If you have applied for Australian citizenship by conferral:
- 90% of applications are processed within 11 months
- 90% of approved applicants will have the opportunity to attend a ceremony within 8 months of approval.
If you have applied for Australian citizenship by descent, 90% of applications are processed within 4 months.
If you have applied for Evidence of Australian citizenship, 90% of applications are processed within 31 days.
| Application type | Period counted | 25% of applications are processed in: | 50% of applications are processed in: | 75% of applications are processed in: | 90% of applications are processed in: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian citizenship by conferral (general eligibility and other situations)1 | From date of application to decision2 | 4 months | 5 months | 7 months | 11 months |
| From date of approval to ceremony | 78 days | 4 months | 6 months | 8 months | |
| From date of application to ceremony | 9 months | 11 months | 14 months | 19 months | |
| Australian citizenship by descent | From date of application to decision2 | 44 days | 59 days | 87 days | 4 months |
| Evidence of Australian citizenship | From date of application to decision2 | 2 days | 5 days | 13 days | 31 days |
1 The processing times presented for the citizenship by conferral process include applications for which, in the reporting month, either:
- a decision outcome was reached, or
- person/s who were included in the application acquired Australian citizenship by conferral by attending a citizenship ceremony and making the pledge of commitment.
2 A ‘decision’ includes applications that have been approved, refused, withdrawn and those that cannot be considered (invalid).
These percentile figures are intended to provide a guide only.
Percentile reports can be interpreted as follows:
- The 25th percentile – for 24 applications out of every 100, the timeframe was less than the figure shown.
- The 50th percentile – for 49 applications out of every 100, the timeframe was less than the figure shown.
- The 75th percentile – for 74 applications out of every 100, the timeframe was less than the figure shown.
- The 90th percentile – for 89 applications out of every 100, the timeframe was less than the figure shown.
Note: if processing of your application is within the advertised processing times there is no further information that the Department can provide at this stage.
Circumstances that affect processing times
Factors that can affect the processing time of your application include:
- whether you have given us a complete application, including all the supporting documents
- how promptly you respond when we ask for more information or documents
- the time it takes to check the information you have given us
- the time it takes for information from other agencies, usually for character and national security requirements
- the impact of COVID-19 disruptions in your area. This has varied in different locations over time and, as a result, wait times for a citizenship test appointment and a citizenship ceremony vary.
