New visa processing rules are now in place as the Federal Government looks to have more control over international student numbers.
Federal Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said following the decision of some political parties to not support legislation which would have set institution-specific international student caps, the Government would make changes to visa processing prioritisation.
Minister Burke said this would be done by replacing Ministerial Direction 107, under which current visas are processed, with a new Ministerial Direction, that takes into account the proposed caps.
He said new Ministerial Direction would prioritise student visa applications to manage international student numbers in a fairer way, giving a fairer go to regional and outer metropolitan universities and to TAFEs.
“This will prioritise the processing of visa applications for international education providers that are operating sustainably, supporting fair and reasonable access for providers looking to deliver to genuine international students.”
Minister Burke said new Ministerial Direction would come into effect from today (December 19).
A statement on the Department of Home Affairs website explained that under the new Ministerial Direction (MD111) “Priority 1 – High” processing would apply to offshore Student visa applications associated with a provider who had not yet reached 80 percent of their 2025 allocation of new overseas students.
“High will move faster through processing relative to Priority 2 – Standard. MD111 is not a cap, nor does it set the criteria to approve or refuse a student visa application,” it said.
The statement said “Priority 2 – Standard” visa processing would apply to providers who had reached their prioritisation threshold, subsequent entrants, and any other offshore Student visa application.
“This new approach creates a more even approach to visa processing across a range of different provider types and locations, including for regional and small providers.
“MD111 will continue to support the well-managed and orderly processing of visa applications that supports the education sector equitably, while achieving Government’s wider international education objectives.”
Learn more about Ministerial Direction 111.
