Australian visa outcomes for citizens from Sierra Leone

How does the Department of Home Affairs treat visa applications from Sierra Leone? See processing times, approval rates, and how your citizenship affects your application.

Country risk score

High risk

18/ 100

Processing timeNo data

Approval rate57%

Based on 173 countries with data

How is this calculated?

What this means for your application

Approval rates are lower than for most countries.

You need strong, consistent evidence and careful preparation.

A well-prepared application can still succeed. Our tools and lawyer-backed review are designed for higher-risk countries.

Processing time

Insufficient data available for Sierra Leone to compare processing times.

Approval rate

57% of applications are granted

Global average: 92%About half as likely as the global average

How common are applications from Sierra Leone?

Low volume

Sierra Leone is a very uncommon source of Australian visa applications. Statistics may be less reliable because of the small sample size.Rank #163 of 173 countries (6th percentile)

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Processing times vary significantly based on your country of citizenship and location. Get a personalised estimate for your specific situation.

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How citizenship affects Australian visa outcomes

Why your country matters

The Department of Home Affairs treats visa applications differently based on the applicant's country of citizenship. This affects both how long your application takes to process and your likelihood of approval. Factors include the volume of applications from each country, historical compliance rates, and the complexity of verification processes.

Understanding the country score

The country score ranks your citizenship against all other nationalities based on two factors: how quickly applications are typically processed and how often they are approved. Approval rates carry more weight in the calculation since this is what matters most to applicants. The score ranges from 0-100, with higher values indicating faster processing and higher approval rates relative to other countries.

Data source

Our reports are based exclusively on official government data obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the Australian Department of Home Affairs: visa refusal rates (FOI Reference DA24/02/00115) and processing times (FOI Reference DA25/10/00449). We keep this data current by calibrating it monthly against official processing times published by the Department of Home Affairs.

What this means for citizens from Sierra Leone

With a country score of 18, applicants from Sierra Leone may face additional scrutiny and longer processing times. The approval rate for Sierra Leone is 57%, which is 38% lower than the global average.

Need help with your application?

Applicants from Sierra Leone face higher scrutiny from the Department of Home Affairs with lower approval rates and increased processing times. A well-prepared application with comprehensive supporting documentation is essential for success.Tern Visas can help you navigate the Australian visa process with expert guidance. Our team ensures your application is complete, accurate, and presents your case in the best possible light.

Compare other countries

Want to see how other nationalities are treated? Use our Country Risk tool to explore visa outcomes for any country.

Want to learn more?

For a deep dive into how country risk works, what factors the Department considers, and how nationality affects your visa journey, read our comprehensive guide to country risk.