Australia February Intake 2027: The Offer to CoE to Student Visa Timeline for Indian Students

If you are aiming for Australia's February intake in 2027, the semester starts in late February or early March, so you have about four months. That is enough time for a well-prepared application. It is not enough to recover from a late offer, a missing financial document or a family plan that no longer fits the rules. This guide works backwards from a typical Semester 1 start and covers each step from offer letter to Subclass 500 grant, including the changes Home Affairs made on 2 October 2026. Rules and fees are as of October 2026. Check the Home Affairs Student visa page before you apply.

Your Real Deadline Is Earlier Than the University's

Many universities keep applications open late. RMIT, for example, lists 3 March 2027 as the international application deadline for some Semester 1 master's programs, even though orientation runs 22 to 26 February and classes begin on 1 March. The University of Sydney closes international postgraduate coursework applications for Semester 1 2027 on 18 December 2026 and undergraduate applications on 1 December 2026.

A university deadline only tells you when you can apply for the course. It does not leave time for a visa. You cannot lodge a Student visa without a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), and the CoE is issued only after you accept the offer, pay the deposit and arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). For a February start, plan to have your CoE by early to mid-December.

Week-by-Week: November 2026 to February 2027

• Now to mid-November: Submit your university applications if you haven't already, and start collecting financial documents at the same time. Write your Genuine Student (GS) answers in your own words. Our GS requirement guide explains what officers look for.
• As soon as you have an offer: Accept it, pay the deposit and buy OSHC to get your CoE. Book your health examinations now. Home Affairs allows you to complete them before you apply, which avoids a later request that can stall your file.
• Late November to mid-December: Lodge the Subclass 500 application in ImmiAccount. If you are asked for biometrics, you have 14 days to provide them. Book the appointment straight away.
• January: Answer any document requests quickly. Don't book non-refundable flights before you have a grant.
• February: Once the visa is granted, travel. Your OSHC must start on the day you arrive, not the day your course starts. Home Affairs says this is generally at least 1 week to 1 month before the course begins, and you can be refused entry without cover in place.

How Long Processing Takes Under Ministerial Direction 115

Home Affairs processes offshore student visas lodged on or after 14 November 2025 under Ministerial Direction 115. Your priority depends on your provider, not on you:

• Priority 1: processing starts within 1 to 4 weeks. This applies while your provider is below 80% of its new overseas student allocation, and it always applies to some groups, such as PhD students.
• Priority 2: processing starts within 5 to 8 weeks once the provider reaches 80%.
• Priority 3: processing starts within 9 to 12 weeks if the provider has exceeded its allocation by 15%.

These figures show when an officer starts working on your file, not when you get a decision. Home Affairs says they are based on 2025 lodgements and can change during peak periods. The government has kept the 2027 National Planning Level at 295,000 new overseas students and says this is not a cap. Your provider's 2027 allocation still affects how quickly your file is picked up. Before you choose between offers, ask each university about its current visa prioritisation status. Higher education providers' status is also published on the Visa Prioritisation Status page linked from Home Affairs.

Evidence level also matters. Indian applicants have been reported to be at Evidence Level 3 since January 2026. That means fuller financial and English evidence and closer scrutiny. Our Evidence Level 3 explainer covers what this means in practice. Use the Home Affairs Document Checklist Tool with your passport country and provider to see exactly what you need to submit.

Money: Fees, Funds and What Officers Check

• Visa application charge: AUD 2,500 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, up from AUD 2,000. Confirm the amount in ImmiAccount when you lodge.
• Living costs: AUD 29,710 for 12 months, plus first-year tuition and a travel allowance of AUD 2,000 for applicants outside Australia.
• Income alternative: instead of showing savings, you can show that your parents or partner earned at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months before you apply.
• English test: the test must be taken within the 2 years before you lodge (Regular evidence level). Fully online, at-home tests are not accepted for visa purposes. See our English test comparison.

The funds must be genuine and available to you, and you need to be able to explain where they came from. A large deposit made just before you apply, with no clear source, is the kind of thing that leads to refusals under Evidence Level 3. The Subclass 500 guide covers the full document list.

The 2 October 2026 Change: Your Family Probably Can't Come With You

From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applicants can no longer include a partner or children in their application. The exceptions are PhD students, DFAT or Defence-sponsored students, foreign government scholarship holders, and eligible Pacific and ASEAN nationals. Home Affairs also says family members cannot be added after the visa is granted, and that "there are no exemptions to this rule." For most Indian master's students starting in February 2027, a partner would need a separate visa of their own. Check this before you accept an offer, not after you arrive. Our spouse visa comparison sets out the options country by country.

Most applications must now also be lodged from outside Australia, so applying from India is the standard route.

Should You Push for February or Move to July?

• February is realistic if: you hold an offer (or will very soon), your funds and their source are already documented, and you can lodge with a CoE by mid-December.
• Consider July 2027 if: you are still waiting on offers in late December, your financial paperwork needs to be rebuilt, or a partner's visa plans are not yet settled. A rushed GS answer or an unexplained deposit costs far more than a five-month delay.

If you are still deciding between countries, our January vs September intake guide compares the options.

Get the February Timeline Checked Against Your Own File

Whether February works for you depends on your provider's priority status, how your funds are documented and whether family is involved. Goodwind can go through your offer, finances and GS answers and tell you honestly whether February is achievable or whether July is the safer choice. Book a consultation with Goodwind to plan your Australia application.