REFUGEES & PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY

Updated Nov 2025 with latest data available.

Bridging Visa E (BVE)

at 30 Sept 2025

6,774

Asylum seekers on a current BVE living in the community. They cannot apply for protection because they came by boat on or after 19 July 2013. Of them, 43% are in Victoria, 37% are in NSW, and 10% in Queensland. Around 530 are children (around 250 in Victoria, 140 in NSW).

1,354

People living in the community have expired BVEs that have not yet been renewed. When a person’s visa expires their work and Medicare rights are suspended.

Source: Department of Home Affairs.

The ‘Legacy Caseload’ and TPV

at Nov 2025

32,666

People seeking asylum in Australia from the ‘UMA Legacy Caseload'. Of whom 3,241 are awaiting a decision on a protection application.

23,324

People in the legacy caseload have secured a TPV/SHEV or Resolution of Status (RoS) visa.

4,286

People in the legacy caseload are without a visa (expired, cancelled or refused).

3,763

People have secured non-protection visas, left Australia or have died.

Source: Department of Home Affairs.

Permanent Protection Visas (onshore)

At 30 Nov 2025

2,001

people in Australia were granted permanent protection visas from 01 July to 30 Nov 2025. In the 24-25 financial year a total of 4,045 people were granted permanent protection visas onshore.

9,732

People in Australia applied for permanent protection from 01 July to 30 Nov 2025. A total of 23,576 onshore protection applications were made in the 24-25 financial year. The top nationalities of applicants in the current financial year are from India (1,431), China (1,146), Indonesia (726), Phillippines (453) and Pakistan (434).

8,823

People in Australia were refused permanent protection from 01 July to 30 Nov 2025. The total number refused in the 24-25 year was 24,924.

Source: Department of Home Affairs.

26,018

People in Australia are awaiting a decision on their refugee claim (37,093 four years ago).

102,660

People in Australia have been refused a permanent protection visa, but have not yet departed (52,032 four years ago). This figure includes people who are awaiting a merits or judicial review of their case.

Source: Department of Home Affairs

16,750

Offshore humanitarian visas were issued in the 23-24 financial year. A total of 84,913 applications were lodged, around 64% from people under the age of 30. No data has been published for the 24-25 year.

Source: Department of Home Affairs

Vulnerable Women and Children

981

People were granted visas under the vulnerable women and children program in 2024-25. That figure was 2,159 in 2023-24.

Source: Department of Home Affairs.

Community Support Program

1,513

People were granted visas under the Community Support Program in 23-24, whereby organisations or individuals sponsor the refugee. 55% were people who originate from Afghanistan.

Administrative Review Tribunal

8,077

New protection appeals lodged at ART from 1July to 31 Dec 2025. In that time 11,205 were finalised and 39,624 were on hand. For the 24-25 year, 13,291 protection appeals were lodged, 11,972 were finalised and 42,759 were on hand.

Source: Administrative Review Tribunal.

Administrative Appeals Tribunal

12,278

New protection cases lodged at the AAT in the 23 - 24 year. At 30 June 2024, AAT had a total of 40,581 protection appeals on hand. It was disbanded in 2024.

Source: Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Note: The new tribunal (Administrative Review Tribunal) commenced operations on 14 October 2024, meaning a significant period between the conclusion of one tribunal and commencement of the other.

Source: Administrative Review Tribunal

177

The average number of weeks the ART currently taking to finalise a protection appeal. 9% of protection appeals are currently resulting in the original decision being overturned.

Source: Administrative Review Tribunal

Statistics are updated regularly. Request an asylum statistic: info@asyluminsight.com.