Evidence Levels (ELs) guide the financial capacity and English language proficiency evidence requirements for Student visa applicants.
Education providers and countries are assigned an EL of one, two or three. This is based on immigration outcome data used for the calculations in the EL Framework across a 12 month period preceding each update.
The Department of Home Affairs does not publish the ELs of education providers or countries. This reduces the likelihood of unintended market impacts and the targeting of certain education providers by non-genuine students.
The Department of Home Affairs updates the Evidence Levels (ELs) of countries and education providers twice yearly, in March and September. The September 2026 EL update took effect on 30 September 2026. The update is informed by immigration outcome data from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and forms part of the Department's biannual review of Evidence Levels to ensure settings remain aligned with recent Student visa trends and risks.
Understanding what Evidence Levels mean and what they do not mean helps education agents give students accurate visa information. It is important to understand that:
Complete applications, supported by all required documentation at the time of lodgement, reduce processing delays and enable prompt and efficient assessment and decision-making.
A lower EL does not indicate strong student demand, affordability, or growth potential.
Evidence Levels reflect historical visa compliance outcomes only. They do not indicate future student behaviour or market opportunity.
Some higher EL markets are large, diverse, and strategically important.
Avoiding markets solely on the basis of Evidence Levels may lead to over-concentration, missed diversification opportunities, and short-term recruitment planning.
Evidence Levels are updated twice yearly and can change as immigration outcomes change.
They are based on historical data and should not be used as a long-term planning signal.
The Department of Home Affairs has emphasised the importance of maintaining awareness of current Student visa policies, procedures and emerging risks. When supporting prospective students, education agents should:
Open dialogue and shared responsibility across government, education providers and agents play an important role in protecting students and supporting Australia's international education sector.
Education providers and education agents should apply a consistent, thorough and risk-informed approach to the recruitment of all prospective students, regardless of Evidence Level settings.
Recruitment processes should focus on assessing the genuineness of applicants, verifying supporting information, and ensuring students are well placed to meet the requirements of their course and visa obligations. Evidence Level settings should not influence the level of scrutiny applied to individual students.
Supporting genuine students, conducting appropriate due diligence, and encouraging complete, accurate and well-supported visa applications remain key elements of a high-quality recruitment and student support framework.
The Department of Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool provides information about current financial capacity and English language proficiency evidence requirements for a Student visa.
Education agents can use the tool to help students understand the financial capacity and English language evidence requirements that may apply to their Student visa application.