Student Visa Processing Priority (MD115): 2027 Allocations Apply from 15 November 2026
Updated 5 November 2026 (AEDT) · Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Department of Education
Student visa (Subclass 500) applications lodged outside Australia are processed at Priority 1, 2 or 3 under Ministerial Direction 115 (MD115). School students, standalone ELICOS, TAFE, postgraduate research and several other categories are always Priority 1. Other higher education and VET applications depend on how much of its annual allocation the main provider has used: below 80% is Priority 1, 80% or more is Priority 2, and 115% or more is Priority 3.
From 15 November each year, applications are prioritised against the provider’s allocation for the following year. Offshore applications lodged between 15 November 2026 and 14 November 2027 are assessed against the provider’s 2027 progress. Priority affects only when processing starts, not whether the visa is granted or refused. Before lodgement, Newstars checks the main provider’s priority level, plans the lodgement date and prepares a complete application.
Free assessment: when to lodge offshore, and at which priority
Leave your intended provider, course and start date, and Newstars will give you a free initial assessment.
What are the offshore student visa processing priority levels?
Home Affairs processes offshore applications in order of the priority level set on the day of lodgement. Priority 1 is usually processed before Priority 2, and Priority 2 before Priority 3; the level has no bearing on whether the visa is granted or refused.
Priority 1
Applications in the exempt categories, and higher education and VET applications where the main provider has not yet reached 80% of its annual allocation. Home Affairs aims to start processing within 1 to 4 weeks of lodgement.
Priority 2
Applications where the main provider has reached 80% but not 115% of its allocation, and subsequent entrant applications that do not include a minor. The aim is to start processing within 5 to 8 weeks.
Priority 3
Applications where the main provider has reached 115% of its allocation. The aim is to start processing within 9 to 12 weeks.
The allocation is the indicative number of new overseas student commencements that the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations set for each provider each year; the national total is 295,000 for both 2026 and 2027. Small VET providers with an allocation of 100 or fewer are pooled and share one priority level. An allocation is not a visa cap: once a provider reaches 80% or 115%, Home Affairs continues to process and grant visas for its students, at a lower priority.
Which students are always Priority 1?
The following categories are processed at Priority 1 regardless of the provider’s allocation when the student visa is lodged offshore:
- School students
- Non-award students, including short-term exchange students
- Standalone ELICOS students
- TAFE students, including VET courses at Charles Darwin University
- Students in a recognised pilot training course (four aviation diplomas)
- Students in a postgraduate research course, such as a PhD
- Students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Defence or the Commonwealth
- Foreign government, Australian Government and state or territory government scholarship students
- Students from the Pacific and Timor-Leste
- Transnational education students
- Subsequent entrant applications made by a minor, or that include a minor
Source: Ministerial Direction 115, sections 6, 8(1)(b) and 8(4).
At the course selection stage, Newstars first checks whether an applicant falls into an exempt category; if not, the intended providers’ allocation progress becomes part of the course comparison.
Lodging after 15 November: which year’s allocation applies?
The following year’s. Under MD115, each prioritisation period starts on 15 November and ends on 14 November the next year.
| Offshore lodgement date | Provider allocation year used for priority |
| 15 November 2025 to 14 November 2026 | 2026 |
| 15 November 2026 to 14 November 2027 | 2027 |
| 15 November 2027 to 14 November 2028 | 2028 |
Source: Ministerial Direction 115, section 7(2); Home Affairs, Student visa processing priorities (updated 5 November 2026).
For example, a student starting a bachelor degree in February 2027 who lodges offshore on 18 November 2026 is prioritised against the university’s 2027 allocation progress, not its 2026 progress.
The same provider can sit at different levels either side of 14 November. Department of Education data as at 30 October 2026 shows five public universities at Priority 2 under their 2026 allocations: The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, The University of New South Wales, Monash University and Edith Cowan University. From 15 November the 2027 progress applies, so these providers’ levels need to be checked again against the updated list. Newstars checks the level for the allocation year that matches each applicant’s lodgement date before setting the lodgement date.
Source: Department of Education, Visa Prioritisation Status (PRISMS data as at 30 October 2026, updated weekly).
How do I check my main provider’s current priority level?
For public universities, TAFE institutes and other higher education providers, check the Department of Education’s Visa Prioritisation Status list, which is updated weekly. The status of other VET providers is not published; ask the provider whether it has reached 80% or 115%.
For a package of courses (for example ELICOS followed by a bachelor degree), priority is set by the main course, usually the final course in the package. The provider’s status on the day of lodgement is what counts, and Home Affairs advises applicants to note the provider’s status on that day.
On the day of lodgement, Newstars checks and records the main provider’s priority level, and for packaged courses first confirms which course on the CoE is the main course.
How long does each priority level take to start processing?
Figures are current as at the build date. Source: Home Affairs, Student visa processing priorities (updated 5 November 2026); the ranges are based on 2025 lodgements and resources and can change.
1 to 4 weeks for Priority 1, 5 to 8 weeks for Priority 2 and 9 to 12 weeks for Priority 3 are Home Affairs’ target times to start processing after lodgement, not decision times. The ranges are based on 2025 lodgements and processing resources and can change, particularly when lodgements rise and in peak periods.
Actual processing time also depends on volumes, integrity checks, whether the application is complete, and the identity, character and health requirements. MD115 states that applications with integrity concerns may take longer even at Priority 1. Before lodgement, Newstars prepares the Genuine Student (GS) statement, financial, academic, English, health and insurance documents in full, to reduce requests for further information after lodgement.
Starting in February 2027: what to watch when lodging now
Confirm the main provider on your CoE
Priority follows the main provider, not the first course. Once an offer is accepted, check the CoE to confirm which provider and course is the main one.
Check the level for the year that matches your lodgement date
Applications lodged on or before 14 November 2026 use the provider’s 2026 progress; applications lodged from 15 November use the 2027 progress.
Allow extra time at Priority 2 or 3
The Department of Education advises applicants whose main provider is at Priority 2 or Priority 3 to allow extra time for the visa to be processed. For a February start, lodge earlier.
Onshore applications follow a different order
For student visas lodged inside Australia, Home Affairs aims to assess applications in order of lodgement date. MD115 applies only to applications lodged outside Australia.
How Newstars helps with offshore student visa applications
Newstars builds processing priority into the plan from course selection onward: checking whether the applicant is in an exempt category, checking the main provider’s level for the allocation year that matches the lodgement date, sequencing the offer, CoE and visa lodgement, reviewing financial, academic, English and GS documents, and following up requests from Home Affairs after lodgement.
Planning to start study in Australia in 2027 and lodging your student visa from overseas?
Book a free initial assessment →Related pages
- Australian Student Visa (Subclass 500)
- Undergraduate and postgraduate study in Australia
- TAFE and vocational education in Australia
- English courses in Australia
- Pathway programs in Australia
- Australia primary and secondary (K-12) study
- Student visa refusal and cancellation appeals
- Australian visa processing times
- Australian visa health examination guide
- How to apply through UAC for 2027 entry
Common questions about offshore student visa processing priority
Does processing priority affect whether my student visa is granted?
No. Priority only decides when processing starts. Home Affairs and the Department of Education both state that the priority level does not affect whether a visa is granted or refused; the outcome still depends on meeting all visa requirements.
Can I still get a student visa if my provider has used its allocation?
Yes. MD115 states that allocations are not a cap on the number of visas and do not suspend processing. Once a provider reaches 80% or 115% of its allocation, applications move to Priority 2 or Priority 3 and may take longer.
What is the difference between lodging before and after 15 November?
Applications lodged on or before 14 November 2026 are prioritised against the provider’s 2026 allocation progress; applications lodged from 15 November are prioritised against its 2027 progress. The same provider can be at different levels in the two periods.
Do onshore student visa applications have Priority 1, 2 and 3?
No. For onshore student visa applications, Home Affairs aims to assess them in order of lodgement date. MD115 applies only to Subclass 500 applications lodged outside Australia.
Will a Priority 1 application be granted in 1 to 4 weeks?
Not necessarily. 1 to 4 weeks is Home Affairs’ target time to start processing, not a decision time. Volumes, integrity checks, whether the application is complete, and health and character requirements all affect the actual time.
If I study ELICOS before a bachelor degree, which provider sets my priority?
The provider of the main course, usually the final course in the package, such as the bachelor degree. Even if the first course is ELICOS, priority follows the university’s allocation progress.
Will MD115 still apply in 2027?
The Department of Education announced in July 2026 that a Ministerial Direction will continue to prioritise offshore student visa processing in 2027 by provider allocation progress, with the national level kept at 295,000. Home Affairs’ current guidance states that offshore applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are prioritised under MD115.
Lodging a student visa from outside Australia? Check your main provider’s priority first
Send us your intended provider, course, start date and planned lodgement date, and Newstars will give you a free initial assessment.
