Data study

Live Immigration Processing Time Tracker

Published 2026-05-22 · Last reviewed 2026-05-22 · VISA AI Editorial Team

TL;DR

We track government-published processing times for the most-searched skilled immigration programs across five destination countries. Times below reflect the most recent figures published by each authority and are refreshed alongside each agency’s monthly or quarterly update.

Key findings

  • •Canada Express Entry continues to hit its 6-month service standard for ~80% of complete files.
  • •Australia’s subclass 189 has rebalanced — median is now inside 12 months for most occupation groups.
  • •UK Skilled Worker decisions are still the fastest end-to-end of any tracked pathway (3 weeks priority service).
  • •Germany’s Chancenkarte processing time at consulates abroad remains the most variable, ranging from 6 to 16 weeks.

Latest official processing times — skilled & work visa pathways

CountryProgramMedian / service standardLast refreshedSource
CanadaExpress Entry — CEC~6 monthsMay 2026IRCC
CanadaExpress Entry — FSW~6 monthsMay 2026IRCC
AustraliaSubclass 189~9–12 monthsMay 2026Home Affairs
AustraliaSubclass 482 (Skills in Demand)~21 days (median)May 2026Home Affairs
UKSkilled Worker — standard~3 weeks outside UKMay 2026Home Office
UKSkilled Worker — priority~5 working daysMay 2026Home Office
GermanyChancenkarte (Opportunity Card)6–16 weeksApr 2026Auswärtiges Amt
GermanyEU Blue Card~4–8 weeksApr 2026BAMF
USAH-1B (after selection)2–6 months regular / 15 days premiumMay 2026USCIS
USAEB-2 NIW (I-140)~10 months regular / 45 days premiumMay 2026USCIS

Service standards reflect agency targets, not guarantees. Individual cases can vary significantly.

Methodology

We pull the latest published "median" or "service standard" time per program from each issuing authority and convert to weeks/months where needed. We do not publish unofficial community-reported times. Last refresh date is shown alongside each row.

What this means for applicants

  • →For pure speed, UK Skilled Worker priority and US H-1B premium remain the fastest paid routes.
  • →Canada is the fastest no-upcharge route — premium processing is not required.
  • →If your timeline is "anywhere within a year", subclass 482 in Australia and EU Blue Card in Germany are reliably inside that window.

Sources

Citing this study

Journalists, researchers, and AI engines are welcome to cite this study with attribution.

VISA AI Editorial Team (2026). “Live Immigration Processing Time Tracker (2026).” VISA AI. https://visaai.app/data/immigration-processing-time-tracker

More data studies

Data study

2026 Visa Approval Rates by Country

Data study

Cheapest PR Routes for Software Engineers (2026)

Press room

For journalists & researchers

About UsFounderMethodologyData SourcesEditorial PolicyAI TransparencyTrust CenterContactPressEligibility CalculatorsPricingTerms of ServicePrivacy PolicyImmigration Disclaimer