With the holiday season almost here, as usual we have put together the closure dates for the Department of Home Affairs, the state nominating bodies, and the skills assessment authorities, so you can plan ahead.
On a side note, I will be on leave from 20 December to 4 January and back on 5 January. Of course, you are still welcome to send through any questions and I will do my best to reply when I can!
Department of Home Affairs
The official announcement only confirms public holidays, but expect a noticeable drop in staffing during this period.
At the moment the Department is still processing as normal, including:
191 / 491 / 190 / 482 / 186 / 143 and related visas. The parent migration team has confirmed it will close from 25 December to 1 January — no parent migration visa processing or grants during that window. A special note for applicants on the 103 / 143 pathway who have received the second-instalment contribution invoice and need to be offshore for the grant: if you depart during the Christmas period, the Department will not be able to grant the visa, and you will have to wait until 2 January next year for the decision (see Image 2).
From this week onwards, visa processing will slow noticeably. This usually lasts 2-3 weeks, and we hope normal processing speed will resume in January.
State nominating bodies
New South Wales
Closed: 24 December 2025 – 9 January 2026
Reopens: Monday 12 January 2026
No applications will be processed during the closure.
Victoria
On leave from 22 December to 9 January, with slower responses throughout.
Western Australia
Closed: 25 December 2025
Reopens: 2 January 2026 at 8:30 am (WST)
No assessments or invitations will be issued during the closure — everything is held over and processed once they reopen.
ACT (Canberra)
Closed: 24 December 2025 at 4:00 pm
Reopens: 5 January 2026 at 8:30 am
South Australia
On leave from 12 noon on 24 December, resuming normal operations at 9:00 am on 2 January. You can continue to lodge ROI or formal nomination documents during this period.
Tasmania
Closed: 12:00 noon, 24 December 2025
Reopens: 2 January 2026
You can continue to lodge ROI and formal nomination applications, but no processing will occur and no nomination invitations will be issued during the closure.
Queensland
On leave from 25 December to 1 January. If you have a pre-invitation for formal nomination and your documents or visa are due to expire, you will need to secure the formal nomination before 5 January, so please act as soon as possible.
On 15 December, Queensland issued a small round of invitations — these pre-invitations allow you to lodge nomination documents on or before 9 January.
Northern Territory
Holiday dates not yet announced.
New Zealand (Image 6)
For reference, Immigration New Zealand’s holiday period runs from 25 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. Processing will be slower throughout, returning to normal on 5 January.
Skills assessment authority closure dates — see Images 3-5
As the year draws to a close, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope that in the new year, you all land your grants smoothly and reach the finish line soon!
