MD 115: A Guide to Australia’s New Student Visa Priority

In Australia, there are numerous academic institutions to choose from, with international students applying for the same or different programs. To fairly balance student distribution among Australian institutions and provide faster visa processing, the government replaced MD 111 with MD 115. Both systems operate under priority levels, with applications assessed depending on the institution’s ability or capacity to take in enrollees.

How does it work?

​To provide a clearer view of the difference between the previous system and the current one, applications under MD 111 were assessed using two priority levels:

• ​​Priority 1 – High: entails that the visa application is processed under high priority, as the student’s chosen institution has not reached the 80% New Overseas Student Commencement (NOSC) allocated limit. This means the institution still has available slots for priority visa processing.

• ​​Priority 2 – Standard: indicates that the institution has reached its quota, leading to slower processing times and increased competition among applicants.

What’s new with MD 115?

With MD115 taking effect, the priority levels of visa applications are further divided into three:

• Priority 1 – Application receives higher priority and may be processed more quickly if the chosen university or college is below 80% of its yearly limit.

• Priority 2 – Application remains in a fast-track position if the chosen school is between 80% and 115% of its annual limit.

• Priority 3 – Application under Priority 3 indicates that the institution has reached or exceeded its upper threshold of 115%, resulting in a lower processing priority.

MD 115 applies to all Australian education providers that accept international students. Applicants should note that belonging to a specific visa application priority level does not guarantee a successful visa grant.

It should also be noted that MD 115 only applies to offshore visa applications (applications lodged from outside Australia). While the Australian government has introduced separate immigration reforms restricting onshore transitions from visitor visas to student visas, this rule is not part of MD115 itself.

​For every applicant who plans to study in Australia, the new system increases the chance of a more efficient and smoother application process. As long as applications are sent in advance (complete with all the necessary documents and institutions with available student intake are chosen), the application will have a better chance of being assigned to higher priority levels.

Changes like this can be quite overwhelming, but IDP Philippines is here to make sure that applicants like you don’t have to go through the process alone. We have all the latest updates on Australian visa guidelines and the list of requirements needed to improve your chances of approval and stay on track within the priority processing lane. Contact us today to learn more!