Over 23,000 Student Qualifications Cancelled: Ghost Colleges Expose Risks to Migration

Recently, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) announced a significant crackdown: over 23,000 students have been notified that their qualifications are no longer valid, following the deregistration of multiple private vocational education providers—commonly referred to as “shonky” or “ghost colleges.”

These colleges were found to be concentrated in key migration-related fields such as nursing, early childhood education, mental health, and engineering.

The impact of this action extends well beyond education. It has serious implications for visas, skills assessments, work eligibility, and permanent residency applications—raising red flags for international students and skilled migration applicants alike.

What Are “Ghost Colleges”?

These institutions often held legitimate RTO (Registered Training Organisation) status on paper, but in reality, exhibited the following issues:

• Students were awarded certificates without actually attending classes
• Course hours were significantly below required standards, with poor educational delivery
• No formal placement, training, or assessment was provided
• Many students were international and enrolled with the sole goal of securing a visa, not a qualification

ASQA’s investigations revealed cases where hundreds of certificates were issued on the same day without any supporting academic records, pointing to systemic non-compliance.

Key Risks You Should Know

Visa Compliance Risk

If you used a qualification from one of these colleges to apply for a Student visa (subclass 500) or Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), you could face questions about the genuineness of your studies or eligibility.

Skills Assessment Rejection

Skills assessing bodies like ANMAC, VETASSESS, and TRA generally require valid, compliant, and well-documented qualifications. Even if the certificate appears legitimate, if it originates from a deregistered provider, it may not be accepted.

Skilled Migration Blocked

Without a valid skills assessment, you cannot submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) or be invited to apply under visa subclasses such as 189, 190, or 491.

Employment & Licensing Risk

In regulated professions such as nursing, early childhood education, or social work, losing a qualification could result in loss of employment or cancellation of professional registration.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?

Check If Your College Is Still a Valid RTO

Search the ASQA register to confirm the provider’s current status, or check if it has been deregistered.

Keep Detailed Academic Records

Save all proof of attendance, assessments, results, placements, and communication with the provider. You may need this to defend the legitimacy of your qualification.

Reassess Your Skills and Migration Strategy

If you’ve used the affected qualification in a past or pending visa or skills assessment, seek advice on possible risks and next steps.

Avoid “Fast-Track” or “Guaranteed Pass” Colleges

Choose reputable providers with transparent teaching and assessment processes. If it sounds too good to be true—it probably is.

This incident is a strong reminder that there are no shortcuts when it comes to migration and education in Australia. Any non-genuine or unregulated pathway can lead to major complications during future visa applications.

If you have any questions or would like professional assistance, please feel free to contact us at Riverwood Migration (Email: [email protected]). We are committed to providing transparent, expert migration services to help you achieve your dream of moving to Australia.