New rules for international student visa processing from November 2025
Australia is introducing new ministerial direction to balance international student numbers across providers. This affects how student visas are processed and prioritised.
Official source ↗The Australian Government has introduced a new ministerial direction (Ministerial Direction 115) effective from 14 November 2025 to manage the distribution of international students across Australia's education providers. This replaces the previous direction and is part of the Government's effort to keep international education sustainable and high-quality. Throughout 2025, the number of student visa applications has dropped significantly - lodgements are down over 26% and commencements are down 16% compared to last year. The new direction means visa processing resources will be allocated more fairly across all education providers. Providers who enrol students in line with their allocated places under the National Planning Level will receive higher processing priority for their student visa applications. The direction also aims to better support smaller vocational education and training providers. Home Affairs will hold information sessions with education providers in November and December to explain how the new rules work. If you're applying for or holding a student visa, monitor your provider's communications about how this may affect processing times.