REFUGEES & PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY

Updated Nov 2025 with latest data available.

Bridging Visa E (BVE)

at 30 June 2025

6,999

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 650 are children (less than 300 in Victoria, 176 in NSW).

1,522

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 Oct 2025

32,545

People seeking asylum in Australia from the ‘UMA Legacy Caseload'. Of whom 2,638 are awaiting a decision on a protection application.

22,247

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

5,171

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

3,745

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

Source: Department of Home Affairs.

Permanent Protection Visas (onshore)

At 31 Oct 2025

1,801

people in Australia were granted permanent protection visas from 01 July to 31 Oct 2025. In the 24-25 financial year a total of 4,045 people were granted permanent protection visas onshore.

8,023

People in Australia applied for permanent protection from 01 July to 31 Oct 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 (1,207), China (942), Indonesia (603), Phillippines (366) and Pakistan (364).

7,199

People in Australia were refused permanent protection from 01 July to 31 Oct 2025. The total number refused in the 24-25 year was 24,924.

Source: Department of Home Affairs.

26,298

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

101,976

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

2,159

People were granted visas under the vulnerable women and children program in 2023-24.

*No data has been published for the 24-25 year.

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

5,653

New protection appeals lodged at ART from 1July to 31 Oct 2025. In that time 7,975 were finalised and 40,427 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

180

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.