The Australian government has just taken a strong action against the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) after discovering an unusual increase in the number of international students transferring into this program. The government’s goal is to prevent students from choosing or switching to a course primarily to continue maintaining their stay in Australia, instead of actually studying for the right purpose. destination. This is also the first time the Australian Government has used new powers to cancel international enrollment rights for a course.
Why is this course getting attention?
The number of students transferring into the program has increased from approximately 510 in 2020 to 4,000 in 2025. Notably, 77% of transferees came from other university education programs. Additionally, almost half of those accepted to study the program in 2025 did not start the course, while completion rates are also lower than many other VET courses. These data lead the government to suspect that the program is being used by some students as a way to maintain their Visa status, rather than as a real educational goal.
How will the Australian Government control it?
The notable point is that the government is not only looking at whether a student has a Visa or not, but is also looking at the entire learning process. It can be simply visualized: Select course → Start studying → Change course → Continue studying → Complete course. If a course shows unusual signs such as too many transfers, many people register but do not start, low completion rate, the government can review and intervene.
For courses identified as having problems, schools and agencies maynot be able to recruit new international students. In the case of the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning), students who have already started studying are still allowed to complete the program.
What does this mean for Vietnamese international students?
Not every change of school or course is a violation. Students can still change their study path if they have a reasonable reason. It is important that the change must have clear academic and career goals. For example, if a student repeatedly moves through different courses just to continue in Australia, but cannot explain why those courses are relevant to career goals, the application may become more notable.
On the contrary, if the change of course has a clear reason and is consistent with the career development process, the nature is completely different.
Don’t choose a course just because you want to keep your Visa
This is the most important message from the Australian Government’s new move. Previously, many people may have been interested: “Which course is easy to study?” “Which course is easy to transfer?” “What to study to stay in Australia longer?”. But this approach is increasingly risky. Instead, you should start with the question: “What career do I study this field for after graduation?”
Then consider the school, course, cost, job opportunities and suitable Visa options. This move shows that the Australian Government is moving to controlnot only Visa but also the learning behavior of students and the enrollment activities of training institutions.
Simply put: It’s not that Australia doesn’t want international students. Australia wants people who come to Australia to actually study. Therefore, a logical Study → Career → Employment → Visa path will become increasingly important. If your goal is to study abroad in Australia and later continue to work in Australia, don’t start with the question “Which course will help me stay the longest?” — let’s start with “which industry is right for my future?”
Source: ABC News
Note: Education policy and Australian Visa are subject to change. Students should check current regulations and evaluate specific documents before changing courses or Visa routes.
UPDATE LATEST INFORMATION
From October 5, 2026, the Australian Government will stop allowing new international students to enroll in the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) – GDML course. Students who started studying before this date can still continue and complete the course. Students who have a CoE but have not yet started studying will not be able to continue the course after the above time. This is one of the new measures to prevent taking advantage of courses to maintain or prolong Study visa in Australia. __________
Trước 5/10/2026
🟢 Đã học → Được học tiếp
🟢 Đã có CoE nhưng chưa học → 🔴 Không được bắt đầu
🟢 Sinh viên mới → 🔴 Không được tuyển/bắt đầu
