Colleges warned not to take advantage of student visas

Private colleges have issued nearly 3,000 last-minute enrolments to a diploma course that is being cancelled after allegedly being “misused” by non-genuine students, as Labor threatens to suspend providers that are manipulating new rules.

Guardian Australia revealed in September that private colleges were offering discounts to rush students into the graduate diploma of management (learning) ahead of its deregistration on 5 October, which the government says was being used by some non-genuine students to remain in the country. The assistant minister for international education, Julian Hill, said at the time the system had been “misused”.

The regulator says since the ban was announced on 4 September, more than 1,300 new enrolments had been issued and more than 1,500 students have had their future enrolments brought forward. Some immigration education agents have offered promotions for the month of September, including in WhatsApp messages and texts, encouraging students to join the course or those who have a future enrolment to study now. Several ads promote discounted course fees or a free certificate of enrolment to join immediately.

As part of the rule changes, students who have “packaged” a lower-level vocational course with the graduate diploma will need to enrol on to a higher-level course to meet their visa requirements. By fast-tracking the start date of the graduate diploma, that could mean studying two courses at the same time.

The Department of Home Affairs has issued letters of concern to several providers asking them to explain their behaviour and practices. Hill also stated he was prepared to use powers not previously exercised on colleges that have breached the rules, preventing them from being able to recruit new students.