This is specifically meant for those who are waiting on Australian tourist visa grants. I write this because I’ve had about 5 emails this morning already from people who are waiting on tourist visa applications lodged in Manila to be finalised, asking:
- If I’ve heard anything about their application
- Is this a sign that there is something wrong with their application
- Is this a normal length of time, and are other applications taking as long, and
- Is there any way I can find out when theirs will be finalised
I just checked the grant processing times for tourist visas over the last month:
- Quickest was 21 days
- Slowest was 32 days*
- Average of 26.77 days
*EDIT 3/09/2015: Out of the tourist visa grants received in May 2015, the slowest was 32 days. This does NOT include the grants which were still outstanding, and had therefore taken longer than 32 days. And this is not a guide for you to refer to. Please do not email and say “I read on your website that they never take longer than 32 days”. They DO take longer than 32 days all the time.
The “Global Standard” for tourist visa processing is one month. If we try to follow your application up by email, we will receive a template response which will include the following”
To ensure timely processing of your visa application, we request that all clients keep correspondence to essential case enquiries only. The Immigration and Visa Office in Manila does not respond to general requests about the status of a visa application if the visa application is still within average visa processing times. For all other enquiries, we will endeavour to respond within three working days.
And just as we had said in a BLOG post (HERE) about trying to hurry up partner visa applications, tourist visas are the same. Everyone is in a hurry, and everyone has plans or is trying to make plans. They won’t put yours ahead of anyone elses, and it’s not reasonable to ask them. If yours is really unreasonably delayed? Yes, please ask us and we will follow it up. But please don’t ask us if it’s around a month.
We at Down Under Visa DO understand your anxiety. We really do. And we are also in the fortunate position where we see the visa grants coming through, and we know from experience that refusals are rare when applications are sound to begin with. So please continue to be patient, and you will hear from us very soon.
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Applied online from Australia for my girlfriend form the Philippines to visit. Lodged 02/09 and it is 08/10 and still no response. For a developed country like Australia the response time is very disappointing and frustrating. Good luck all!