Incoming cross-ownership rules are not intended to affect “legitimate relationships” between providers and agents, according to Australia's education department.

Australia is looking to enact wide-ranging changes this year to put a stop to unscrupulous agent behaviour and non-genuine students switching courses.

Australia has invited insights from stakeholders as part of a public consultation for a review of its Education Services for Overseas Students framework.

Two bills updating the ESOS Act have been passed in Australia, promising to reduce administrative costs and enhance quality assurance. However, an amendment to rules on tuition fees paid in advance being placed in holding accounts did not pass.

Australia’s government has announced a raft of changes to the ESOS Act, that promise to reduce red tape, change tuition payment requirements, and give teeth to ELICOS standards.

International education is a success story in Australia at the moment with overall enrolments up 12% to June this year, but peak bodies openly discussed the need to ensure that "good growth" is achieved, as current industry bugbears around Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP) and the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) were laid bare.