Students applying for an Australian Student visa in 2026 may wait anywhere from one to 12 weeks for assessment to begin, depending on where they apply from, when they lodge and the processing status of their education provider.
For offshore applicants, Ministerial Direction 115 places applications into Priority 1, 2 or 3. The system affects processing order—not whether a visa is approved—and is particularly important for university and vocational students preparing for upcoming Australian intakes.
Which processing rules apply to you?
Applications lodged inside Australia are generally assessed by lodgement date. Offshore applications follow one of two Ministerial Directions:
- Before November 14, 2025: MD111 applies, using Priority 1 – High and Priority 2 – Standard.
- On or after November 14, 2025: MD115 applies, using Priority 1, Priority 2 and Priority 3.
Your priority is set using the circumstances that apply when you lodge. It does not determine whether Home Affairs will grant or refuse the application.
What Priority 1, 2 and 3 mean
MD115 links many higher education and Vocational Education and Training applications to the provider’s New Overseas Student Commencement allocation.
- Priority 1: The provider remains below 80% of its indicative allocation.
- Priority 2: The provider has reached 80% but remains below 115%.
- Priority 3: The provider has reached 115%, exceeding its original allocation by 15%.
Under MD111, providers below 80% of their 2025 allocation attract Priority 1. Applications connected to providers that reached 80% receive Priority 2 because MD111 has no third level.
Applicants who receive Priority 1
Certain offshore applicants receive Priority 1 without being moved into a lower queue under the standard provider thresholds. These include:
- School, non-award and short-term exchange students
- Standalone ELICOS and public TAFE students
- Postgraduate research and PhD students
- Eligible government-sponsored, Defence-sponsored and scholarship students
- Transnational education students
- Subsequent entrants applying with a child under 18
- Students in recognised pilot-training courses
- Eligible applicants from the Pacific and Timor-Leste
Recognised aviation programs include diplomas leading to a Commercial Pilot Licence for aeroplanes or helicopters, Instrument Rating or Flight Instructor qualification.
The regional category covers eligible passport holders and residents from the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Subsequent entrants whose application does not include a minor are generally assigned Priority 2.
When will assessment begin?
Home Affairs aims to commence processing within:
- Priority 1: One to four weeks after lodgement
- Priority 2: Five to eight weeks after lodgement
- Priority 3: Nine to 12 weeks after lodgement
These are targets for starting assessment, not guaranteed decision times. They are based on 2025 lodgements and available resources and may change during busy periods.
A case can take longer because of application volumes, missing evidence, integrity checks or outstanding identity, health, character and security requirements. The visa processing time guide reflects recently decided applications and is not a personal forecast.
How to check your provider’s status
Higher education and dual-sector students can check the government’s Visa Prioritisation Status information. VET students should ask their provider whether it has crossed the 80% or 115% threshold.
Record the provider’s status on the day you lodge because that is the status used to determine your priority. Students organising their timeline can also review this guide to Australia’s MD115 rules and application preparation.
Read More:
Which provider counts in a course package?
When a student has multiple Confirmations of Enrolment, the provider attached to the main CoE usually determines the priority. This is normally the final course rather than the first English or pathway program.
For example, if a package contains ELICOS, a diploma and a bachelor’s degree, the university delivering the bachelor’s degree normally sets the priority.
Under MD115, applications lodged from November 15 to December 31 use the main provider’s progress against the following year’s allocation. An application lodged on November 18, 2026, therefore uses the provider’s 2027 position.
Priority 3 is not a refusal signal
The allocation system organises the queue; it is not a cap on visa grants or international enrolments. The Department of Home Affairs processing guidance confirms that Ministerial Directions do not set approval or refusal criteria.
Applicants must still meet the usual Subclass 500 requirements, including the Genuine Student test and applicable enrolment, financial, English, insurance, identity, health and character conditions.
Students should lodge complete documents early, monitor ImmiAccount and respond quickly to requests. They should also account for the latest Australian visa fee changes affecting students and avoid non-refundable travel bookings until the visa is granted.
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