What support services must Australian providers give international students in 2026?

Australian providers registered to teach overseas students must give you information about, or access to, an age and culturally appropriate orientation program covering nine specific topics, provide referrals and learning support at no extra charge, and keep a documented critical incident policy with written records retained for at least two years after you stop being an accepted student. Those requirements come from Standard 6 (Overseas student support services) of the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code 2018), as published on the Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation and read as of September 2026.

Who does Standard 6 actually bind, and where does it sit?

Standard 6 binds "registered providers" — the education providers registered under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) to deliver courses to overseas students. The National Code 2018 is made under that Act and sets nationally consistent standards and procedures for registered providers and for anyone delivering education services on their behalf. The ESOS legislative framework is complemented by the Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations 1994, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 and the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011.

Standard 6 has one stated purpose: registered providers must assist overseas students to adjust to study and life in Australia and run orientation programs that help students reach the information and services they need.

Is orientation compulsory, and what exactly must it cover?

Yes — the standard requires providers to give overseas students information on, or access to, an orientation program that is appropriate to the student's age and cultural background. The program itself must provide information about the following nine areas:

The complaints and appeals row matters more than it looks. Part A of the National Code describes Standard 10 as protecting a student's right to natural justice through complaints handling and appeals processes that are professional, timely, inexpensive and documented.

Do providers have to explain your work rights?

They have to tell you where to get that information. Standard 6.1.9 requires the orientation to cover the services students can access for information on their employment rights and conditions, and on how to resolve workplace issues — explicitly naming the Fair Work Ombudsman as an example. The obligation is about giving you the pathway to accurate information and dispute resolution, not about the provider acting as your workplace adviser.

Suppose a student is underpaid and unsure whether the rate is lawful. Standard 6 does not require the provider to run that analysis; it requires the student to have been told, through orientation, which service can give authoritative information on employment rights and conditions and how to resolve a workplace issue.

What learning support must be available, including for online study?

Two separate clauses apply.

Under 6.3, providers must offer reasonable support to help overseas students achieve expected learning outcomes regardless of the student's place of study or the course's mode of study — again at no additional cost. Under 6.4, providers must facilitate access to learning support services that fit the requirements of the course, the mode of study and the learning needs of overseas student cohorts. That includes having and implementing documented processes for supporting and maintaining contact with overseas students undertaking online or distance units of study.

So the standard treats remote study as a mode that still has to be actively supported, rather than an exception. Part A notes that Standard 8 sets flexible provisions allowing online learning while maintaining appropriate standards for students to comply with student visa conditions — the support obligations sit alongside that.

Who is the designated student contact officer?

Standard 6.5 requires each provider to designate one or more staff members as the official point of contact for overseas students. That student contact officer, or officers, must have access to up-to-date details of the provider's support services. The point of the requirement is that the designated person cannot be a signpost with a stale list — they are expected to be working from current information about what the provider actually offers.

What happens when something goes wrong — critical incidents and records?

Standard 6.8 requires providers to have and implement a documented policy and process for managing critical incidents that could affect an overseas student's ability to undertake or complete a course. The standard gives examples "such as but not limited to" incidents that may cause physical or psychological harm, so the category is deliberately open-ended rather than limited to a fixed list.

The record-keeping side is specific: providers must maintain a written record of any critical incident and of the remedial action taken, for at least two years after the overseas student ceases to be an accepted student. That two-year clock runs from the end of accepted-student status, not from the date of the incident.

What else must providers do about safety and wellbeing?

Standard 6.9 sets three further obligations:

• Take all reasonable steps to provide a safe environment on campus, and advise students and staff on actions they can take to enhance their personal security and safety.
• Give students information about how to seek assistance for, and report, an incident that significantly impacts their wellbeing, including critical incidents.
• Provide students with, or refer them to — including electronically — general information on safety and awareness relevant to life in Australia.

Do these support services cost extra?

Two clauses say no. Under 6.2, when an overseas student requests assistance in relation to the services and programs listed in Standard 6.1, the provider must give relevant information or provide appropriate referrals at no additional cost to the student. Under 6.3, the reasonable learning support needed to achieve expected learning outcomes must also be provided at no additional cost, regardless of place or mode of study.

The wording is about the provider not adding a charge for these support functions; it does not turn every referral target into a free service, since some external services may set their own fees.

What staffing and staff-awareness requirements apply?

Standard 6.6 requires providers to have sufficient student support personnel to meet the needs of the overseas students enrolled with them — a capacity obligation rather than a fixed ratio. Standard 6.7 requires providers to ensure that staff members who interact directly with overseas students are aware of the provider's obligations under the ESOS framework and of the potential implications for overseas students arising from how those obligations are exercised.

What happens if a provider does not meet Standard 6?

The National Code has legal effect as expressly provided for by the ESOS Act. Part A states that breaches by registered providers can result in action under Division 1A of Part 6 of the ESOS Act, including suspension or cancellation of registration. The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for the vocational education and training sector and the ESOS agency for VET providers, while the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is the ESOS agency for higher education providers; both can investigate and instigate enforcement action for breaches of the ESOS Act and the National Code.

This article describes the national standards in general terms and is not personalised advice about any individual enrolment, course or visa situation; the text of the National Code and the provider's own documented policies govern in practice, and the latest official version takes precedence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does orientation have to be delivered in person?

The standard requires providers to give students information on, or access to, an orientation program that is age and culturally appropriate and that covers the nine listed topics. It sets the content requirements rather than prescribing a format, session count or delivery channel.

Can a provider charge me for referrals or learning support?

No additional cost is the rule for both. Referrals and information given when a student requests help with Standard 6.1 services must be free of extra charge, and so must the reasonable learning support provided to help a student achieve expected learning outcomes, whatever the place or mode of study.

Am I still entitled to support if my unit is online?

Yes. Providers must facilitate access to learning support that matches the course, mode of study and the learning needs of overseas student cohorts, and must have documented processes for supporting and maintaining contact with students doing online or distance units.

How long does a provider keep critical incident records?

The written record of a critical incident and of the remedial action taken must be kept for at least two years after the overseas student ceases to be an accepted student. The retention period is measured from the end of accepted-student status.

Does Standard 6 cover students under 18?

Standard 6 requires orientation to be age and culturally appropriate, but welfare arrangements for younger students sit in Standard 5, which Part A describes as requiring providers of students under 18 to meet child welfare and protection requirements, provide emergency contact information, and explain how to report actual or alleged abuse.

Where do complaints and appeals fit in?

Access to the complaints and appeals process is itself one of the nine orientation topics, and it points to Standard 10, which Part A describes as protecting a student's right to natural justice through processes that are professional, timely, inexpensive and documented.

References

• Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation — National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018, Standard 6: Overseas student support services
• Australian Government Federal Register of Legislation — National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018, Part A: The ESOS framework