Australia has recently reaffirmed its intention to limit international student enrollments to 270,000 for 2025, despite initial resistance from the Liberals and the Greens in Parliament. While a previous legislative attempt to cap enrollments was blocked, the federal government has now opted for a new approach: regulating the pace of student visa processing. This “go-slow” strategy will be implemented once the set enrollment targets are reached for each university, signaling a more controlled framework for managing international student numbers.

Under the newly introduced Ministerial Direction 111 (MD111), student visas will be divided into two processing categories: ‘high priority’ and ‘standard priority.’ Universities will benefit from high-priority processing until 80% of their enrollment cap is reached. Beyond this threshold, applications will move to the standard priority processing queue, effectively slowing down the intake of additional students.

MD111 replaces the controversial Ministerial Direction 107 (MD107), enacted in December 2023, which prioritized visa processing for students attending prestigious "sandstone" universities and those from low-risk nations. The new directive shifts focus toward supporting regional and smaller universities, aligning with the government's broader goal of managing international student numbers while promoting equitable access to institutions across Australia.

Federal Financial Minister Katy Gallagher emphasized the significance of this shift, noting that prioritizing regional and smaller universities would help balance growth and manage the substantial increase in international arrivals. This measure, she explained, reflects the government’s commitment to addressing concerns about the rapid expansion of Australia’s international student population and its impact on resources and infrastructure.

This nuanced approach marks a strategic attempt to balance Australia’s reputation as a leading destination for international education with the practical challenges of sustainable immigration and infrastructure planning. By targeting visa processing speeds, the government aims to regulate international enrollments without directly imposing legislative caps, fostering a more evenly distributed student population across the country's higher education landscape.