You got invited to apply — what happens in the 60 days after invitation

When you receive an invitation to apply for a skilled visa through SkillSelect, you have 60 days to lodge a complete visa application. Miss that window and the invitation lapses — you return to the pool and wait for another round. This guide walks you through each stage of the 60-day period so you know what to prepare, in what order, and where the common delays happen.

What the 60-day invitation window means

SkillSelect is the Australian Government's online system for managing expressions of interest (EOIs) and issuing invitations for the points-tested skilled visas — subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), 190 (Skilled Nominated), and 491 (Skilled Work Regional). When the Department of Home Affairs runs an invitation round and selects your EOI, it sends you an invitation to apply. From that moment, the 60-day clock starts.

The 60 days is a hard deadline. The online lodgement portal will not accept your application after day 60, regardless of your circumstances. Partial or incomplete applications lodged before the deadline do not meet the requirement — the application must be formally submitted (and the visa application charge paid) within the window.

If you're still weighing your visa options, What happens after you submit an EOI in SkillSelect: 2026 guide explains the earlier stages before an invitation arrives.

How the 60-day window works in practice

The 60 days sounds generous. In practice, it evaporates quickly because most of the work happens before lodgement, not during it.

Week 1–2: confirm your identity documents and skills assessment

Your skills assessment must already be positive and in-scope before you can lodge. Check the expiry date — most assessments are valid for three years from the date of issue, but this varies by assessing authority. If your assessment has lapsed or is about to, contact your assessing body immediately; re-assessment takes weeks.

Gather your primary identity documents: passport (must be valid for the duration of the application, ideally longer), birth certificate, and any name-change documents (marriage certificate, deed poll).

Week 2–3: English language results

Check whether your English language test results are still valid. IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, and Cambridge C1 Advanced results are typically valid for three years. If your results have expired, you will need to sit the test again — which is unlikely to be possible within 60 days, so this must be resolved before you receive an invitation.

Week 3–4: gather employment and qualification evidence

For each job you claimed points for, you need supporting evidence: reference letters on company letterhead, payslips, tax records, employment contracts. References must confirm your job title, duties, hours per week, and period of employment. Gaps or vague references are a common cause of requests for further information (RFIs) that stall applications for months after lodgement.

For qualifications, you need certified copies of your degree or trade certificate, academic transcripts, and, where relevant, a translation by a NAATI-accredited translator.

Week 4–5: health examinations

Health examinations are arranged through a panel physician approved by the Department of Home Affairs. You cannot choose any doctor — it must be a listed panel physician. Appointments can book out one to two weeks in advance, so schedule early. All applicants, and any family members included in the application, must complete health checks. Results are typically submitted electronically by the physician directly to the Department.

Children and partners included on the application must also have health checks completed, even if they are not migrating immediately.

Week 5–6: police clearances

You need police clearances from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years (after age 16). Australian Federal Police (AFP) checks can be ordered online and typically arrive within a few days. Overseas police clearances vary dramatically — some countries take two to four weeks, others can take months. Order these as early as possible, ideally before you even receive an invitation.

You can check current occupation rankings and invitation trends on the Migrant Hub dashboard to gauge how competitive your occupation is and plan ahead before your invitation arrives.

Week 6–7: compile and review the application

ImMiAccount is the Department's online portal for lodging visa applications. Upload each document, attach it to the correct applicant, and double-check that every field is answered. Common errors at this stage: attaching documents to the wrong family member, leaving employment history gaps unexplained, and uploading low-resolution scans that the case officer cannot read.

If you have a registered migration agent (MARA-registered), this is when their review is most valuable — a fresh set of eyes on a complete application catches issues before lodgement.

Week 7–8: pay the visa application charge and lodge

The visa application charge (VAC) must be paid at the time of lodgement. The amount varies by visa subclass and the number of applicants included. Check the current fee schedule on the Department of Home Affairs website before this step, as fees are updated periodically.

Once lodged, you receive a Transaction Reference Number (TRN). Keep this — it is how you track your application.

Who this applies to and edge cases

The 60-day rule applies to invitations issued through SkillSelect for the 189, 190, and 491 visa subclasses. Other visa pathways have different frameworks:

• Employer-sponsored visas like the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) do not use SkillSelect or the 60-day invitation window — nominations and applications follow a separate employer-driven process.
• Some family visas, including the New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship Visa (Subclass 461), are lodged directly without an invitation mechanism.

What if you cannot lodge in time? There is no formal extension process for the 60-day window. If you miss it, you must re-submit your EOI and wait to be re-invited. Whether your points score and state nomination (if applicable) remain valid depends on your individual circumstances — check with Home Affairs or a migration agent before assuming anything.

Nomination validity for 190 and 491. State and territory nominations have their own validity periods, which are separate from the 60-day application window. Confirm with the nominating state or territory that your nomination will still be active on your intended lodgement date.

Family members added after invitation. If a new family member joins your application (for example, a baby born after invitation), the Department has specific guidance on how to include them. Do not add them without reading the relevant instructions — there are timing rules that affect health and character requirements.

For a broader look at how the three main skilled visa pathways compare, 189 vs 190 vs 491: which skilled visa should you apply for in 2026? covers the key differences in one place.

If your specific situation involves unusual employment history, criminal records, or complex family circumstances, consider speaking to a MARA-registered agent before lodging.

Common questions

Can I get an extension on the 60-day invitation window?

No. The Department of Home Affairs does not grant extensions to the 60-day window. If you do not lodge a complete application — including paying the visa application charge — within 60 days of receiving your invitation, the invitation lapses and you must re-submit your EOI and wait for a new invitation round.

Do I need all documents ready before I receive an invitation?

Yes, ideally. Health checks, police clearances, and employment evidence all take time to obtain. Many applicants start preparing these documents while their EOI is in the pool, before any invitation arrives. This is the safest approach, because 60 days is tight once you account for appointments, overseas clearances, and document reviews.

What happens after I lodge the application within the 60 days?

Your application enters the Department of Home Affairs' processing queue. You will receive a TRN confirming receipt. Processing times vary significantly by visa subclass, occupation, and application complexity. The Department may issue a request for further information (RFI) if documents are unclear or incomplete, which can add weeks or months to processing.

Does lodging the application early in the 60-day window help processing speed?

Lodgement date has some relevance for processing queue position, but the more important factor is the completeness and clarity of your application. A complete, well-documented application lodged on day 50 will generally process faster than an incomplete application lodged on day 1 that triggers an RFI.

Do secondary applicants (partner, children) need to be included at lodgement?

Family members you wish to include on your visa must generally be declared at lodgement, even if they are not migrating immediately. They will need to meet health, character, and other requirements. Failing to declare a family member can complicate or delay the application. Check the specific requirements for your visa subclass on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Where to go next

Track how your occupation is performing in current invitation rounds and see points cutoff trends on the Migrant Hub occupation rankings dashboard.