Australia tightens agent commission rules for onshore transfers

On January 16, assistant minister for international education Julian Hill signed an amendment to the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018. The amendment bars education providers from paying agent commissions for recruiting international students who have already started studies with another provider, with limited exceptions.

A registered provider may pay an education agent commission for the recruitment of an overseas student where the commission relates to a student:

• who becomes an accepted student of the provider on or before 31 March 2026; or
• for the courses delivered by the provider, as specified in the Confirmation(s) of Enrolment (CoEs), for which the student’s student visa was granted; or
• for a course that commences after the student’s completion of their principal course of study with the other registered provider.

The move is intended to crack down on onshore poaching, an issue that parts of the sector have long called to be addressed. The Association for Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI) has consistently advocated for measures to curb unethical poaching and strengthen accountability, AAERI president Nishidhar Borra explained, while welcoming the change.

Ravi Lochan Singh, managing director of Global Reach, and a vocal commentator on the topic, described the National Code amendment prohibiting onshore commissions on course progression as “a positive development”.

This allows students who are progressing through the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) to seek the assistance of onshore migration and education agents, and commissions for such enrolments will still be paid
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“This allows students who are progressing through the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) to seek the assistance of onshore migration and education agents, and commissions for such enrolments will still be paid,” said Singh.

The news follows a suite of reforms being announced for Australia’s international education sector under the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025, which proposes changes across several key education laws, including the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act.

The measures are designed to strengthen quality, integrity and long-term sustainability across the sector, and include changes to the broader legal definition of an education agent, alongside expanded ministerial powers.

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