By Navpreet Aulakh, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619467. Checked against the Assistant Minister for International Education's media release of 4 September 2026, the ESOS instrument on the Federal Register of Legislation (F2026L01160) and ASQA's notice to providers on 1 October 2026.
From Monday 5 October 2026, the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning), course code BSB80120, closes to new international students. That is four days away. If you are enrolled in this course, holding a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for it, or planning to use it for your next student visa, now is the time to check where you stand.
What the Government has done
On 3 September 2026, Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill made a legislative instrument under section 96B of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act). It names BSB80120 Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) for automatic suspension and cancellation, wherever it is delivered by a registered VET provider. It is the first time the new course cancellation power, passed in November 2025, has been used.
The Government says the course has been used to facilitate onshore transfers by non-genuine students and is linked to high visa refusal rates and low completion. According to the Minister, 452 VET providers were registered to deliver it to international students, with 41,033 active CoEs and 15,772 students recorded as currently studying it.
What changes on 5 October 2026
According to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), from 5 October 2026 providers cannot:
- issue new CoEs for the course
- enrol new overseas students in it
- start overseas students who have not yet commenced it
Any CoE for the course held by a student who has not commenced it by 5 October will be automatically cancelled on that day. Domestic students are not affected.
Where this leaves you
- You have already started the course. You can keep studying and finish it with your current provider. Once all overseas students at that provider have completed or withdrawn, the course comes off the provider's registration.
- You hold a CoE but have not started. Your CoE for this course will be cancelled on 5 October. Your provider has to meet its placement and refund obligations under the ESOS framework, so ask them in writing what they are offering.
- You have a student visa application pending on a GDML CoE. Get advice now. A visa application that rests on a cancelled CoE needs to be looked at before the Department makes a decision.
- You were planning to enrol. This course is no longer an option for international students. Be wary of anyone still offering it, or pushing a last-minute enrolment before the deadline.
Most student visas require you to stay enrolled in a registered course, so a cancelled CoE is not something to leave until later. Changing courses can also affect your visa, and each case is different. ASQA has told providers to send visa questions to the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent.
What to do this week
- Check your CoE and your commencement date with your provider.
- Keep copies of every email and letter your provider sends you about the course.
- Do not accept a new course or pay new fees until you know how the change affects your visa.
- If you are thinking about your long-term plans, look at courses with real PR prospects and the genuine student requirement before choosing your next step.
For the full background, read our earlier guide to the GDML cancellation.
How we can help
We can review your enrolment, your visa and your options, whether that is staying on track with your current course or moving to a new one without putting your student visa at risk. Call 1300 644 728, email visa@nanakmigration.com.au or book your consultation online.
This article is general information only and is not immigration advice for your circumstances. Migration law and policy change frequently; confirm the current position with a registered migration agent before acting. Nanak Migration Group, 1313 Success Group Pty Ltd, ABN 54 674 937 476. Navpreet Aulakh, MARN 2619467.