Data source: Department of Home Affairs, Study visa statistics, ingested into SVH's production dataset. Figures for the rolling three month window of March to May 2026. Offshore applications only unless stated.
This is data reporting only, not migration advice.
The Department of Home Affairs granted 30.6% of 1,808 decided offshore student visa applications from Kenya in the March to May 2026 window, down 25.6 percentage points from 56.2% in the December 2025 to February 2026 window.
Kenya's 30.6% was the lowest offshore grant rate among the 20 highest-volume nationalities in the window. By lodgement volume, Kenya ranked fifth among offshore markets with 1,808 decided applications in the period.
In the same window, Kenya's onshore grant rate was 81.6% of 938 lodgements, up 5.8 points from 75.8% in the prior window. The gap between Kenya's offshore rate (30.6%) and its onshore rate (81.6%) was 51.0 percentage points in the March to May 2026 window, one of the widest such gaps in the published dataset.
Context across the steepest movers
Several nationalities in the top-20 group recorded steep offshore rate falls in the March to May 2026 window. Zimbabwe fell 46.3 points to 43.2% of its decided offshore applications; Nigeria fell 31.4 points to 52.1%; and the Philippines fell 26.4 points to 39.2%. Kenya's 25.6-point fall placed it fourth among the steepest movers by points, while its absolute rate of 30.6% was the lowest recorded in the group.
India's offshore rate was 49.1% of 7,774 decided applications and Nepal's was 34.6% of 6,298 decided applications in the same window, for further reference.
What the figures cover
The statistics cover offshore and onshore applications separately. Offshore figures reflect applications lodged while the applicant was outside Australia and decided during the window. Onshore figures reflect applications lodged while the applicant was inside Australia and decided during the same window. The two groups are counted separately in the published data; they are not combined.
The December 2025 to February 2026 comparison figures use the same methodology. The 25.6-point offshore fall and the 5.8-point onshore rise are the arithmetic differences between the two window periods for their respective groups.
What the data does not show
The Department of Home Affairs has not published an explanation for the decline in Kenya's offshore grant rate or for the divergence between offshore and onshore outcomes. The published statistics do not include grounds for refusal, median processing times by nationality, or a breakdown by course level or institution type within Kenyan applicants.
The 51.0-point gap between offshore and onshore rates is a feature of the published data for Kenya in this window. The dataset does not indicate whether the gap reflects differences in applicant profile, documentation, course type, or other factors. The data records outcomes; it does not explain them.
Individual circumstances vary. This article is general information, not migration or legal advice. For guidance on a specific application, consult a MARA registered migration agent.
Pro shows the same breakdown across all 20 highest-volume nationalities in a single side-by-side table, with trailing rate movement for each window.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs, Study visa statistics: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/visa-statistics/study. Rolling three month window, March to May 2026.
StudyVisaHub is not a registered migration agent and does not provide immigration assistance. This article reports published Australian Government information and is general information only.