Offshore grant rates have fallen sharply

Home Affairs data for July to September 2026 shows big drops for higher education students from South Asia who applied from outside Australia. Onshore rates stayed above 80% for every country below.

Nepal: offshore grant rate, Jul–Sep 2026

13.9% down from 95.4% a year earlier · 430 grants from 3,098 decisions Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates at 30 September 2026, data.gov.au (CC BY 2.5 AU). Higher Education, primary applicants. Figures are provisional.

Offshore grant rate, Jul–Sep 2025 → Jul–Sep 2026 Jul–Sep 2025Jul–Sep 2026

Nepal 95.4% 13.9%

Bangladesh 98.8% 19.9%

Bhutan 95.9% 35.8%

India 84.9% 49.1%

Pakistan 62.4% 58.8%

Sri Lanka 89.5% 70.0%

All countries 92.5% 70.6%

Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates at 30 September 2026, data.gov.au (CC BY 2.5 AU). Higher Education, primary applicants. Figures are provisional. data.gov.au

Grant rate, offshore vs onshore, Jul–Sep 2026 OffshoreOnshore

Nepal 13.9% 82.5%

Bangladesh 19.9% 88.9%

Bhutan 35.8% 86.8%

India 49.1% 86.4%

Pakistan 58.8% 81.1%

Sri Lanka 70.0% 94.7%

All countries 70.6% 92.5%

Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates at 30 September 2026, data.gov.au (CC BY 2.5 AU). Higher Education, primary applicants. Figures are provisional. data.gov.au

Grant rate = granted ÷ (granted + refused). Never divide grants by lodgements: they are different groups of people. Next release (October data) expected around late November 2026.

Country by country

Higher Education, primary applicants. Offshore = applied from outside Australia. Every figure below comes from BP0015 at 30 September 2026.

Nepal

Offshore Jul–Sep 202613.9%was 95.4% in Jul–Sep 2025

Onshore Jul–Sep 202682.5%applied in Australia

430 offshore grants out of 3,098 decisions
Offshore lodgements: 4,525 → 1,172
Onshore lodgements: 3,752 → 4,036

Fewer than 1 in 5 offshore applicants from Nepal were granted this quarter.

Where to focus: Money: where it came from, who owns it and how long it has been there.

Applying from Nepal? Check your file

Source: BP0015, 30 September 2026

Bangladesh

Offshore Jul–Sep 202619.9%was 98.8% in Jul–Sep 2025

Onshore Jul–Sep 202688.9%applied in Australia

193 offshore grants out of 972 decisions
Offshore lodgements: 2,258 → 515
Onshore lodgements: 1,239 → 2,151

About 1 in 5 offshore applicants from Bangladesh were granted this quarter.

Where to focus: Money: a clean, explainable history behind every deposit.

Applying from Bangladesh? Check your file

Source: BP0015, 30 September 2026

Bhutan

Offshore Jul–Sep 202635.8%was 95.9% in Jul–Sep 2025

Onshore Jul–Sep 202686.8%applied in Australia

102 offshore grants out of 285 decisions
Offshore lodgements: 277 → 184
Onshore lodgements: 739 → 676

The offshore grant rate for Bhutan fell from 95.9% to 35.8%.

Where to focus: Study story: a course that clearly fits your past study and plans.

Applying from Bhutan? Check your file

Source: BP0015, 30 September 2026

India

Offshore Jul–Sep 202649.1%was 84.9% in Jul–Sep 2025

Onshore Jul–Sep 202686.4%applied in Australia

2,075 offshore grants out of 4,230 decisions
Offshore lodgements: 6,972 → 3,105
Onshore lodgements: 6,203 → 5,187

About half of offshore applicants from India were granted this quarter.

Where to focus: Study story and course fit, backed by evidence.

Applying from India? Check your file

Source: BP0015, 30 September 2026

Pakistan

Offshore Jul–Sep 202658.8%was 62.4% in Jul–Sep 2025

Onshore Jul–Sep 202681.1%applied in Australia

410 offshore grants out of 697 decisions
Offshore lodgements: 371 → 586
Onshore lodgements: 1,925 → 1,027

Pakistan was the only market where offshore lodgements grew (371 to 586).

Where to focus: A complete, consistent file from the first lodgement.

Applying from Pakistan? Check your file

Source: BP0015, 30 September 2026

Sri Lanka

Offshore Jul–Sep 202670.0%was 89.5% in Jul–Sep 2025

Onshore Jul–Sep 202694.7%applied in Australia

435 offshore grants out of 621 decisions
Offshore lodgements: 507 → 297
Onshore lodgements: 790 → 1,158

7 in 10 offshore applicants from Sri Lanka were granted this quarter.

Where to focus: Keep the basics strong: funds, English validity and course fit.

Applying from Sri Lanka? Check your file

Source: BP0015, 30 September 2026

Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates at 30 September 2026, data.gov.au (CC BY 2.5 AU). Higher Education, primary applicants. Figures are provisional. data.gov.au

Do this, not that

Do

Check your finances early: who owns the money, where it came from, and how long it has been there.
Choose a course that makes sense with your past study, work and plans.
Check your agent on the OMARA register before you share documents.

Don't

Copy a Genuine Student statement from a friend or the internet.
Pay the visa fee before someone has checked your file for risk.
Use any document you can't explain. A false document can mean a refusal and a ban.

The money rules are also under review. See what Home Affairs has proposed (proposed, not decided).

Official source

Department of Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates at 30 September 2026 (data.gov.au)

General information only, not legal advice for your situation, and no visa outcome is guaranteed. Grant rates are past results for a group of applicants. They don't predict any one person's outcome. Checked 4 November 2026. Omar Nafiz, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2318164.

Offshore grant rates have fallen sharply

Country by country

Nepal

Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Do this, not that

✓ Do

✕ Don't

Official source

Not sure where you stand?

Do

Don't