Australia Increase International Student Intake For 2026

September 4 2025

Australia Increase International Student Intake For 2026

The Australian government has outlined plans to increase its international student enrolment goal to 295,000 for 2026, compared with 270,000 in 2025, in line with the National Planning Level framework.

While this is not a strict cap, there will be measures to manage enrolment:

Each higher education and vocational education training (VET) provider will be allocated a portion of the National Planning Level.
Once 80% of a provider’s allocated international student places are filled, visa processing for new applicants may slow down.
This does not mean visas will be denied, but limits could be applied to prevent over-enrolment.

Certain students will not be counted in the National Planning Level and will have visa processing unaffected. These include:

PhD and research master’s students
Students moving to publicly funded universities from Australian secondary schools, affiliated pathway providers or TAFE institutes
Recipients of Australian government or “key partner” country scholarships
English language students
Students under transnational education (TNE) or twinning arrangement
Students from the Pacific and Timor-Leste
Students not working towards a qualification
School students

Providers may also request additional student places if they meet specific criteria, such as strong engagement with Southeast Asia and providing suitable student housing.

This move is part of Australia’s ongoing effort to attract more skilled and diverse international students while ensuring quality education and sustainable growth in enrolments.

Author : Rani Thomas

I’m Rani Thomas, founder and CEO of Berakah Elite Education. With over 30 years in the United States and decades of experience in finance and operations at Lawson Travels, I launched Berakah to guide students in India through the process of studying abroad, combining structured support with a personal commitment to service.