When your application is delayed or refused: how to follow up in Australia

You have lodged an application — a visa, a Centrelink payment, a rental application, or paperwork with a government agency — and after several weeks you still have no reply. Or, worse, you receive a refusal letter without understanding why. This is a situation many people in Australia face, and knowing how to handle it properly can make a big difference.

First step: gather the information you already have

Before you contact anyone to ask, pull together:

Reference number or case number: Usually issued the moment you lodge your application. This is the number you need to quote in every communication about your case.
Date you lodged: So you can compare against the estimated processing time.
Email or letter confirming the application was received: Keep all of it.

If you received no confirmation at all after lodging, that in itself is a sign you should make contact early.

Estimated processing times

Most government agencies in Australia publish their expected processing times on their websites. For example:

The Department of Home Affairs publishes visa processing times by visa type and by country
Centrelink has standard processing times for each type of payment
State licensing authorities usually have guidance on waiting times

If your application has already exceeded the expected processing time, you have a perfectly valid reason to ask about its progress.

How to ask about progress the right way

By email

Email is a good option because it creates a written record. When you write to ask about progress, include:

Your full name
Your reference number
The date you lodged
The type of application/request
A specific question: “What stage is my application at? When can I expect a decision?”

Keep your tone polite and professional — avoid showing anger even if you are genuinely frustrated.

By phone

If you call, write down:

The date and time of the call
The name of the officer (if they give it)
What was discussed and any information they provided

Don’t forget to ask whether there is a reference number for this call — many agencies generate a separate code for each contact.

When you receive a refusal notice

Receiving a refusal decision does not mean the story is over. The first thing to do:

Request the reasons for refusal in writing. In Australia, you usually have the right to know why an application was refused. If the refusal notice does not explain clearly, contact them and ask specifically.

Read the refusal letter carefully. The letter usually contains information about:

The reasons for refusal
Your rights to complain or seek a review
The time limit for taking the next steps — this is very important and must not be ignored

Review vs. complaint: what’s the difference?

These are two different processes, and it matters that you know which one you need:

Review/reconsideration: Asking the same agency to reconsider its decision. This is usually the first step. You need to provide more information or explain why the original decision was incorrect.

Complaint: Raising a concern about how the agency handled your case — for example, unreasonable delays, incorrect information, or unprofessional conduct. A complaint does not change the decision, but it can lead to an investigation into how the agency operates.

Formal appeal: For some types of decisions (visas in particular), you can appeal to an independent body such as the Administrative Review Tribunal. This is a more complex step and usually requires legal advice.

Keep a record of your communications

This is an important habit that many people overlook:

Save all emails you send and receive
Make short notes summarising your phone calls (date, time, the name of the person you spoke to, what was said)
Keep copies of all documents you have lodged
Take screenshots or print web pages with important information (because website content can change)

These records will be very valuable if you need to escalate the matter to the Ombudsman or a tribunal.

Don’t misread it: silence does not mean approval

A common misconception is that if you hear nothing back after a long time, the application has probably been approved. This is usually not true. Silence usually only means the application is in the queue — or even that it has been lost.

If the expected processing time has passed and you still have no response, take the initiative and make contact to ask.

The escalation path, when you need it

If contacting the agency directly does not get results, the usual path is:

Contact the agency directly — by email, phone, or through their online portal
Ask to speak with a supervisor or manager
Lodge a formal complaint with the agency’s complaints area
Contact the Ombudsman — once you have been through all the steps above and the matter is still not resolved satisfactorily

The Ombudsman is the last step with a government agency, not the first. The companion article on the Ombudsman and administrative complaints in this section explains in more detail when and how to use the Ombudsman.

Getting interpreting support

If a language barrier makes it hard to communicate with an agency, you can use the phone interpreting service of TIS National (Translating and Interpreting Service) — free for contacting many Australian government agencies. Phone: 131 450.

Dealing with an application that is delayed or refused takes patience and method. Keeping careful records, contacting people politely but persistently, and knowing when to seek extra help — these are the most important tools in this situation.