The National Planning Level will remain at 295,000 New Overseas Student Commencements (NOSC). This is the same planning level as in 2026, providing stability and continuity for Australia's international education sector and agent providers worldwide.
What does the National Planning Level do?
Australia’s National Planning Level (NPL) helps manage the size of Australia’s international education program, to ensure we can continue to offer the highest quality learning experience and best possible student outcomes.
The NPL is not a cap or a limit on student numbers. It informs a prioritisation system for processing student visa applications. This only applies to visa applications lodged outside of Australia.
Student visa applications are processed as high priority until education and training providers in Australia reach their NPL allocation. After this, further visa applications are still accepted for that provider, but are processed more slowly.
Under this system, an international student will count as a New Overseas Student Commencement (NOSC) when they are onshore in Australia and start their first non-exempt course at their first education or training provider. This includes each time the student changes into a non-exempt course at a different provider.
However, the following will not be counted as a NOSC:
- ‘continuing students’ who move courses within a provider, or
- ‘continuing students’ who commence a subsequent course immediately after the first course at the same provider.
Student visa applications are processed as Priority 1 (high priority) until the chosen education and training provider in Australia reaches their prioritisation threshold: in 2026, this is 80% of their NOSC allocation. After this, further visa applications are still accepted for that provider but are processed more slowly.
What agents need to know
The Australian Government has confirmed that:
- Australia continues to welcome international students from all over the world.
- Any genuine student who meets the Student visa requirements can still apply and be granted a visa.
- No active international education provider will receive a lower allocation in 2027 than it did in 2026. Provider-level allocations for 2027 will be finalised in July 2026.
- The following categories of students will be exempt from the NPL in 2027. They are not defined as a NOSC and do not count as part of a provider’s indicative NOSC allocations:
- School students
- Students studying standalone ELICOS courses
- Higher degree by research students
- Non-award students, including short term exchange students
- Students studying at TAFE and students enrolled in VET courses at Dual Sector public universities
- Students awarded certain scholarships, including from foreign governments, multilateral organisations and Australian governments
- Students that are part of certain Australian Transnational Education (TNE) arrangements in higher education or VET approved by the Department of Education or the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
- Students from the Pacific and Timor-Leste
- Students in pilot training courses
- International students transitioning from secondary school studies in Australia to tertiary study (higher education or VET)
- Students transitioning from embedded pathway providers or TAFE institutes to affiliated publicly funded universities
- Students transferring providers as a direct result of a provider closing or otherwise being unable to continue training.
- Providers are responsible for recording scholarship and TNE arrangements on a student’s Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) within the PRISMS system.
Further information can be found at the Australian Government Department of Education website Factsheet - Managed Growth for International Education - Arrangements for 2027 - Department of Education, Australian Government