Australian Government is all set to introduce a new directive on the visa processing for international students. The new directive will take effect from November 14, 2025 and is expected to increase the processing time of Australia study visa for international students. Here is a quick look at the directive and what it entails.
From November 14, the Ministerial Directive 115 will replace the Ministerial Directive 111. Under the new directive, the visa processing time will be tiered and classified into three categories. The three tier priority system will be based on the provider’s indicative allocations as per the assigned targets.
What is Directive 115 for Australian Study Visa
The new directive will classify the applications based on the provider or university. This classification will link the allocation of the institute to the processing time of the new visa applications. These will be divided into three tiers
Priority 1 – providers which are under 80% of their allocation. For these, the visa processing time will be within one to four weeks of application.
Priority 2 – this is for the providers which are between 80% to 115% of their allocation. Under this, the visa application processing time is expected to be between five to eight weeks.
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Priority 3 – providers with over 115% of allocation. At the lowest priority level will be institutes who are over and above 15% of their allocated target of new overseas student commencements (NOSC). Processing time for all such applications is expected to be between nine to twelve weeks or about 3 months.
The government has moved with the directive to ensure a more equitable allocation of resources to all educational providers. It also expects the move to largely help the vocational providers.
Why the new directive?
The move was in line with the government’s intent of capping international students and bringing enrolments to a sustainable level. Under the same, the government has allotted a set target to various universities.
While some of the universities exceeded the targets, there were many who were lagging behind.
The tiered priority system is expected to facilitate new overseas student commencements for such institutions. Julian Hill – the assistant minister for international education issued a statement on November 10. He notes, “Throughout 2025 we have seen the positive effect of a managed growth approach across the sector – returning student numbers to a more sustainable level.”
“Growth has moderated, with student lodgements down by over 26% last year and commencements down on last year by 16%,” he adds.
How does it impact International Students applying for Australian Student Visa?
The directive can substantially increase or lower the visa processing time for international students. While the list of providers and the priority level allocated to them is not known, it can be suggested that the more popular universities’ visa processing might increase.
The new time frame is up to three months for the universities that have already exceeded their target by around 15%. The other universities, especially the institutions offering vocational courses, that are not able to complete their target are expected to get an advantage by better visa processing. Students are hence advised to apply for their visas at the earliest.
Also, the indicative time frame shared with the consulate will also provide students with a clearer understanding of where their university stands on the NOSCs. A priority three – for instance, might indicate a higher chance of rejection due to filled cap.