by: Michelle Mosiere
On 30 November 2025, during the third reading of the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity & Other Measures) Bill 2025, the House of Representatives agreed to the Senate’s amendments. This means the Bill is likely to amend several Acts in its overhauling of international education integrity, agent regulation, and authorisations for offshore delivery.
Proposed changes to the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) will impact the handling of education agent commissions, collation of education agent information, management of registration requirements, and grounds for cancellation of registration and specified courses.
ESOS Act
The Bill is set to:
- expand the definition of “education agent” to encompass their activities
- strengthen the “fit and proper” person test and its application to providers
- ban the payment of commissions for onshore student transfers
- allow the Minister for Education to pause new provider/course applications for up to 12 months where integrity issues present
- extend the Education Department’s powers to collect and share information on education agent commissions moving forward.
Course cancellations will also feature more heavily in the sector.
For example, CRICOS course codes will be revoked when courses are not delivered to overseas students for 12 consecutive months. Heightened Ministerial powers will also take effect and allow for the suspension or cancellation of courses on the grounds of public interest, systemically poor quality, or insufficient skills development.
TEQSA Act
The Bill requires TEQSA to:
- approve the offshore delivery of Australian qualifications, and
- process material change notifications regarding new/changed offshore delivery arrangements.
Operational Impacts
The new legislation will necessarily trigger updates and improvements to policy frameworks, standard operating procedures, fitness and propriety documentation processes, and agent-related documents.
DVE supports quality and compliance teams to adopt legislative changes through prioritised action plans, rapid/detailed reviews of documents, and compliance health checks. We are also expert at strengthening responses to regulatory authorities requesting information.
Contact us via info@dvesolutions.com.au or 1800 870 677 to learn how we can tailor solutions to suit your institution’s needs.
