Government to crack down on 'dodgy and unscrupulous players' within international education sector

The reforms form part of the government's response to the review into the exploitation of Australia's visa system conducted by former Victorian chief police commissioner Christine Nixon.

Education Minister Jason Clare said with international students returning to Australia, the government was taking action.

"International students are back, but so are the shonks seeking to exploit them and undermine our international education system," he said.

Under planned changes to the Education Services for Overseas Students Act, the government will toughen up standards that allow international education providers to receive and retain registration and prevent "cross-ownership" of education provider and education agent businesses.

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The government has also promised to ban agent commissions on student transfers between providers to deter fraudulent players from "poaching" students.

To help education providers select better agents, they will be given better access to agent performance data, which will include information such as student completion rates.

Other measures include building risk indicators that will help better monitor compliance within the sector.

Mr Clare told Sky News on Sunday that the government has already banned the practice of students enrolling in two courses at once in their first six months of study in Australia.

He later said the government will outline more measures to "crack down on dodgy and unscrupulous players in the international education sector" in the coming days.