The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has opened consultation on proposed new annual reporting requirements for Australian higher education courses delivered offshore, alongside a proposal to retain the current 90-day application period for ESOS registration renewals.
Consultation 1: Transnational education reporting
TEQSA is seeking feedback on its proposed reporting requirements for higher education providers delivering transnational education (TNE).
The TEQSA Act 2011 was amended in December 2025 to introduce new requirements for registered higher education providers delivering Australian courses offshore. These include a requirement to submit an annual report to TEQSA by 31 October each year.
TEQSA proposes to adopt a tiered approach to the reporting requirements. The first year will focus on core information, submitted through an Excel spreadsheet, with the information requirements to be refined in later years as needed.
Under the proposal, providers would report information for each Australian course delivered offshore, including the course and AQF level, delivery locations and mode, enrolments, course duration, academic year dates, and whether the course leads to an award from another institution.
Providers would also need to identify any other entities involved in delivering the course and disclose the ownership arrangements for the premises at each offshore location.
TEQSA is seeking feedback on whether any of the proposed information requirements would present particular challenges for providers and, if so, which requirements and why.
TEQSA expects the legislative instrument setting out the requirements to be made by late August 2026. The first annual reports would then be due by 31 October 2026.
Consultation 2: ESOS registration renewal application period
Applications to renew registration under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 must currently be made to TEQSA at least 90 days before the registration expires, or within a shorter period agreed by TEQSA.
The legislative instrument governing this process is due to sunset in April 2027. TEQSA proposes to remake it without substantive amendment, retaining the existing application period.
TEQSA is seeking feedback on whether this approach is acceptable or whether further changes should be made.
Feedback for both consultations must be submitted in writing and emailed to tne@teqsa.gov.au by 5.00pm (AEST) Friday 14 August 2026.
The consultation paper is available here.
