Home Affairs data to September 2026
The latest student visa grant rate for Nepali applicants, taken from Home Affairs data every month. Plus real Goreto visa stories, the rule changes behind the numbers and a quick self-check before you apply.
Goreto Australia visa figures
Our own files, last 12 months
Counted from Goreto's own Australia files: every student visa decision we received in the period, refusals included.
National rate for Nepali applicants from outside Australia, July to September 2026: 14% (Home Affairs)
By Dhiraj Kandel · 8 min read
You can still get an Australia student visa from Nepal, but most applications made from Nepal are refused right now. In July to September 2026, Home Affairs granted 14% of the student visa applications Nepali students lodged from outside Australia. In 2024-25, the same figure was 92%. Nepali students already in Australia did far better, at 75%. Before you plan study in Australia from Nepal, check your course, your provider and your Genuine Student answers with a counselor.
Before you pay any fee, you want to know what your chances are. It is a fair question, so this page starts with the official numbers, month by month, to show what Home Affairs actually decided for Nepali students.
A rate for the whole of Nepal does not decide your own result. Two students can apply in the same month for the same kind of course, and one gets the visa while the other is refused, because their files are different. The sections below show what the officer looks at, what a strong file looks like and what to check before you apply.
Start with the full list on our Australia student visa requirements page. To see where your +2 results stand, use our NEB GPA calculator. For the money side, our AUD to NPR forex converter shows what the amounts are worth in rupees (amounts on this page are in AUD).
Official figures
In July to September 2026, Home Affairs granted 14% of student visa applications lodged by Nepali students from outside Australia: 461 visas from 3,343 decisions.
Student visa grant rate for Nepali applicants, by month (to September 2026)
Applied from outside AustraliaApplied in Australia
| Month | From outside Australia | Decisions | In Australia | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 17% | 567 | 79% | 942 |
| August 2026 | 13% | 990 | 77% | 461 |
| July 2026 | 13% | 1,786 | 65% | 559 |
| June 2026 | 14% | 1,247 | 72% | 755 |
| May 2026 | 32% | 1,054 | 81% | 1,107 |
| April 2026 | 37% | 677 | 83% | 1,182 |
| March 2026 | 25% | 2,965 | 77% | 1,205 |
| February 2026 | 34% | 2,835 | 82% | 1,128 |
| January 2026 | 30% | 1,873 | 82% | 1,200 |
| December 2025 | 52% | 719 | 83% | 930 |
| November 2025 | 55% | 2,143 | 89% | 910 |
| October 2025 | 81% | 1,722 | 76% | 2,337 |
| September 2025 | 86% | 1,508 | 76% | 2,217 |
| August 2025 | 92% | 1,394 | 81% | 1,257 |
That is down from 26% in April to June 2026. In September 2026 alone, 97 of 567 applications from Nepal were granted. Nepali students already in Australia did far better, at 75%, because most of them are moving to a new course with a study record behind them.
Over a full year the drop is sharp. Home Affairs granted 92% of applications from Nepal in 2024-25 and 52% in 2025-26 (Australian financial years run from July to June). A grant rate counts decided applications only; withdrawn ones are left out.
These numbers don't mean Australia has closed to Nepali students. They mean weak files are refused far more often than before. Most refusals we see come from the Genuine Student requirement, financial documents that can’t be traced, or a provider in slow processing (see Level 1, 2 and 3 universities). The full document list is on our Australia student visa requirements page, and the steps are on how to apply for an Australia student visa.
Goreto’s own rate at the top of this page is higher than the national rate partly because we tell students with weak files to wait or change their plan instead of lodging.
Most Australian visa applications from Nepal are handled by the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, says the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu. The High Commission has published a notice just for student visa applicants from Nepal, about how to prove your funds:
Read the full notice: Evidencing business activity for Student visa applications from Nepal.
Yes: in July to September 2026, 14% of bachelor's and master's applications from Nepal were granted, against 0% for vocational (VET) courses.
| Course level (applied from outside Australia) | July to September 2026 | 2025-26 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's and master's (higher education) | 14% | 55% | 94% |
| Research master's and PhD | 43% | 65% | 98% |
| Vocational (VET) courses | 0% | 31% | 43% |
"-" means fewer than 20 decisions, too few for a fair rate.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0015 Student visa grant rates, data to September 2026, published on data.gov.au. Nepali citizens, main applicants, subclass 500. Home Affairs says the figures are provisional and can change between releases. This page reads the new file automatically when Home Affairs publishes it.
Latest changes
Three rules matter most right now: the new processing priority by provider, the end of family members on student visas, and higher English scores.
Student visa applicants can no longer include a husband, wife or children unless they are exempt, for example as a PhD student or a government scholarship holder. Family members can't be added after the grant.
Source: Department of Home AffairsApplications from outside Australia are processed under Ministerial Direction 115. When a provider reaches 80% of its new student allocation, its applicants move to Priority 2, and above 115% to Priority 3, which are processed later. Home Affairs says this is not a cap and does not decide grant or refusal, but a slow queue can cost you your intake. Check your provider's status on the day you lodge.
Source: Department of Home AffairsFor tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the minimum is IELTS 6.0, PTE Academic 47 or TOEFL iBT 67. Lower scores work only with 10 or 20 weeks of English study (ELICOS) packaged with your course. At-home tests are not accepted.
Source: Department of Home AffairsThe visa charge starts at AUD 2,500, about Rs 2.3 lakh, and you usually don't get it back if the visa is refused. You also show AUD 29,710 a year for living costs, about Rs 27 lakh, plus first-year tuition and AUD 2,000 for travel.
Source: Department of Home AffairsYou answer Genuine Student questions in the application form instead of writing a GTE statement. The officer checks that study is the main reason for your trip, using your answers, your past study and work, and your money.
Source: Department of Home AffairsWhat affects approval
Home Affairs wants to be sure of three things: that you are a genuine student, that you can pay for your studies, and that your plan makes sense for your past study or work.
Your marks and the subjects you studied should lead to the course you chose. A +2 Management student applying for a business course has a clear link. Low marks are not an automatic refusal, but the officer should see how your past study connects to the next step.
The officer asks why this course and why this university or college. Your answer should connect to your past study, your work or the job you want back in Nepal. Where you study also matters, because processing priority now depends on the provider, so check this with a counselor before you choose.
You need to show your tuition, living funds and travel, and also where the money comes from. Bank statements, your sponsor's income papers and any property or business papers should all tell the same story. A large deposit just before you apply raises questions.
Since the Genuine Student test replaced the GTE, your written answers carry real weight. Write them in your own words, make them specific to you and make sure they match the rest of your file.
A gap is fine when you can show what you did, with documents such as a work letter, a short course or family business papers. A gap with nothing to show is a problem.
Tell the truth about any earlier refusal from Australia or another country. The officer can see your history, and hiding a refusal is worse than the refusal itself. Explain what has changed since then.
A strong application
A strong file makes the officer's job easy: a clear plan, papers that match each other and honest answers.
Your +2 or bachelor's subjects, your work and your chosen course should read like one story.
You can say in two or three sentences why this course, why this university or college and why Australia.
Every rupee in the file has a source, and the sponsor's relationship to you is clear.
The answers are personal and specific, not copied from a sample or from another student.
Names, dates, amounts and course details match in every document, and nothing important is missing.
A course that follows from your past study or work looks stronger than one with no link.
| Student background | Stronger course choice | Weaker course choice |
|---|---|---|
| +2 Science | Bachelor of Science, engineering, health science | A hospitality or beauty course with no reason |
| Bachelor's in IT | Cybersecurity, data analytics, software development | An unrelated hospitality diploma without explanation |
| Business or management | Business analytics, project management, accounting | A random technical course with no link |
| Nursing or health | Health management, public health | An unrelated low-level business course |
| Hotel management | Hospitality leadership, tourism management | An unrelated IT course without a reason |
Success stories
These Goreto students agreed to share their Australia visa stories, and new ones are added as visas come in.
These are not all of Goreto's Australia visas: we only show students who agreed to share their name and story. Home Affairs decides every application.
In their own words
Short videos from Goreto on Australia visas: student results, the latest grant rates and what to do after a refusal.
Samjhana & Sushant: Australia visa success
Another Australia visa just landed
Latest Australia visa success rates
Why visas are refused
Most refusals come down to weak Genuine Student answers, money that can't be traced, or a course that doesn't fit your past study.
Copied or vague answers are easy to spot. Explain in your own words why this course, this provider and Australia, and what you will do after.
Large deposits just before you apply raise questions. Show where every big amount came from: salary, business income, land sale or an education loan.
Moving from +2 Science or a BBS into an unrelated diploma needs a clear reason. Pick a course that builds on what you studied or the work you did.
A gap is fine if you can prove what you did: a job, training or family duty. An unexplained gap of several years is a common refusal reason.
The official data shows almost no vocational (VET) applications from Nepal being granted recently: 0% in July to September 2026. A bachelor's or master's at a university is a safer route right now.
Always declare any earlier refusal, for Australia or any other country. Hiding it can lead to a refusal and a ban; declaring it with an explanation does not.
Read more on Australia student visa rejection reasons and the study gap Australia accepts. To compare amounts in rupees, use the AUD to Rs forex converter.
Checklist
Go through this list before you lodge. Every missing item is a place where the officer may doubt your file.
Self-check
Answer a few questions to see what works in your file, what to fix first, and why.
Free counselling
Tell us about your plan and a Goreto counselor will call you back to look at your file.
Prefer to visit? Goreto has offices in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Pokhara and Itahari; find the nearest one on our contact page.
FAQs
In July to September 2026, Home Affairs granted 14% of student visa applications that Nepali students lodged from outside Australia. For applications lodged inside Australia it was 75%. The figure for 2024-25 from outside Australia was 92%.
Students already in Australia have a study record there, so their files are easier to judge. Applications from Nepal are checked more closely for the Genuine Student test and for money, and many are for providers or courses that Home Affairs sees as higher risk.
Yes. In July to September 2026, 14% of bachelor’s and master’s applications from Nepal were granted, against 0% for vocational (VET) courses. The course level table on this page shows each level.
Our own figures are at the top of this page, counted from every Australia decision we received in the period, refusals included. They are higher than the national rate partly because we advise students with weak files not to lodge yet.
From the Department of Home Affairs report BP0015 on data.gov.au. Home Affairs usually publishes a new file each month, and this page reads it automatically. The latest data runs to September 2026.
Agents report that Nepal is at Evidence Level 3, but this is not official, because Home Affairs does not publish the levels. You can see what evidence to attach with the Home Affairs document checklist tool.
Yes. You must declare the refusal and show what has changed, for example a better-matched course, clearer funds or stronger Genuine Student answers. Bring the refusal letter to a counselor before you lodge again.
The visa charge starts at AUD 2,500, about Rs 2.3 lakh, and is usually not refunded after a refusal. Money paid for the English test, health check and OSHC is also usually gone.
It depends on your provider’s priority level and your file. Use the official visa processing time guide for recent figures.
It can be, for the right student. A well-matched bachelor’s or master’s at a university, clear funds and honest Genuine Student answers still get visas. If your file is weak, compare Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA first.
The Department of Home Affairs decides every student visa, and no consultancy can guarantee a grant. The official figures are provisional and can change between releases. Success stories are shared with each student’s consent.
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