Visa delayed? What applicants tried when chasing DHA Many...

Visa delayed? What applicants tried when chasing DHA

Many skilled visa applicants wait well beyond the date they expected. When the application remains in Received or Further assessment and there is no clear update, applicants often ask what they can do besides waiting.

We reviewed SmartVisaGuide case reports and comments to see what delayed applicants actually tried. The examples below cover subclasses 189, 190 and 491.

The short answer is that applicants used several channels: DHA phone calls, written feedback and complaints, Ombudsman referrals, local MP enquiries, and state-level escalation where the delay concerned nomination rather than the visa itself.

These are community-reported case experiences. A visa grant occurring after a call, complaint or MP enquiry does not prove that the action caused the grant.

1. Call DHA and ask for the file to be noted

Some applicants called the Department of Home Affairs to:

• ask for a status update;
• explain an urgent personal or technical issue;
• check whether documents had been linked correctly;
• ask whether the file could be escalated or noted for priority consideration.

The results were mixed.

One 190 applicant called DHA after submitting an s56 response and reported receiving the grant two days later. Read the case report.

A 491 applicant had a medical HAP ID linking problem. They made multiple calls to DHA and then lodged a formal complaint. The applicant reported that the grant came later, although DHA did not provide a substantive follow-up email. Read the case report.

Another applicant said that, after submitting a Global Feedback Unit complaint, they called immigration and were told that the details had been recorded and submitted for priority consideration. They later reported receiving the grant. Read the case report.

Calling can create a record of the concern, but it does not guarantee that the application will be decided immediately.

2. Submit feedback or a formal complaint to DHA

Applicants commonly used the Home Affairs feedback or complaints process when their application had been waiting for a long time or when there was a specific problem with the file.

Some applicants submitted a second complaint when the first response did not resolve the issue. For example, one applicant reported lodging almost six feedback submissions between October 2024 and July 2025, while also responding to repeated s56 and s57 requests. The application was eventually granted after a 30-month turnaround. Read the case report.

Another 190 applicant reported lodging a DHA complaint about an application lodged in September 2024. The applicant said the complaint did not produce a useful update and then referred the matter to the Ombudsman. Read the case report.

A separate 190 applicant reported lodging a complaint, receiving a response, lodging another complaint and calling DHA. Read the case report.

What kind of response can you expect?

One applicant shared the following response from DHA after complaining about processing times:

Your application is within our published processing times. We cannot provide any updates on your application’s progress.

DHA also stated that the feedback had been referred to the relevant business area and that the case was closed. Read the full response.

This is important: a complaint may be recorded and referred internally without DHA providing a detailed progress update.

3. Refer the matter to the Ombudsman

Some applicants approached the Commonwealth Ombudsman after contacting DHA first.

One applicant said the DHA complaint had not helped and that they had raised the matter with the Ombudsman. Read the case report.

Another applicant, who was waiting on a non-priority 190 application while holding a Bridging visa C, said DHA had provided only a standard response referring them to the Ombudsman as an available option. Read the discussion.

The Ombudsman route is not an automatic way to obtain a visa grant. It is an escalation channel for concerns about administration and delays, particularly after the applicant has already tried to resolve the issue with the department.

4. Ask a local MP to enquire with DHA

A number of applicants contacted their local federal MP and asked the MP’s office to enquire about the delay.

One QLD 190 applicant first lodged a DHA complaint and later emailed a local MP asking the office to enquire with DHA. The applicant received an acknowledgement and later reported the grant. They believed that contacting the MP’s office may have helped, although the case does not establish a direct cause. Read the case report.

Another applicant reported that, after emailing a federal MP, their application started moving again and was later granted. Read the case report.

If contacting an MP, it is useful to provide a short chronology, the visa application details, copies of relevant DHA correspondence and a clear explanation of the unresolved issue.

5. Respond quickly to every s56 or s57 request

The delayed cases also show the importance of keeping the application decision-ready while waiting. Applicants reported submitting or renewing:

• medicals and remedicals;
• Australian and overseas police clearances;
• Form 80;
• employment evidence;
• identity documents;
• explanations and cover letters for unusual circumstances.

One applicant reported submitting the same police clearance again when it was requested a second time, after earlier uploading it. The applicant also provided a notarised explanation and cover letter in response to an s57 issue. Read the full timeline.

If DHA asks for a document again, re-submit it with a short note identifying when it was previously provided. Keep copies of the document, the upload receipt and the date of submission.

6. Escalate to the correct state authority when the problem is nomination

A delay before visa lodgement is different from a delay in DHA visa processing.

One applicant whose visa was about to expire first contacted the federal minister. They then identified that Migration WA operated under a separate WA department and contacted the departmental secretary and the state minister. The applicant reported that the nomination was completed the same day. Read the case report.

This was a state nomination case, not evidence that a state minister can direct DHA to grant a visa. The correct authority depends on where the application is stuck:

• state nomination or ROI: the relevant state or territory migration authority;
• lodged visa application: DHA/Home Affairs;
• administrative concern after trying DHA: Ombudsman;
• constituent assistance: local MP’s office.

7. Use FOI to understand the backlog

Applicants and community members have also used Freedom of Information requests to understand:

• how many applications remain on hand;
• which lodgement months DHA is allocating for processing;
• how many grants are being issued;
• whether onshore and offshore applications are moving differently.

FOI data can help applicants understand the broader processing pattern, but it has not been shown to accelerate an individual application.

A practical escalation sequence

For an application that appears delayed, a sensible sequence is:

1. Check ImmiAccount and the current DHA processing-priority information.
2. Confirm that all contact details and identity documents are current.
3. Keep medicals and police clearances valid where possible.
4. Respond promptly to every s56 or s57 request.
5. Call DHA if there is a specific unresolved issue or technical problem.
6. Submit written feedback or a complaint with a concise chronology.
7. If the matter remains unresolved, consider the Ombudsman or a local MP enquiry.
8. If the problem is nomination rather than visa processing, contact the state or territory authority instead.

Bottom line

The cases show applicants using every reasonable channel available: DHA calls, written complaints, Ombudsman referrals, MP enquiries and state-level escalation. The most useful approach is not simply to complain repeatedly. It is to identify a concrete unresolved issue, keep the application complete, maintain a dated paper trail and escalate to the authority responsible for that part of the process.

There is no reliable shortcut around DHA’s processing priorities, annual planning levels or case-by-case assessment. Still, a clear record and timely follow-up can help ensure that a technical problem, missing document or administrative issue does not remain unnoticed.

This article summarises SmartVisaGuide community case reports. Reported outcomes are not guarantees and do not establish that an escalation caused a particular visa grant.