The 190 visa 12-month processing time analysis
Due to the length of my post, I will divide it into several parts within the same post, with the sequence number written at the start of each subpost, so everyone can follow easily.
Also, since I have already got my 190 visa granted, I will become less active on this forum and SVG WhatsApp groups, but I may still contributed from time to time.
(Part I)
Before I start writing anything, let me emphasize something again: the processing times on the DOHA webpages are only proxies for visa processing time trend, but they do not directly indicate your likely waiting time.
Why? Because the DOHA webpage processing time is calculated based on the distance between the dates of grant of visas approved or refused during that month (or whatever calculation window) and their respective lodgement dates, meaning, for example, if DOHA is, for whatever reason, allocating more resources processing much older or much newer cohorts, then the processing times may look deceptively fast or slow.
Now let me start defining three concepts.
Concept 1: the lower 12-month processing percentage, also known as the 10/12-month processing percentage.
It calculates by dividing the remaining backlog number of the month at the end of the previous calendar month next year by the number of lodgement of the month.
For example, it divides the backlog number of the August 2022 cohort at the end of July 2023 by the lodgement number of the August 2022 cohort.
If a person lodged on the last day of August 2022 and was granted on the first day of July 2023, then it took him or her 10 full months to be granted.
If a person lodged on the first day of August 2022 and was granted on the last day of July 2023, then it took him or her 12 full months to be granted.
Hence, it is called the lower 12-month processing percentage, because it offers a tight-window definition, and also called the 10/12-month processing percentage, because all these grants take between 10 and 12 full months.
Concept 2: the standard 12-month processing percentage, also known as the 11/13-month processing percentage.
It calculates by dividing the remaining backlog number of the month at the end of the same calendar month next year by the number of lodgement of the month.
For example, it divides the backlog number of the August 2022 cohort at the end of August 2023 by the lodgement number of the August 2022 cohort.
If a person lodged on the last day of August 2022 and was granted on the first day of August 2023, then it took him or her 11 full months to be granted.
If a person lodged on the first day of August 2022 and was granted on the last day of August 2023, then it took him or her 13 full months to be granted.
Hence, it is called the standard 12-month processing percentage, because it offers a standard-window definition, and also called the 11/13-month processing percentage, because all these grants take between 11 and 13 full months.
Concept 3: the upper 12-month processing percentage, also known as the 12/14-month processing percentage.
It calculates by dividing the remaining backlog number of the month at the end of the next calendar month next year by the number of lodgement of the month.
For example, it divides the backlog number of the August 2022 cohort at the end of September 2023 by the lodgement number of the August 2022 cohort.
If a person lodged on the last day of August 2022 and was granted on the first day of September 2023, then it took him or her 12 full months to be granted.
If a person lodged on the first day of August 2022 and was granted on the last day of September 2023, then it took him or her 14 full months to be granted.
Hence, it is called the upper 12-month processing percentage, because it offers a loose-window definition, and also called the 12/14-month processing percentage, because all these grants take between 12 and 14 full months.
TLDR: I think it is almost certain that over 65% of those who lodged their 190 visas between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 will be processed within 12 months, and anywhere between 70% and 90% is possible.