What changed
The Australian Government set a National Planning Level of 295,000 new international student commencements for calendar year 2026, an increase of 25,000 places over the 270,000 level that applied for 2025. Each education provider receives an indicative allocation within this national total, which is intended to give the sector stability and certainty.
How visa processing is managed
To support the planning level, Ministerial Direction 115 (MD115) came into effect on 14 November 2025, replacing the earlier Ministerial Direction 111. These directions govern the order in which student visa applications are processed, giving higher priority to providers that have not yet filled their allocation.
What it means for students
Places are finite and processing can slow once a chosen institution nears its allocation, so Indian students benefit from applying early and holding a genuine Confirmation of Enrolment. Choosing a provider with remaining capacity can mean faster visa processing.