The Albanese government has frozen new applications from private colleges and training organisations seeking to teach international students for 12 months, following mounting concerns over exploitation and integrity failures in Australia’s migration and education system.
The suspension, announced on Monday, comes in response to the Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia’s Visa System — commonly known as the Nixon Review — which identified significant vulnerabilities in the international student visa framework, particularly within vocational education and English-language training sectors.
Under the changes, new applications for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) registration will be paused for a year. Applications to Australia’s national vocational education regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), will also be suspended from Monday.
The crackdown targets new providers seeking to deliver vocational education and training (VET) and English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS), sectors the government believes have become vulnerable to poor-quality operators and misuse of student visa pathways.
The suspension will not apply to public education providers, including government schools, TAFEs and major public universities.
Assistant Minister for International Education and Citizenship Julian Hill said the government remained committed to genuine international students while moving aggressively to protect the integrity of Australia’s education system.
Mr Hill said,
“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 the government was concerned by a continuing “rush of new market entrants” despite student demand moderating in parts of the sector.
“Frankly, it raises suspicions,” he said.
The Albanese government has increasingly focused on migration integrity amid growing political pressure over overseas migration levels and housing affordability. International students have become a major flashpoint in the national debate, with both the Coalition and One Nation linking migration numbers to the housing crisis.
The Nixon Review, alongside the 2023 Migration Review, found widespread concerns about visa exploitation, migrant worker abuse, and the use of some education providers as backdoor migration pathways rather than genuine educational institutions.
The government said the 12-month pause would allow ASQA additional time to scrutinise existing applications, assess integrity risks among prospective providers, and examine whether parts of the international VET and ELICOS sectors had become oversaturated.
Legislation enabling the suspension powers was passed by Parliament last year under the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025.
Existing providers already approved to teach international students will still be able to expand campuses and update courses where qualifications are replaced.
The move comes as Opposition Leader Angus Taylor pushes for migration cuts tied directly to housing construction rates, arguing Australia’s migration intake has outpaced infrastructure and housing supply.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan has also labelled parts of the international student visa system a “scam that needs to be scaled back”.
Universities have meanwhile warned against broad restrictions on international students, arguing the sector contributes billions to the economy and supports jobs, research, and regional communities.
Luke Sheehy, chief executive of Universities Australia, said international education remained one of Australia’s most valuable exports.
“Our estimation is that each student provides around $70,000 of economic stimulus to the country each and every year that they’re here,” he said.
He warned that taking a “sledgehammer approach” to international education would not solve the housing crisis, noting international students accounted for only a small proportion of the private rental market.
The federal government has defended the crackdown as necessary to restore confidence in both the migration system and Australia’s international education reputation, while ensuring legitimate students and reputable providers are protected.
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