the division of residence affairs has diminished the time it takes to finalise visa functions.

“These actions have already diminished the variety of pupil visa functions on-hand and improved pupil visa processing occasions,” the spokesperson continued.

In a LinkedIn publish, Austrade lauded the information for worldwide college students, reiterating that the processing time had been knocked right down to 16 days.

Responding to The PIE, the house affairs division mentioned that the median determine was even decrease, at 13 days.

Regardless of the encouraging figures, the division did warn that it was not a sign for college kids to change into complacent about making use of for visas.

“Processing occasions are impacted by circumstances which can be complicated, modifications to the amount of functions and modifications to Ministerial Instructions.​

“The division recommends that pupil visa candidates positioned exterior Australia apply for his or her visa at the least eight weeks earlier than their course begins,” the spokesperson mentioned.

“Processing on-hand visa functions is a authorities precedence”

Research Gold Coast, one of many main regional centres for attracting worldwide college students to Australia, advised The PIE that backlogs have “been cleared” and processing occasions are actually “consistent with expectations”.

“This isn’t being raised by our members as a present situation,” the spokesperson confirmed.