Where To Apply

5 dated, sourced changes

Australia student & visa updates

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.

2026

  1. Student visaNewest

    Student visa onshore and family rules change from 2 October 2026

    In effect since 2 October 2026

    From 2 October 2026, most temporary visa holders must be outside Australia when they lodge, and when they are granted, a Student (subclass 500) or Student Guardian (subclass 590) visa.

    What to do: Before you enrol, pay or lodge, check whether you must be outside Australia and whether an exemption applies. An application lodged onshore when you were required to be offshore is invalid, and so is one that includes an ineligible family member.

    Show full details +

    Current student visa holders must also apply offshore unless they meet an exemption, and student applicants can no longer include a partner or children unless an exemption applies. Family members can no longer be added after a student visa is granted, with no exemptions. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules.

    • Student visa applicants
    • Current student visa holders
    • Students with partners or children
    Source:[1][2][3]Verified Read our analysis →
  2. Fees & charges

    Student visa application charge rises to A$2,500

    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.

    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.

    Show full details +

    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.

    • Student visa applicants
    • Families applying together
    Source:[1]Verified Read our analysis →

2025

  1. Student visa

    Ministerial Direction 115 replaces MD111 for offshore student visas

    In effect since 14 November 2025

    Offshore Subclass 500 applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are processed under Ministerial Direction 115, which replaced Ministerial Direction 111.

    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.

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    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.

    • Offshore student visa applicants
    • Higher education and VET students
    Source:[1][2]Verified Read our analysis →
  2. English tests

    The list of accepted English tests changed

    In effect since 7 August 2025

    From 7 August 2025 the Department updated which English language tests it accepts for Australian visas.

    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.

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    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.

    • Student visa applicants
    • Temporary Graduate visa applicants
    Source:[1]Verified
  3. University sector

    2026 National Planning Level set at 295,000 new student places

    In effect since 1 January 2026

    The Government set a National Planning Level of 295,000 new international student commencements for 2026, which is 25,000 higher than 2025.

    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.

    Show full details +

    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.

    • Prospective international students
    • Pathway and TAFE students
    Source:[1]Verified

How to use this page

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. For the fuller story behind an individual entry — not just what changed but what it means for applicants — check the blog for a matching analysis, linked from this page as “Read our analysis” where one exists.

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.

Last verified Sources:[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

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