Albanese Government moves to cap international student enrolments and shore up sector’s integrity

International student enrolments will be capped and providers subject to extra scrutiny under new laws to be introduced by the Albanese Government next week.

The Federal Government is moving to shore up the integrity of the sector by giving regulators more power to prevent education providers from also owning education agent businesses and to stop dodgy providers from recruiting new students.

The legislation will also enable the Education Minister to set an allocation for the maximum number of new international student enrolments education providers can offer.

Dormant provider registrations would also be cancelled to stop them being used as a market entry tool by unscrupulous businesses.

In addition, the Government will prohibit agent commissions on student transfers between providers in Australia to remove incentives to poach students.

The government will also release a draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework on how to manage growth in international student enrolments.

It follows announcements last year on a new government strategy to reduce migration levels.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said international education was important to the nation and the draft framework would lay the groundwork for a more sustainable education sector offering high-quality student experiences.

“International students are back — but so are the shonks seeking to take advantage of them,” he said.

“These reforms are designed to ensure the integrity, quality and ongoing sustainability of this vitally important sector.

Skills and Training Minister Brenan O’Connor said there was no place for “dodgy operators” undermining the vocational and training sector’s strong reputation.

“We are making it tougher for bottom-feeders to take advantage of international students for a quick buck,” he said.