Vietnamese students: could a course change in Australia put your visa at risk?

Tips · 2026-09-04 · 3 min read

Are you studying in Australia, or planning to? Then this news is for you. A course that many students used as a "backup" is now closed to new international students. It is the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning). Let us look at what happened in simple words.

What happened?

The Australian government closed the course to new international enrolments. Students who are already in the course can finish it. Colleges and education agents cannot recruit new international students into it. The government used its newer powers to cancel a course. This is the first time it has done so.

Why did the government act?

The government looked at the data. Many students were moving into this one course. In 2020, around 510 students transferred in. By 2025, it was roughly 4,000. About 77% of them were already studying elsewhere in higher education. That means they did not need a new student visa application to make the move.

There were other warning signs:

Nearly half of the students offered a place never started in 2025.
Fewer students finished than in the rest of the VET sector. VET means vocational education and training.
More than 450 providers were registered to teach the course, with over 41,000 active enrolments.

The government saw a pattern. It looked like an easy, low-cost way to stay enrolled and keep a visa, not a real wish to study management.

Is this only about education?

No. It is also about migration. Net overseas migration means the number of people arriving in a country, minus those leaving. It is now around 300,000 a year. The government wants it to fall to 225,000 by 2028. So it is making many small changes, for example:

A 12-month freeze on new course applications from private colleges and training providers
Faster processing for skilled migrants who are already in Australia
Slower processing of working holiday visas for applicants from two dozen countries

Expect more changes like this, not one big change.

What should I do?

Here are simple steps:

If you are already in this course, you may finish it. Nothing changes for you.
If you wanted to move into it, you cannot now. If someone still offers you a place, ask many questions.
If you are choosing a first course, choose a real, well-regarded qualification. Do not choose only the cheapest or the easiest.
If you think about any transfer, talk to a qualified migration adviser first. A transfer that looks easy can cause visa problems later.

Stay safe and be prepared

Deal only with licensed organisations and real education providers. Never pay an unlicensed broker. Be careful with anyone who asks for money upfront to "secure" a place or a visa. Keep certified English translations of your Vietnamese documents ready where the visa rules ask for them. You may also need IELTS or PTE if the visa or the course asks for an English test.

A good choice today protects your plans tomorrow. Take your time, check the facts, and ask for advice from people you can trust.

#course transfer #student visa #australia #vietnamese students #international students