What "Under Review" means on Indeed
"Under Review" on Indeed means the employer has opened and viewed your application. Unlike the initial "Applied" status, "Under Review" indicates that someone on the employer's side has actively engaged with your submission — they didn't just receive it, they looked at it.
However, "looked at it" covers a wide range: a recruiter skim that takes 6 seconds, an ATS import that automatically opens the file, or a hiring manager who spent five minutes reviewing your resume. There is no way to know from the status alone.
Realistic timelines
Small companies and startups: 1–7 days. If they're interested, you'll typically hear within a week. If not, the status may stay as "Under Review" indefinitely with no further communication.
Mid-size companies: 1–3 weeks. Hiring processes are more structured but not as slow as enterprise.
Large enterprises and corporations: 2–6 weeks or more. Large companies receive hundreds of applications per role and have multi-stage internal review processes before candidates are contacted.
Government and public sector: 4–16 weeks. Government hiring is notoriously slow, with mandatory posting periods, internal approvals, and civil service processes.
"Under Review" for more than 6 weeks: In most cases, this means the role is on hold, the hiring decision is delayed, or you were deprioritised early and the status simply wasn't updated. It is not worth waiting actively for.
What to do while you wait — and when to stop waiting
While an application is "Under Review," the only productive action is to continue applying elsewhere. Do not refresh your Indeed status dashboard repeatedly — it will not change faster.
A single brief follow-up (one email or Indeed message to the employer) after 10 business days is appropriate for roles you care about. If there's no response to your follow-up within 5 business days, treat the application as closed and move on.
The most common mistake job seekers make is mentally "holding a slot" for an application that's under review — reducing effort on new applications because they feel something might be coming. At 2–3% average response rates, you need a full pipeline at all times.