Supporting a Sustainable International Education Sector

The Australian Government is committed to ensuring the quality, integrity and sustainability of Australia’s international education sector.

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The Australian Government has announced that Ministerial Direction No. 107 will be replaced by Ministerial Direction No. 111.

The new Ministerial Direction takes effect on 19 December 2024 and is available on the Department of Home Affairs website: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/.

The Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 did not pass Parliament in time for arrangements to be implemented by 1 January 2025. Government remains committed to managing the sector at sustainable levels, addressing quality and integrity concerns, and rectifying the uneven impacts of Ministerial Direction No. 107.

The new Ministerial Direction No. 111 will ensure integrity and quality concerns are immediately addressed while supporting a more sustainable international education sector through changes to visa processing prioritisation.

Development of the new Ministerial Direction No. 111 and its prioritisation approach has been informed by the consultation with the international education sector undertaken by the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations throughout 2024 and the indicative 2025 new overseas student commencement (NOSC) allocations developed.

The indicative 2025 NOSC allocations developed for higher education throughout 2024 are outlined in the factsheet below:

Indicative allocations for higher education new overseas student commencements 2025 - Department of Education, Australian Government

The new Ministerial Direction 111 will ensure well-managed and orderly visa processing of visa applications that supports the sector, while achieving Government’s wider international education objectives.

This includes recognising the unique circumstances of some cohorts of students, as defined by the Department of Education.

Factsheet – Definition of students of certain transnational education programs - Department of Education, Australian Government

Factsheet - Scholarship holders - Department of Education, Australian Government