New courses for int’l students on hold

“Registrations for courses to teach international students English or vocational training will be put on hold for 12 months as the Albanese government works to restore integrity within the immigration system following a scathing review. The Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia’s Visa System , also known as the Nixon Review, revealed significant vulnerabilities in the country’s immigration system, including exploitation of visa pathways for students. As a result, the Albanese government announced on Monday it would suspend new applications for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) registrations for 12 months. The government body oversees registration of education providers and programs for international students. Registration of courses to Australia’s national VET Regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), will also be subject to the suspension. It will not, however, apply to new applications from public providers, including government schools, TAFE providers, and Table A universities. It is understood the pause will give the ASQA additional time to address sector integrity issues while processing existing applications following both the Nixon Review and the 2023 Migration Review. Assistant Citizenship Minister Julian Hill said Australia’s continued success as a destination for international students required “focus on quality, integrity, and student experience”. “Australia welcomes genuine international students seeking a premium Australian education and the government is committed to further strengthening integrity and sustainability in the international education sector,” he said. “Suspending new registrations to teach international students VET or English language onshore is not a decision taken lightly and will allow the government to address integrity concerns about new market entrants and oversaturation in the international VET and ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) sectors. “Frankly, it raises suspicions when at the same time student numbers in these parts of the sector are moderating the regulator continues to see a rush of new market entrants.” The Albanese government has sought to bolster the strength of the international education system, including in the wake of a renewed focus from One Nation and the Coalition on Australia’s overseas migration and the impact on housing. The issue has been at the forefront of elections in South Australia and in the NSW seat of Farrer, and featured prominently in opposition leader Angus Taylor’s budget reply speech, during which he pledged to tie migration levels to housing completions. Last year, the government passed the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025, which provided the authority to suspend new applications. ASQA will use the suspension to assess the integrity of potential new market entrants as well as analyse market oversaturation within the international VET and ELICOS sectors. Providers who are currently registered to deliver a course will still be able to apply to add a location for that course or register to deliver a new course that supersedes that course.

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