International students applying for Australia from overseas should understand a processing system that is increasingly tied to the status of their chosen education provider.
Home Affairs says offshore Student visa applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025 are prioritised under Ministerial Direction 115.
MD115 uses three priority levels. Certain cohorts — including school students, standalone ELICOS students, TAFE students, postgraduate research students and government-sponsored students — fall into Priority 1. Higher Education and VET applications can also be assigned priorities based on how far the provider has progressed against its New Overseas Student Commencement allocation.
Home Affairs says a provider reaching 80 per cent of its allocation can move relevant applications to Priority 2, while exceeding the allocation by 15 per cent can place relevant applications in Priority 3.
The department aims to commence processing Priority 1 applications within 1–4 weeks, Priority 2 within 5–8 weeks and Priority 3 within 9–12 weeks, but stresses these are aims rather than guarantees.
Crucially, processing priority does not decide whether a visa is granted or refused, and MD115 is not a visa cap.
Nepali applicants should check their provider’s status at the time they lodge and make sure the application is complete. This article is general information only, not migration advice.