Do I need a release letter to change providers in Australia in 2026?
No — you do not get a paper release letter to hand to your new school. Under the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code 2018), releases for transfer-restricted enrolments must be recorded in the Provider Registration and Information Management System (PRISMS) by the releasing provider, rather than issued to you as a physical letter. This is the position stated on the Australian Government Department of Education's PRISMS FAQs page, which was last modified on 28 August 2025. The requirement itself has not disappeared; only the form changed.
So what replaced the release letter?
Since 1 January 2018, the releasing provider records the release directly in PRISMS. You no longer obtain a physical letter of release from the provider and carry it to the next one.
Providers can also record a refusal of a release in PRISMS for any of their transfer-restricted enrolments. That means the decision exists as a system record visible to the sector, not as a document in your inbox.
What is a transfer-restricted enrolment, and why does the release still matter?
The release mechanism under Standard 7 of the National Code exists because some enrolments cannot simply be swapped for another provider's. When a provider releases a student from a transfer-restricted enrolment, the department's page is explicit about the effect: it allows a new provider to enrol the student without breaching Standard 7.
Read that the other way around. If no release is recorded, the protection disappears — a new provider that enrols you while your existing enrolment is still transfer-restricted is the party exposed under Standard 7. That is why the question "can you enrol me?" is usually answered by checking the PRISMS record, not by reading a letter.
Assume a student is mid-way through a course and accepts an offer elsewhere. If the current enrolment is transfer-restricted and no release has been recorded, the new provider is being asked to create a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for someone it cannot lawfully enrol yet. The missing item is not a piece of paper; it is the PRISMS release.
What actually happens if I change providers without a release?
The exposure is a compliance one rather than a paperwork delay. Under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and the National Code 2018, registered providers must advise the Department of Home Affairs via PRISMS of any change to an accepted student's enrolment, and they do this through student course variations.
The enrolment record itself is what matters for your visa. A CoE is an official document issued by a provider registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS); it confirms your eligibility to enrol and carries the provider, course and duration details, and this evidence is required before the Department of Home Affairs issues a student visa. A transfer attempted outside the Standard 7 process puts that chain — release, new CoE, reported variation — out of order.
What if my provider refuses to release me?
Refusals are part of the same system. Providers have the ability to record both releases and the refusal of releases in PRISMS for their transfer-restricted enrolments, so a refusal is not a silent outcome that only exists in an email thread.
That also means the practical question is rarely "how do I get a letter?" but "is a release or a refusal recorded against my enrolment, and what reasons were given?" The department's pages describe the recording mechanism; they do not describe a form you fill in to override it.
How does the release reach my new provider?
Through PRISMS, not through you. The releasing provider makes the record, and the new provider relies on it before enrolling you and issuing a CoE.
Separately, the enrolment paperwork moves through the Student Course Variation (SCV) process. Where an existing CoE is at "Approved" status, changes are actioned through SCV, which automatically cancels the original CoE and creates a new replacement CoE with the amended information. Only users with CoE Administrator access can cancel an approved CoE. These are provider-side steps; they are not something you trigger by submitting a letter.
What changed for transfers in 2026?
Two 2026 developments are worth knowing, because they shape the transfer landscape even though neither creates a new letter requirement.
First, the National Code 2018 was amended in January 2026 to introduce a ban on the payment of education agent commissions in relation to onshore transfers — that is, the recruitment of overseas students who have already commenced studying with another registered provider. The stated purpose is to remove incentives for unscrupulous education agents to facilitate unnecessary transfers that may not be in the student's best interests. The ban does not apply where the student was accepted for enrolment by the relevant provider on or before 31 March 2026, and because it applies only to transfers, it does not affect students enrolling in further study after completing their principal course, or students progressing through the package of courses for which their visa was granted. These changes flow from the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025.
Second, new CRICOS registration applications to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) are suspended under the ESOS Act between 19 May 2026 and 19 May 2027, responding to integrity concerns in the VET sector. This does not change how a release works, but it does affect how many newly registered providers are entering the market during that window.
None of this alters the core answer: the release is a PRISMS record made by your current provider, and the rules that apply to your enrolment are the ones published by the department at the time you act. This article is general information about how the mechanism works and is not personalised advice on your enrolment or visa; the current wording on the official pages, and any professional advice you choose to obtain, govern your own situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to give my new provider a release letter?
No. Since 1 January 2018, the release must be recorded in PRISMS by the releasing provider instead of the student obtaining a physical letter of release. Your new provider checks the PRISMS record before enrolling you.
Can my current provider refuse to release me?
Yes. Providers can record both releases and the refusal of releases in PRISMS for any of their transfer-restricted enrolments. A refusal is therefore a recorded outcome in the system, not just a private decision.
What happens if a new provider enrols me without a release?
The release is what allows a new provider to enrol a student from a transfer-restricted enrolment without breaching Standard 7 of the National Code 2018. Without it, the enrolment runs against that standard rather than being a documentation problem.
Is a release the same thing as cancelling my CoE?
No. The release is a PRISMS record about your transfer restriction, while changes to an approved CoE run through the Student Course Variation process, which cancels the original CoE and creates a replacement with amended details.
Does the 2026 commission ban stop me from transferring?
No. The January 2026 amendment bans the payment of education agent commissions for onshore transfers; it does not create a new permission step for students. It also does not apply to further study after you complete your principal course, or to progressing through the course package your visa was granted for.
Why does the enrolment record matter so much for my visa?
A CoE is issued by a CRICOS-registered provider and confirms your eligibility to enrol, including the provider, course and duration. This evidence is required before the Department of Home Affairs issues a student visa, so any transfer has to leave a clean CoE trail.