Portfolio — 19 March 2026

The Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Minister for International Education, Julian Hill, used a single media release to set out the Government's 2026 international education agenda, pairing a growth-oriented planning level with a regulatory integrity crackdown [TA-260319-educat-59cbf060543a]. The announcement signals a dual track: sustainable sector expansion under a capped planning level, alongside legislative measures targeting exploitation and rorting [TA-260319-educat-59cbf060543a].

The 2026 National Planning Level is set at 295,000 commencements, a figure the Government frames as allowing sustainable growth while remaining below the immediate post-COVID peak [TA-260319-educat-59cbf060543a]. This positions the sector for continued expansion without returning to the surge levels seen after pandemic restrictions eased.

On the integrity front, the Government will implement the Education Legislation Amendment Integrity Act, which bans commissions for student transfers and strengthens provider regulation to combat exploitation and rorting [TA-260319-educat-59cbf060543a]. The legislative measure targets practices that have drawn scrutiny in the international education sector, particularly around agent commissions and provider conduct.

Looking ahead, the Government will release a new International Education and Skills Strategic Framework to chart a direction that prioritises offshore growth and two-way mobility alongside economic contributions [TA-260319-educat-59cbf060543a]. The framework signals an intent to broaden the sector's footprint beyond onshore delivery, emphasising reciprocal mobility and the economic role of international education.

The overall approach balances two competing pressures: the sector's demand for policy stability and growth certainty, and the Government's commitment to integrity enforcement. The 2026 strategy attempts to deliver both through a capped planning level that provides growth headroom, legislative measures that tighten provider conduct, and a forward-looking framework that repositions the sector toward offshore and two-way engagement.