Why Is There No Update on My 190 Visa Application in 2026?
Silence on a lodged Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190) application is the expected state, not a problem. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' "Skilled Nominated visa (Subclass 190)" page (as of the July 2026 official page), the Department does not give updates on applications within the standard processing time, and ImmiAccount is where you check whether anything is needed from you. So no news usually means your file is simply still inside normal processing. This article is general reference material rather than advice tailored to your circumstances — for your own case, rely on the current official page or professional advice.
Is silence a sign that something is wrong?
No — under the Department's stated practice, nothing is owed to you until something changes. The page says the Department will let you know when it has received your application, and that it gives no updates within the standard processing time. After that acknowledgement, the next communication generally comes because there is something concrete to say: a request for information, an invoice, or the decision itself.
Worth knowing before you worry about radio silence: the Department is explicit that it may decide an application without asking for anything further. A request for more documents is a possibility, not a step it is obliged to take.
Where would a request for more information actually show up?
In ImmiAccount, and realistically nowhere else. The page repeats that pointer for separate items:
- Additional documents — if you did not attach everything when you applied, upload it yourself as soon as you can through ImmiAccount.
- Health examinations — if you did not complete them before applying, the Department will let you know if they are needed, and tells you to check ImmiAccount.
- Biometrics — it may ask for these and will notify you if it does.
- Second instalment of the visa application charge — pay it when the invoice is sent.
One practical trap: your ImmiAccount login and password are not the same as your SkillSelect login and password, so the account you used for the EOI is not automatically the one that shows the application.
What can reach you, and by which channel?
| Event while your case is pending | How it arrives | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgement that the application was received | As the Department advises | Stated as a step after you apply |
| Request for more documents or health exams | ImmiAccount | Check ImmiAccount; attach outstanding documents promptly |
| Biometrics request | Notification from the Department | It might ask, and will tell you if it does |
| Second instalment invoice | Sent to you | Pay it when the invoice arrives |
| Decision (grant or refusal) | In writing | Grant lists visa grant number, start date and any conditions; refusal gives reasons and whether review rights apply |
Notice what is missing from that list: there is no row for "routine progress update". That absence is the answer to the question.
Am I waiting on an application, or on an invitation?
Some readers asking about "no update" are still at the Expression of Interest stage, which is a different kind of waiting. The page draws a clear line: an EOI in SkillSelect is not a visa application, there is no fee to submit it, and SkillSelect estimates your points from your own claims. Only invited applicants apply.
If you are at that earlier stage: invitations can arrive up to two years after you submit an EOI, you then have 60 calendar days to apply with no extension available, and if you do not apply after two invitations your EOI is removed from SkillSelect. The Department also states it will not process your visa application if you are 45 at the time of your invitation.
Once the application itself is lodged online in ImmiAccount, the Department will not process it until the first instalment of the visa application charge is paid — which is why checking that the payment went through (and noting your transaction reference number) is a sensible early step if you are unsure whether anything is actually under way.
What should I be doing while nothing arrives?
Treat the wait as active monitoring, not passive waiting.
- Check ImmiAccount periodically. That is the only place the official page points to for information requests, health exam requests and outstanding documents.
- Fix your own errors early. If you made a mistake on the application, complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers and attach it in ImmiAccount.
- Report changes. You need to tell the Department about changes to your phone number, email, address or passport, changes to marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, or if you want to withdraw.
- Stay lawful. When you applied, you were granted a Bridging visa A; if your current visa expires before the decision, the BVA comes into effect. Do not ask to have the visa you currently hold cancelled — if it is cancelled you stay unlawfully and the BVA ceases.
- Handle travel carefully. If you are in Australia, you do not have to notify the Department about travelling overseas, but make sure your current visa lets you return (check conditions in VEVO). If you applied outside Australia, do not arrange travel, leave your job or sell your home until you are advised in writing that the visa was granted.
Assume, too, that responding late carries real risk: because the Department may decide without requesting further documents, a gap in your evidence will not necessarily be chased up.
How does the silence end?
With a written decision, while you are either in or outside Australia (but not in immigration clearance). If granted, you receive your visa grant number, the date the visa starts, and any conditions. If refused, you are told why and whether you have a right to review the decision; the page also states the application charge is not refunded on refusal. Keep a copy of the decision.
Frequently asked questions
Will the Department email me when my 190 application moves to a new stage?
No. As stated on the official Subclass 190 page, no updates are given on applications within the standard processing time, so you should not expect stage-by-stage notifications. ImmiAccount is the place to look for anything that actually requires your action.
Should I check ImmiAccount even though I have received nothing?
Yes. The page directs applicants to ImmiAccount to see whether more information is needed, whether health examinations are required, and to attach documents they did not include at lodgement. Silence elsewhere does not tell you ImmiAccount is empty.
Can my case be decided without anyone asking me for anything?
It can. The Department states it may request more information but is not obliged to do so, and may make a decision without requesting further documents. That is why uploading documents you left out at lodgement matters.
Do I need to stay in Australia while the application is processed?
You can be in or outside Australia when the decision is made, but not in immigration clearance. If your current visa expires before the decision, your Bridging visa A comes into effect; check VEVO before travelling so you know your existing visa lets you return.
What should I do if I made a mistake in my application?
Tell the Department as soon as possible. The process given on the page is to complete Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answers and attach it to your application in ImmiAccount.
My EOI has been sitting for months — is the same rule applying to me?
The no-update rule applies to lodged applications. For EOIs, the page says an invitation can arrive up to two years after submission; after that you have 60 calendar days to apply, with no extension, and the EOI is removed after two invitations without an application.
If my visa is refused, will I get money back?
No. The page states the Department will not refund the application charge if it refuses your application. A refusal notice does set out the reasons and whether you have a right to review the decision.