On Monday 4 August 2025, a joint media release from Ministers for Education, Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship, and Skills and Training, and Assistant Minister for International Education announced the NPL for 2026.
The National Planning Level for 2026 will be 295,000 international student places, 25,000 more than 2025 "but still 8 per cent below the immediate post-COVID peak".
The media release noted that "public universities will be able to apply to increase their individual higher education allocations for 2026 by demonstrating delivery on two government priorities:
- increased engagement with Southeast Asia, consistent with Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040; and
- provision of student accommodation to ensure both domestic and international students have access to safe and secure housing."
Ministerial Direction 111 will be replaced with an updated ministerial direction to reflect 2026 arrangements.
The release states, "Strategically important cohorts, including Pacific and Timor-Leste students and Australian government scholarship holders, will continue to receive high priority student visa processing in 2026. Additionally, from 2026, international students transitioning to publicly funded universities from secondary school studies in Australia and from affiliated pathways providers or TAFE institutes will be exempt from the National Planning Level."
Minister for Education Jason Clare said, "International education is an incredibly important export industry for Australia but we need to manage its growth so it’s sustainable. International education doesn’t just make us money, it makes us friends. This is about making sure international education grows in a way that supports students, universities and the national interest. The new planning level gives the sector certainty to continue delivering a high-quality educational experience to international students, while addressing national priorities."
Read the full media release here.