The article "Private Ghost Colleges Ruthlessly Exploit Visa System" by Leith van Onselen, at the mighty Macrobusiness.com.au, one of the few taking on the pressing issue of the universities:
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/02/private-ghost-colleges-ruthlessly-exploit-visa-system/
He delves into the pervasive issue of fraudulent private colleges in Australia that exploit the student visa system for financial gain.
Record International Student Enrolments
As of September 2024, Australia recorded an unprecedented 1,018,799 international student enrolments. Notably, the vocational education and training (VET) sector experienced a significant surge, with student numbers increasing from 247,467 in 2019 to 351,704 in 2024. These foreigners, mostly from communist China will become the new elites in the professional classes, a trend begun by John Howard, as documented in the book, The Howard Legacy.
Government Measures and Unintended Consequences
In an effort to curb net overseas migration, the Albanese government implemented stricter regulations on international student visas. However, this led to a substantial number of former students lodging unsubstantiated asylum claims to prolong their stay in Australia, resulting in a marked rise in bridging visas.
Exposé on Fraudulent Practices
Journalist Adele Ferguson highlighted the "dodgy operators, bogus qualifications, and financial fraud" within Australia's $7 billion private college industry. These institutions, often linked to criminal networks, exploit the system by selling counterfeit qualifications and facilitating visa scams. Christine Nixon, author of the "Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia's Visa System" (March 2023), observed that certain nationalities exploit members of their own communities.
Regulatory Crackdown
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) intensified its oversight, handling 174 serious cases involving 138 training providers as of December 31, 2024. These cases encompass allegations of cash-for-qualifications schemes, fraud, fake diplomas, and fabricated assessments. In the 2023-24 financial year, ASQA deregistered 51 private colleges, a 34 percent increase from the previous year, with an additional 28 colleges deregistered in the latter half of 2024.
Call for Comprehensive Reform
Leith van Onselen advocates for a complete overhaul of the student visa system and the private college sector. It suggests revoking the accreditation of substandard providers and tightening visa application and appeals processes to ensure that students depart Australia upon visa expiration or denial of further applications. The overarching recommendation is to prioritize quality over quantity in international student admissions. Maybe, but I think we need to move far beyond this, and abandon the international student supermarket altogether, with fundamental change to the entire higher education sector. Close down the universities.
When are the champions of the freedom movement going to take on the universities issue, the source of most of our problems? People: send them emails, letters, phone calls, go and see them!
In the meantime, deporting any students associated with these dodgy ghost colleges is an excellent idea:
"The federal government is facing calls to deport any international students associated with so-called "ghost colleges" after a major crackdown saw hundreds of dodgy operators shut down or given warning notices.
The Albanese government last week announced that more than 150 dormant vocational education and training (VET) providers had been shut down after failing to show proof of training for 12 months or more.
A further 140 were issued warning notices by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) and ordered to resume "quality training" by the end of 2024 or face deregistration.
"The Albanese government is calling time on the rorts and loopholes that have plagued the VET sector for far too long under the former Liberal and National government," Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said in a statement.
"We've weeded out and shut down over 150 dormant operators, and 140 more have been given a yellow card. Under our government, there is no place for anyone who seeks to undermine the sector and exploit students."
But the announcement left news.com.au contributor and economic commentator Tarric Brooker asking, "What happens now?"
"What happens to the providers who committed mass fraud?" he wrote on X. "And the thousands or more who got a visa under false pretences?"
Leith van Onselen, co-founder of MacroBusiness, said the crackdown came a full 13 years after reports first emerged of sham vocational colleges rorting Australia's visa system.
"Shouldn't the operators of the ghost colleges be punished and the fake students who enrolled in them deported?" he wrote this week. "There need to be consequences for deliberately abusing Australia's visa system."The article "Private Ghost Colleges Ruthlessly Exploit Visa System" by Leith van Onselen, at the mighty Macrobusiness.com.au, one of the few taking on the pressing issue of the universities:
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/02/private-ghost-colleges-ruthlessly-exploit-visa-system/
He delves into the pervasive issue of fraudulent private colleges in Australia that exploit the student visa system for financial gain.
Record International Student Enrolments
As of September 2024, Australia recorded an unprecedented 1,018,799 international student enrolments. Notably, the vocational education and training (VET) sector experienced a significant surge, with student numbers increasing from 247,467 in 2019 to 351,704 in 2024. These foreigners, mostly from communist China will become the new elites in the professional classes, a trend begun by John Howard, as documented in the book, The Howard Legacy.
Government Measures and Unintended Consequences
In an effort to curb net overseas migration, the Albanese government implemented stricter regulations on international student visas. However, this led to a substantial number of former students lodging unsubstantiated asylum claims to prolong their stay in Australia, resulting in a marked rise in bridging visas.
Exposé on Fraudulent Practices
Journalist Adele Ferguson highlighted the "dodgy operators, bogus qualifications, and financial fraud" within Australia's $7 billion private college industry. These institutions, often linked to criminal networks, exploit the system by selling counterfeit qualifications and facilitating visa scams. Christine Nixon, author of the "Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia's Visa System" (March 2023), observed that certain nationalities exploit members of their own communities.
Regulatory Crackdown
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) intensified its oversight, handling 174 serious cases involving 138 training providers as of December 31, 2024. These cases encompass allegations of cash-for-qualifications schemes, fraud, fake diplomas, and fabricated assessments. In the 2023-24 financial year, ASQA deregistered 51 private colleges, a 34 percent increase from the previous year, with an additional 28 colleges deregistered in the latter half of 2024.
Call for Comprehensive Reform
Leith van Onselen advocates for a complete overhaul of the student visa system and the private college sector. It suggests revoking the accreditation of substandard providers and tightening visa application and appeals processes to ensure that students depart Australia upon visa expiration or denial of further applications. The overarching recommendation is to prioritize quality over quantity in international student admissions. Maybe, but I think we need to move far beyond this, and abandon the international student supermarket altogether, with fundamental change to the entire higher education sector. Close down the universities.
When are the champions of the freedom movement going to take on the universities issue, the source of most of our problems? People: send them emails, letters, phone calls, go and see them!
In the meantime, deporting any students associated with these dodgy ghost colleges is an excellent idea:
"The federal government is facing calls to deport any international students associated with so-called "ghost colleges" after a major crackdown saw hundreds of dodgy operators shut down or given warning notices.
The Albanese government last week announced that more than 150 dormant vocational education and training (VET) providers had been shut down after failing to show proof of training for 12 months or more.
A further 140 were issued warning notices by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) and ordered to resume "quality training" by the end of 2024 or face deregistration.
"The Albanese government is calling time on the rorts and loopholes that have plagued the VET sector for far too long under the former Liberal and National government," Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said in a statement.
"We've weeded out and shut down over 150 dormant operators, and 140 more have been given a yellow card. Under our government, there is no place for anyone who seeks to undermine the sector and exploit students."
But the announcement left news.com.au contributor and economic commentator Tarric Brooker asking, "What happens now?"
"What happens to the providers who committed mass fraud?" he wrote on X. "And the thousands or more who got a visa under false pretences?"
Leith van Onselen, co-founder of MacroBusiness, said the crackdown came a full 13 years after reports first emerged of sham vocational colleges rorting Australia's visa system.
"Shouldn't the operators of the ghost colleges be punished and the fake students who enrolled in them deported?" he wrote this week. "There need to be consequences for deliberately abusing Australia's visa system."