2027 Australian Student Visa Processing Priority | MD115 Uses 2027 Provider Allocations from 15 November

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From 15 November 2026, offshore Australian Student visa (subclass 500) applications are prioritised according to each education provider's progress against its 2027 indicative allocation. If your provider is below 80% of its 2027 allocation, your application is Priority 1; from 80% up to 115% it is Priority 2; at or above 115% it is Priority 3. The rules come from Ministerial Direction 115 (MD115), which took effect on 14 November 2025 and rolls over to the next calendar year's allocations every 15 November. The 2027 National Planning Level stays at 295,000 new overseas student commencements, the same as 2026.

Priority only affects how soon processing starts, not whether your visa is granted. School students, standalone ELICOS, TAFE, PhD and several other cohorts are always Priority 1. Applications lodged inside Australia are not covered by MD115.

This guide covers the start date, the 80% and 115% thresholds, the always-Priority 1 categories, target processing start times, what it means for February and July 2027 intakes, how to check your provider's status and how to prepare. Information is current as at 11 November 2026.

Contents

1. Key points: 2027 allocations apply from 15 November
2. Priority 1, 2 and 3: the 80% and 115% thresholds
3. Which applications are always Priority 1?
4. How your priority is locked in: lodgement date and packaged courses
5. What it means for February and July 2027 intakes
6. How to check your provider's priority status
7. How to prepare early
FAQ

1. Key points: 2027 allocations apply from 15 November

Item	Detail
Legal basis	Ministerial Direction 115 (in effect from 14 November 2025, replacing MD111)
Who it applies to	Student visa (subclass 500) applicants who are outside Australia when they apply
2027 prioritisation period	Applications lodged 15 November 2026 to 14 November 2027 use the provider's 2027 allocation
2027 National Planning Level	295,000 new overseas student commencements (unchanged from 2026)
Thresholds	80% (prioritisation threshold) and 115% (upper threshold)
Is it a cap?	No. It is not a cap on visas and not a suspension of processing

Source: Department of Home Affairs, MD115 and Study Australia, accessed 11 November 2026.

Section 7(2) of MD115 says the prioritisation process starts on 15 November each year and runs for 12 months, using the following calendar year's provider thresholds. Its own example: applications received from 15 November 2025 to 14 November 2026 are prioritised against 2026. On the same rule, applications lodged from 15 November 2026 are assessed against 2027 allocations. The Home Affairs page also states that applications lodged between 15 November and 31 December are prioritised using the main provider's progress towards its allocation for the following calendar year.

Study Australia announced on 15 July 2026 that the 2027 planning level would remain at 295,000, that no active provider would receive a lower allocation in 2027 than in 2026, and that provider-level 2027 allocations would be finalised in July 2026.

2. Priority 1, 2 and 3: the 80% and 115% thresholds

For universities, other higher education providers and VET providers, priority depends on how many new overseas student commencements (NOSCs) the provider has recorded in PRISMS, the Department of Education's international student system, compared with its annual allocation.

Priority	Provider progress	Home Affairs target to start processing
Priority 1	Below 80% of allocation, or an exempt cohort	Within 1–4 weeks of lodgement
Priority 2	80% or more, below 115%	Within 5–8 weeks of lodgement
Priority 3	115% or more	Within 9–12 weeks of lodgement

Source: Department of Home Affairs, Student visa processing priorities, accessed 11 November 2026.

Three caveats. These are targets to commence processing, not decision times. Home Affairs says they are based on 2025 lodgements and resources and can change in peak periods. And MD115 states that integrity concerns will be acted on regardless of priority, so some applications, including Priority 1, may take longer.

A NOSC is a new student who has commenced, or has been approved by the provider and holds a Student visa or an associated bridging visa.

3. Which applications are always Priority 1?

Section 8(1)(b) of MD115 lists offshore applications that receive Priority 1 regardless of provider status:

School students
Non-award students, including short-term exchange students
Standalone ELICOS (English language) students
Students enrolled with a TAFE provider (for Charles Darwin University, only its VET part)
Students in one of four recognised Diploma of Aviation pilot training courses
Postgraduate research students (shown as PhD on the Home Affairs page)
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Commonwealth-sponsored students
Eligible foreign government, Australian Government or state and territory scholarship students
Students from the Pacific and Timor-Leste (17 listed countries and territories)
Eligible transnational education (TNE) students
Subsequent entrant applications that include a child under 18 (note: the Home Affairs subclass 500 page says that from 2 October 2026 family members cannot apply as subsequent entrants in any circumstance, so check current Home Affairs guidance)

Some students do not count towards a provider's allocation, such as those moving from an Australian secondary school to tertiary study or from an affiliated pathway provider to a public university. MD115 does not list them as automatic Priority 1, so their priority still follows provider status. Confirm individual cases with official guidance.

4. How your priority is locked in: lodgement date and packaged courses

Set on the day you lodge: Home Affairs says your priority is determined by your provider's status at the time you lodge.
Packages follow the main CoE: for a package with different providers, priority is based on the main Confirmation of Enrolment, usually the final course. An ELICOS course followed by a bachelor degree follows the university's status.
Official example: a visa lodged on 18 November 2026 for a bachelor degree starting in 2027 is prioritised against that university's 2027 threshold.

5. What it means for February and July 2027 intakes

February 2027 intake

Applications lodged from 15 November are assessed against 2027 progress. As at 11 November 2026, the latest Department of Education status report (PRISMS data as at 6 November 2026) still shows 2026 figures. Provider statuses for 2027 had not yet been published, so do not assume your provider will be Priority 1. If it is Priority 2, Home Affairs aims to start processing within 5–8 weeks, and any requests for health checks, biometrics or more documents add further time. If you are aiming for February, try to lodge a complete application by late November or early December.

July 2027 intake

Allocations fill up over the year. For reference, the Department of Education's 6 November 2026 data showed current and future NOSCs with student visas at 83% of the 2026 planning level (243,600 of 295,000). Mid-year applicants are more likely to find their provider at 80% or 115%, especially at high-demand universities, so earlier lodgement helps.

6. How to check your provider's priority status

Universities and higher education providers (including dual sector): download the "Current snapshot" PDF from the Department of Education's Visa Prioritisation Status page (titled International Education Providers – Progress Against Indicative Allocations) and find the Allocation Status column. The department says it is updated weekly.
Private VET providers: their status is not published. Home Affairs advises asking the provider whether it has reached its prioritisation threshold (Priority 2) or upper threshold (Priority 3).
Check the data date and year: the first page shows the PRISMS date and the year (for example "2026 New Overseas Student Commencements"). From 15 November, the 2027 figures are what count.
Record it on lodgement day: Home Affairs suggests noting your provider's status on the day you apply.

7. How to prepare early

Apart from the Pacific and Timor-Leste list, MD115 gives no priority based on nationality. For applicants from Latin America, South Africa and most other countries, priority depends only on your provider and course type. If you are currently in Australia on a Working Holiday (417), Work and Holiday (462), Visitor (600) or another visa on the Home Affairs list, you can no longer apply for a Student visa onshore since 2 October 2026. Your application will be offshore and covered by MD115.

Confirm your course category and whether it is exempt. If not, check your provider's latest status.
Secure your CoE early and ask the provider about deferral options.
Lodge a decision-ready application: use the Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool with your passport country and provider to see which financial and English evidence to attach. Translate non-English documents.
Do health checks early and watch ImmiAccount: you may be able to arrange health checks before lodging through My Health Declarations, and you should reply quickly to any requests.
Book flights after grant, as Home Affairs recommends.

FAQ

Q1: When does student visa processing priority switch to 2027 allocations?

From 15 November 2026. Under MD115, offshore subclass 500 applications lodged from that date to 14 November 2027 are given Priority 1, 2 or 3 based on the main provider's progress against its 2027 allocation.

Q2: Is a Priority 2 or 3 application more likely to be refused?

No. Home Affairs and MD115 both state that priority affects processing order only. It does not decide grant or refusal and is not a cap. Your visa still depends on meeting the subclass 500 criteria.

Q3: Are English language and TAFE students affected by provider allocations?

No. Standalone ELICOS and TAFE students are exempt categories under MD115 and are always Priority 1. If ELICOS is packaged with a degree, priority follows the main course provider.

Q4: Does MD115 apply if I apply from inside Australia?

No. Home Affairs aims to assess onshore applications in order of lodgement. However, since 2 October 2026 most people must apply offshore, including Working Holiday and Visitor visa holders, and offshore applications are covered by MD115.

Q5: Where can I check my provider's 2027 priority status?

Higher education providers are listed in the Department of Education's weekly Visa Prioritisation Status PDF. For private VET providers, ask the provider. As at 11 November 2026, the latest report still showed 2026 data and 2027 statuses had not been published.

Aiming for a February 2027 start and worried your provider's priority could slow things down? Level Up Studies offers free consultations:

Melbourne Head Office: +61 3 8590 3229 | contactus@levelupstudies.com
1/105 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Sources

Department of Home Affairs: Ministerial Direction No. 115 (PDF)
Department of Home Affairs: Student visa processing priorities (last updated 5 November 2026)
Department of Home Affairs: Student visa (subclass 500)
Department of Home Affairs: Check twice, submit once
Department of Home Affairs: Document Checklist Tool
Department of Education: Visa Prioritisation Status (current snapshot, PRISMS data as at 6 November 2026)
Study Australia: Australia’s Student visa processing 2026: Ministerial Direction 115
Study Australia: Australian Government confirms 2027 National Planning Level (15 July 2026)
Study Australia: Australia confirms international education settings for 2027 (15 July 2026)
Accessed: 11 November 2026

Disclaimer: This article is based on official information from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, Department of Education and Study Australia. It is general information only and not migration legal advice. Official announcements prevail, and lodging an application does not guarantee a visa grant. Information updated: 11 November 2026.