Education marketing
International
students.
Three things shape international marketing now. The government's National Planning Level is 295,000 new overseas students for both 2026 and 2027. Visa processing slows once a provider reaches 80% of its allocation. And for students accepted after 31 March 2026, providers can't pay agents commission for recruiting students already studying with another provider. Marketing has to work within your allocation and through agents you manage closely.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.The planning
level.
The National Planning Level is 295,000 new overseas students for 2026 and 2027. No provider's 2027 allocation is below its 2026 one, and schools, standalone English colleges, TAFE, research degrees and some others are exempt. It works as a processing priority, not a cap.
Under Ministerial Direction 115, from 14 November 2025, offshore applications drop to a lower priority once a provider reaches 80% of its allocation, and lower again once it's 15% over. The student visa charge also rose to $2,500 from 1 July 2026.
Visa priority tracker
Where are you
against your allocation?
For providers with an allocation under the National Planning Level. Enter it and your new overseas commencements so far, and see which processing tier new offshore applicants fall into.
Share of allocation used
Processing tier for new offshore applicants
Check your own figures with the department. The direction covers offshore applications only, and how commencements are counted is set by the department, not this tool. Schools, standalone English courses, TAFE and research students stay at the top priority. Applications lodged 15 November to 31 December count against next year's allocation.
Education
agents.
The Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025 received assent on 4 December 2025. A later instrument bans commissions for recruiting students already studying with another provider, for students accepted after 31 March 2026, covering money and non-money benefits, with some exceptions.
Standard 4 of the National Code requires a written agreement with each agent, ending the arrangement immediately for false or misleading recruitment, and keeping agent details in PRISMS. Your agents' marketing is effectively your marketing.
What your
marketing must do.
Under Standard 1 of the National Code, marketing to overseas students must be accurate about the course, the provider and costs, must not promise migration outcomes, and must show your CRICOS details. Check every agent's materials against your own, at least once a year.
Given the planning level, think about the timing of offshore campaigns: building interest for next year may be worth more than chasing this year once you're near your allocation.
Reaching students
overseas.
Most international recruitment still runs through agents, so your own marketing has two audiences: students and their families, and the agents who advise them. Give agents accurate, current materials and training, and check what they publish in your name.
For students, the questions are practical: total cost of study and living, what the course leads to, where they'll live, and what support exists. Put those answers on your own site in plain English, and keep them consistent with what agents say. Inconsistencies are where complaints and misleading-marketing problems start. Domestic and international marketing should also share the same facts: the RTO advertising rules apply to both.
What I see most often
What I see
most often.
- 1
Agents using old materials
Brochures with last year's fees or outcomes still circulating overseas.
- 2
Migration promises
Agent posts implying a course leads to permanent residency.
- 3
No CRICOS details
Social ads for international students with no CRICOS provider code.
The honest bit. This is a marketing summary, not legal or migration advice, and the rules have changed often. Check the department's current guidance before planning a campaign.
Questions
people ask.
What is the National Planning Level?
The government's target for new overseas students: 295,000 for 2026 and 2027. It works as a visa processing priority.
Is there a cap on international students in 2027?
Not a hard cap. Applications for providers past 80% of their allocation are processed more slowly.
Can education agents get commission for onshore transfers?
No. Commissions for recruiting students already studying with another provider are banned, with limited exceptions.
What must education agents agree to?
A written agreement under Standard 4, which ends if they recruit falsely or misleadingly.
Related
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