Australia to prioritize 2024 Student Visa Under Ministerial Direction 107
Highlights: Australia’s new Ministerial Direction 107 to prioritize 2024 Student visas
- New Ministerial Direction has been signed by Australia on December 14, 2023.
- The student and student guardian visa applications will be prioritized in the Ministerial Direction 107.
- The top priority is given to the visa applications that are registered outside Australia.
- Notably, secondary applicants will be given the same priority as the primary applicant.
Australian Government prioritizes student and guardian visa applications with the New Ministerial Direction 107
The Australian Government has signed a New Ministerial Direction on December 14, 2023, with a focus on prioritizing student and student guardian visa applications.
The Government’s processing priorities for the student and student guardian visa programs are formalized in Ministerial Direction No. 107. It builds on continuous efforts to strengthen the integrity of the international education sector.
All the registered education providers are allocated with an evidence level in Australia
Every education provider registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) is allocated with an evidence level. Applications from overseas students hoping to study in Australia are given priority according to the new Ministerial Direction.
Top priority given to programs and applications by Ministerial Direction
The Ministerial Direction outlines clear priorities for different sectors within the student and student guardian visa programs. Notably, the top most priority is given to student visa applications registered outside Australia by:
- School sector, postgraduate research sector, foreign affairs or defense sector applicants
- Higher education, English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
- Applicants in the non-award sector studying at an education with an evidence level of 1, and Vocational Education and Training (VET)
- Applications for entrance lodged outside Australia that include unmarried family member under 18 years​ of age
- All student guardian visa applications (lodged outside or inside Australia)
Second applicants will be given same priority as primary applicants
Any second applicant (spouse, dependent child, or de-facto partner) will be given the same priority as the primary applicant for the visa application.
A secondary applicant for a student visa who did not submit a combined application with the primary applicant or primary visa holder is referred to as a subsequent entrant.
Order of priority determined by principal course of study
The order of priority for an application will be determined by the principal course of study, which is the course with the highest level on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) if the primary applicant plans to enroll in two or more courses of study, which is also known as course packaging.
Key details about the applications submitted in Australia
All applications for student visas submitted on or after December 15, 2023, and those submitted before but are not yet completed, fall under the revised processing priority. Notably, all applications submitted within Australia will continue to be processed in accordance with the existing procedures.
