The Department of Home Affairs has switched on Ministerial Direction 115 (MD 115), a sweeping overhaul of offshore processing for Subclass 500 student-visa applications lodged from 14 November 2025. Announced quietly last Friday and confirmed by industry briefings on 17 November, the directive replaces MD 111 and introduces a traffic-light system that links processing speed to how closely education providers stick to their 2026 National Planning Level (NPL) quotas.
• Priority 1 (green lane, 1–4 weeks): providers using less than 80 per cent of their allocation.
• Priority 2 (amber lane, 5–8 weeks): providers between 80 per cent and 115 per cent of quota.
• Priority 3 (red lane, >3 months): providers exceeding 115 per cent.
![Ministerial Direction 115 Rolls Out Three-Tier Processing for Offshore Student Visas]()
Schools, ELICOS, postgraduate research, government-sponsored students and applicants from Pacific nations retain Priority 1 regardless of provider status. Home Affairs insists MD 115 does not cap enrolments but reallocates processing resources to encourage balanced growth and curb integrity risks.
For universities and VET colleges, the stakes are high: falling into the red lane could deter applicants as competitors secure faster grants. Providers must therefore monitor offer rates in real time and adjust marketing to avoid breaching thresholds. Mobility teams recruiting students should build longer lead times into acceptance cycles and set client expectations about variable processing.
The direction is part of Labor’s broader ‘managed growth’ strategy, which has already seen overall student-visa lodgements drop 26 per cent year-on-year. Information sessions for providers will run through December.
• Priority 1 (green lane, 1–4 weeks): providers using less than 80 per cent of their allocation.
• Priority 2 (amber lane, 5–8 weeks): providers between 80 per cent and 115 per cent of quota.
• Priority 3 (red lane, >3 months): providers exceeding 115 per cent.
Schools, ELICOS, postgraduate research, government-sponsored students and applicants from Pacific nations retain Priority 1 regardless of provider status. Home Affairs insists MD 115 does not cap enrolments but reallocates processing resources to encourage balanced growth and curb integrity risks.
For universities and VET colleges, the stakes are high: falling into the red lane could deter applicants as competitors secure faster grants. Providers must therefore monitor offer rates in real time and adjust marketing to avoid breaching thresholds. Mobility teams recruiting students should build longer lead times into acceptance cycles and set client expectations about variable processing.
The direction is part of Labor’s broader ‘managed growth’ strategy, which has already seen overall student-visa lodgements drop 26 per cent year-on-year. Information sessions for providers will run through December.
