The Australian Government has introduced a substantial update to student-visa case-management with the release of Ministerial Direction 115 (MD 115). The directive takes effect from 14 November 2025 and aligns processing times for Subclass 500 student visa applications with how closely each higher education or vocational training provider adheres to its “new overseas student commencements” allocation under the National Planning Level (NPL) for 2026.

Key changes under MD 115:

• Applications will now be assigned one of three processing categories:
  • Priority 1 (fast-track): For providers that have enrolled less than 80 % of their annual allocation — processing expected in 1-4 weeks.
  • Priority 2 (standard): For providers who have enrolled between 80 % and 115 % of their quota — processing expected in 5-8 weeks.
  • Priority 3 (slow): For institutions exceeding 115 % of their allocation — processing may take 9-12 weeks or longer

What this means:

• The system rewards providers who stay within or below their student-intake quotas, by offering quicker visa processing.
• Institutions that over-enrol (beyond 115 % of quota) will face slower processing times.
• While MD 115 doesn’t impose a hard cap on enrolments (institutions can still take applications beyond quota), students at higher-enrolling providers risk longer waiting times and greater likelihood of deferral.
• Certain cohorts retain fast-track (Priority 1) status regardless of provider quota performance — including school students, ELICOS, postgraduate research students, government-funded scholars, and students from Pacific Islands or Timor-Leste partner institutions.