Australia pauses new registrations to teach international students for 12 months

Melbourne, May 18: The Anthony Albanese government has announced a 12-month pause on new registrations for education providers seeking to teach international students in Australia’s English-language and vocational education sectors, following growing concerns over misuse of the country’s visa system.

The decision comes after the release of the “Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia’s Visa System”, commonly known as the Nixon Review, which identified significant vulnerabilities in Australia’s migration framework, including the exploitation of student visa pathways.

Under the new measure, the federal government will suspend new applications to the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) for one year. CRICOS is the national framework responsible for registering education providers and courses offered to international students.

Applications for new courses through Australia’s national vocational education regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), will also be affected by the suspension.

However, the restrictions will not apply to public education providers, including government schools, TAFE institutions, and Table A universities.

The government said the temporary pause would allow ASQA additional time to strengthen oversight of the sector and address integrity concerns raised in both the Nixon Review and the 2023 Migration Review.

Assistant Citizenship Minister Julian Hill said Australia’s ongoing success as an international education destination depended on maintaining quality and trust in the system.

“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 in the VET and English-language sectors is not a decision taken lightly. It will help address concerns about new market entrants and oversaturation within the international VET and ELICOS sectors.”

Mr Hill added that regulators had continued to see a surge in new providers despite student numbers in some parts of the sector beginning to moderate.

The Albanese government has increasingly focused on strengthening the international education system amid mounting political debate over migration levels and housing affordability. The issue has also drawn renewed attention from One Nation and the Coalition, both of which have linked migration levels to housing pressures across the country.

Migration and international student numbers featured prominently during recent state and federal political debates, including in South Australia and the NSW electorate of Farrer. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has also pledged to tie future migration levels to housing completions.

Last year, the government passed the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025, giving authorities the legal power to suspend new applications where necessary.

ASQA will now use the suspension period to assess the suitability and integrity of potential new providers and examine concerns about market oversaturation in the VET and ELICOS sectors.

Education providers already registered to deliver courses to international students will still be permitted to apply for additional locations or introduce replacement courses under existing arrangements.