Student visa processing priorities
Applications lodged by students inside Australia
We aim to assess applications in the order they are lodged, according to the date of lodgement. Processing times can vary for a range of reasons.
For an indication of processing times, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.
Applications lodged by students outside Australia
Student visa applications lodged by applicants outside Australia are processed according to government policy priorities, which are outlined in Ministerial Direction No. 111 – Order for considering and disposing of offshore Subclass 500 (Student) visa applications.
Ministerial Direction No. 111 (MD111) is not a visa cap and it does not set the criteria to approve or refuse a student visa application.
How applications are prioritised under MD111
Applications are processed under two levels of priority:
- Priority 1 - High
- Priority 2 – Standard.
Refer below for information about the processing priority levels for different categories of student visas. Your priority level does not change whether we will grant or refuse your visa.
Priority 1 – High
Priority 1 includes applications from:
- School students
- Non-award sector students, including short-term exchange students
- Standalone ELICOS students
- Students enrolled with a TAFE provider (or specifically identified TAFE courses for Charles Darwin University)
- Students enrolled in a recognised Pilot training course*
- Students enrolled in Postgraduate research (PhD) courses
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) sponsored students
-
Department of Defence sponsored students
-
Foreign and Australian government scholarship students
-
Transnational education students
- Students from the Pacific and Timor-Leste**
- Subsequent entrants where the application includes a minor (a child <18 years of age)
Priority 1 also includes Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training students seeking to study with education providers that have not reached their prioritisation threshold.
*Pilot training courses means the Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane), Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Helicopter), Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating), and Diploma of Aviation (Flight Instructor)
**Passport holders and residents of: Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
Priority 2 – Standard
Priority 2 applies to:
- Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training students seeking to study with education providers that have reached their prioritisation threshold
- subsequent entrants where the application does not include a minor
- any other Student visa application not listed in Priority 1.
How to check the priority status of your provider if you do not fall into one of the exemption categories above
The priority status of your visa application is based on your provider’s status at the time you lodge your application.
- Higher Education or a Dual Sector students – check the provider’s priority status at Visa Prioritisation Status
- Vocational Education and Training students – ask your provider if they have reached their prioritisation threshold (Priority 2)
You should note the priority status of your provider on the day you lodge your application as this determines the processing priority of your visa.
For students with a package of courses, refer to the below information about packaged confirmation of enrolments (CoEs).
Processing times under MD111
Priority 1 applications are usually processed faster than Priority 2. The priority level does not affect whether your visa is granted or refused.
The Department aims to commence processing:
- Priority 1 – High applications within 1 to 4 weeks of lodgement
- Priority 2 – Standard applications within 5 to 8 weeks of lodgement
Processing times vary depending on volumes, integrity checks, completeness of applications and applicants meeting the identity, character and health requirements.
Find out what you can do to help us process your application faster.
Packaged courses under MD111
If you are applying for a package of courses with different providers, the visa priority is based on the main confirmation of enrolment (CoE). This is usually the final course in the package.
Example: A student is enrolled in a package of courses starting in 2025:
- an ELICOS course at Provider A
- a Diploma at Provider B and
- a Bachelor degree at University X which starts in 2026.
The priority is set by University X when the visa is lodged in 2025:
- If University X has not reached its priority threshold, the application will be processed as Priority 1 – High.
- If University X has reached its 2025 threshold, the application will be processed as Priority 2 – Standard
For more information on packaged courses, visit:
Subclass 500 Student visa.
