Last updated: 22 May 2026. Primary source: Study Australia — Ministerial Direction 115, published 20 November 2025 · DHA — MD115 legislative instrument · DHA Visa Prioritisation Status.
Since 14 November 2025, every offshore student visa application lodged for Australia is processed under Ministerial Direction 115 (MD115). If you applied before that date, your application runs under the previous direction (MD111). If you applied on or after 14 November 2025 — which covers almost everyone applying now — MD115 governs how quickly your application moves.
Scope: offshore applications only. MD115 applies exclusively to Student visa applications lodged from outside Australia. If you are already in Australia and applying onshore, MD115 does not govern your application — onshore applications follow a separate processing queue and are not subject to the NPL priority system. See the Who MD115 does not apply to section below.
MD115 replaces MD111. The core change: your visa processing priority is no longer based primarily on your own application quality. It is now based on how your education provider is tracking against their government-issued enrolment allocation.
The National Planning Level (NPL)
At the centre of MD115 is the National Planning Level (NPL) — the government's cap on how many new international students Australia takes in. For 2026, the NPL is set at 295,000 New Overseas Student Commencements (NOSCs) — 25,000 places higher than the 2025 allocation.
Source: Study Australia — MD115 explainer.
Every active education provider receives an indicative allocation — their share of that 295,000. No active provider receives a 2026 allocation smaller than their 2025 allocation.
Your visa processing speed depends on where your provider sits relative to their allocation.
The three processing priorities
MD115 defines three priority tiers. These apply to offshore applications only.
| Priority | When it applies | Typical processing speed (offshore) |
|---|---|---|
| Priority 1 | Provider is within or below their NOSC allocation | Fastest — typically 4 to 6 weeks |
| Priority 2 | Provider is approaching or exceeding their allocation | Slower — typically 2 to 4 months |
| Priority 3 | Provider has significantly exceeded their allocation | Slowest — can extend to 6+ months |
A provider's priority tier is visible on the DHA Visa Prioritisation Status page, which is updated regularly. Check your provider's current priority status before submitting your application — it directly affects how long you wait.
Source: Edvise Hub — MD115 and provider refusal rates.
How this applies across ELICOS, VET, and Higher Education
All processing times below are offshore applications only. Onshore processing is not governed by MD115 and follows a separate queue; DHA does not publish a sector-by-sector onshore processing time breakdown.
Higher Education
Higher Education providers were the only sector to show combined (offshore + onshore) enrolment growth in January 2026 (+3% month-on-month, per Department of Education monthly data). This means many Higher Education providers have headroom in their allocations and remain at Priority 1.
Offshore processing times — Higher Education (Priority 1 provider): typically 28 days to 6 months depending on complexity, with a median of around 33 days for straightforward applications as of February 2026. Source: DHA visa processing times.
VET
Total VET commencements (offshore + onshore combined) fell 23% in January 2026 month-on-month (Department of Education). This contraction means most VET providers have significant allocation headroom — a positive sign for offshore processing priority.
Offshore processing times — VET: typically 7 to 12 months at standard processing; faster where the provider holds Priority 1 status. VET document verification is more complex than Higher Education, which accounts for the longer range.
VET providers with 100 or fewer commencements are grouped collectively under MD115, meaning small providers share Priority 1 access as a pool rather than being assessed individually.
ELICOS
Total ELICOS commencements (offshore + onshore combined) fell 37% in January 2026 month-on-month (Department of Education). Like VET, most ELICOS providers have allocation headroom — but offshore processing times for this sector are the most variable of the three.
Offshore processing times — ELICOS: typically 44 days to 14 months depending on provider and complexity. Source: DHA processing priorities.
| Sector | Offshore processing range | Data scope |
|---|---|---|
| Higher Education | 28 days – 6 months (median ~33 days at Priority 1) | Offshore only |
| VET | 7 – 12 months | Offshore only |
| ELICOS | 44 days – 14 months | Offshore only |
| Onshore (all sectors) | Not published by sector | Onshore only — separate queue |
The packaged course rule — what most students miss
Many international students apply for a packaged course — for example, an ELICOS English course followed by a VET Diploma followed by a university degree, all covered by a single visa application.
Under MD115, when you apply for a packaged course, the processing priority is determined by the main Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) — which is the final course in your package (typically the degree or highest qualification).
What this means in practice:
- If your package is ELICOS (6 months) + Bachelor of Business (3 years), your priority is set by the Bachelor of Business provider — not the ELICOS college.
- If your university is at Priority 1 but your ELICOS college is at Priority 2, your application moves at Priority 1 speed.
- The reverse is also true: a university at Priority 2 will slow down your entire package even if the ELICOS component is with a Priority 1 provider.
Action: Check the prioritisation status of every provider in your package, but pay special attention to the final/main course provider. That is the one that governs your wait time.
Source: Study Australia — MD115.
Who MD115 does not apply to
MD115 applies only to offshore applications — students applying from outside Australia. Onshore applicants are not subject to the NPL priority system.
Additionally, certain student cohorts do not count toward a provider's NOSC total and are exempt from the NPL allocation constraints. These include students transitioning from Australian secondary schools or from embedded pathway providers into a publicly-funded university.
What changed from MD111 to MD115
| Feature | MD111 | MD115 |
|---|---|---|
| Priority basis | Provider risk rating + applicant factors | Provider NPL allocation progress |
| NPL (2025) | 270,000 NOSCs | — |
| NPL (2026) | — | 295,000 NOSCs |
| Application cutoff | Before 14 Nov 2025 | 14 Nov 2025 onwards |
| Small VET providers | Individual assessment | Grouped collectively (≤100 commencements) |
How to check your provider's current priority status
- Go to DHA Visa Prioritisation Status
- Search for your provider by name or provider code
- Note their current Priority tier (1, 2, or 3)
- For packaged courses, check every provider in the package and note the tier of the final course provider
The prioritisation status page is updated as providers' NOSC counts change. A provider that is Priority 1 today may move to Priority 2 mid-year if their enrolments exceed their allocation — so check close to your planned application date.
Data sources: Study Australia — MD115, 20 November 2025 · DHA MD115 legislative instrument · DHA Visa Prioritisation Status · DHA Student Visa Processing Priorities · Department of Education Monthly Data