Syrian refugee intake could take 18 months

It could take the immigration department another year or 18 months to resettle a special intake of 12,000 refugees from Syria.

So far 575 visas have been granted under that program.

A Senate estimates hearing on Thursday night was told 1168 Syrians have been resettled under both the 12,000 intake and the regular humanitarian resettlement program as of Tuesday.

Immigration department official Peter Vardos could not provide a breakdown on how many have come under the special intake.

As of February, only 26 had arrived in Australia.