A dated log of policy changes that affect applying to study in Australia: student visa charges, processing priorities, post-study work, English-test recognition, and the international-student planning level. Every entry links its official source and carries the date we last checked it.
Latest update
Student visa application charge rises to A$2,500
Announced 1 July 2026 · In effect since 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026 the Subclass 500 student visa application charge is A$2,500 for the main applicant, with a separate charge for each family member who applies. A lower charge applies to citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, citizens of ASEAN countries, and applicants in the independent ELICOS and non-award sectors.
2026
Fees & chargesIn effect since 1 July 2026
Student visa application charge rises to A$2,500
From 1 July 2026 the Subclass 500 student visa application charge is A$2,500 for the main applicant, with a separate charge for each family member who applies. A lower charge applies to citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, citizens of ASEAN countries, and applicants in the independent ELICOS and non-award sectors.
What to do: Budget the higher charge per person in your application, and check in ImmiAccount whether your passport or course type qualifies for the reduced charge before you pay.
Ministerial Direction 115 replaces MD111 for offshore student visas
Offshore Subclass 500 applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are processed under Ministerial Direction 115, which replaced Ministerial Direction 111. MD115 sets three processing priority levels instead of two, based on how far a student's education provider has progressed against its share of the National Planning Level: Priority 1 below the threshold, Priority 2 once the provider reaches 80 per cent of its allocation, and Priority 3 once it exceeds the allocation by 15 per cent.
What to do: Your processing priority is fixed by your provider's allocation status on the day you lodge, not by your nationality or course alone. Higher education students can check a provider's current status on the Department of Education's Visa Prioritisation Status page before lodging. A Ministerial Direction is not a cap and does not change whether a visa is granted.
From 7 August 2025 the Department updated which English language tests it accepts for Australian visas. For tests sat on or after that date it accepts IELTS Academic and General Training, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and the Michigan English Test, all taken at a secure test centre. At-home and online versions are not accepted. TOEFL iBT results must be booked under the 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' pathway to count.
What to do: A test sat on or before 6 August 2025 can still be used for up to three years, depending on the visa. Book an in-centre test and confirm it is on the current list before you pay.
2026 National Planning Level set at 295,000 new student places
The Government set a National Planning Level of 295,000 new international student commencements for 2026, which is 25,000 higher than 2025. No active provider's 2026 allocation is lower than its 2025 allocation. From 2026, students moving to a public university from an Australian secondary school, or from an affiliated pathway provider or TAFE, are exempt from the planning level.
What to do: The planning level shapes how quickly each provider fills its places, and therefore your processing priority under Ministerial Direction 115. It is not a cap on individual visa applications.
Each entry summarises one change and links the official page it comes from. Whether a change applies to you usually depends on when you lodge, and for processing priorities on your education provider. Confirm the detail against the source before you rely on it. For the SkillSelect skilled-migration rounds, see the invitation rounds tracker.
Common questions
How often is this page updated?
Whenever a change lands that affects applicants: a visa charge, a Ministerial Direction, post-study work rules, English-test recognition, a planning level, or university-sector policy. Each entry carries the date it was last checked against the official source. Quiet months mean nothing new to report, not that the page has stopped being maintained.
Are these official?
Every entry links the primary source it is drawn from, almost always immi.homeaffairs.gov.au or education.gov.au. We summarise the change and say who it affects; the linked page is the authority. Where a figure is not yet on an official page we say so and mark the entry as an estimate.
Does a change here apply to my application?
It depends on when you lodge and, for processing priorities, on your education provider. Read the entry's summary, then confirm the detail against the official source and, if in doubt, a registered migration agent. This page is a starting point, not advice on your specific case.