Archive · 2 Dec 2025
Australia's Student Visa Backlog Hits 50,000
Australia has a big problem with student visas.
Nearly 50,000 student visa cases are waiting to be reviewed, and the people in charge say they don't have enough workers to handle all the requests.
This backlog has been growing for years, and some cases have been waiting for up to two years.
The government is trying to hire more people to help, but they are still short of the number they need.
The backlog is making it hard for students to get their visas processed on time.
Australia's Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) has a backlog of 46,590 student visa cases as of June 30, 2025.
Student visa appeals account for 38% of the ART's total caseload, with over 13,000 cases pending for one to two years.
The ART lacks sufficient resources to address the student visa backlog, according to Chief Executive Michael Hawkins.
The ART's total caseload has increased by 10% in three months, reaching 124,000 cases.
The ART aims to complete 71,045 cases by the end of the year but is currently short-staffed by 97.9 full-time equivalent roles.
- Who
- Australia's Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) and Department of Home Affairs
- What
- A backlog of 46,590 student visa cases awaiting review
- When
- As of June 30, 2025, with cases dating back up to two years
- Where
- Australia
- Why
- Due to an unprecedented surge in appeals and insufficient resources to process the caseload
- Total Student Visa Backlog
- 46,590
- Percentage of Total Caseload
- 38%
- Cases Aged 1-2 Years
- 13,000
- Total ART Caseload
- 124,000
- Migration Jurisdiction Cases
- 69,903
- Protection Jurisdiction Cases
- 40,413
- ART Staff Shortage
- 97.9 full-time equivalent roles
- New Staff Recruited by June 2026
- 64