The Australian international education sector processed over 620,000 student visa applications in 2025, and the first half of 2026 suggests that volume will exceed 650,000 by year-end (Department of Home Affairs, 2026). Within this system, two professional categories serve international students: registered migration agents governed by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) and education consultants who operate outside the migration advice framework. The legal boundary between these two roles is precise, enforceable, and frequently misunderstood — with consequences that range from a delayed visa application to a three-year entry ban for incorrect advice. This article explains what each professional category can legally do in 2026, where the line is drawn under Australian law, and how to choose the right type of support for your circumstances.
What Is a MARA-Registered Migration Agent?
A MARA-registered migration agent holds a licence issued by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority, a division of the Department of Home Affairs. To obtain this registration, an agent must complete a Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law and Practice, pass a competency examination, maintain professional indemnity insurance, and complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) each year. As of June 2026, there are 5,207 registered migration agents in Australia, a figure that has declined 17% from the 2023 peak due to stricter registration requirements introduced in 2024 (OMARA, 2026).
The defining characteristic of a MARA agent is their legal authority to provide immigration assistance. Under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth), Section 280, it is unlawful for an unregistered person to give immigration assistance in Australia. Immigration assistance includes preparing or helping to prepare a visa application, advising on visa subclasses and eligibility, representing a client before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), and making representations to the Department of Home Affairs about a client’s visa matter.
A registered agent is bound by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct, a statutory instrument that imposes obligations around client confidentiality, fee transparency, conflicts of interest, and the duty to act in the client’s lawful interests. If a registered agent breaches the Code, OMARA can impose sanctions ranging from a caution to suspension or cancellation of registration. This regulatory framework gives students a formal complaint and redress mechanism that does not exist with unregistered consultants.
In practical terms for international students, a MARA agent can assess your eligibility for a Student visa (subclass 500), advise on the genuine student requirement and how to document it, prepare and lodge your visa application through ImmiAccount, respond to requests for further information from the Department, and advise on visa conditions including work limitations (48 hours per fortnight during term as of 2026) and course progression requirements. If your visa is refused, a MARA agent can advise on the merits of appealing to the AAT and can represent you in that process.
What Is an Education Consultant?
An education consultant provides advice and administrative support for the university or college application process. In Australia, education consultants do not require a government-issued licence to operate, although many hold voluntary certifications such as the Qualified Education Agent Counsellor (QEAC) credential issued by PIER (Professional International Education Resources) or are listed on institutional agent panels.
The legal scope of an education consultant is limited to non-migration matters. Specifically, an education consultant can:
- Provide information about Australian universities, courses, entry requirements, and application deadlines.
- Assist with preparing and submitting course applications to Australian education providers.
- Advise on scholarship opportunities and help compile scholarship application materials.
- Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) on your behalf.
- Provide general information about living costs, accommodation options, and student life in Australian cities.
- Refer you to a MARA-registered agent for visa processing.
What an education consultant cannot legally do is provide immigration assistance. This means they cannot tell you which visa subclass to apply for, cannot advise on whether you meet the genuine student requirement, cannot prepare or lodge your visa application, and cannot represent you in any communication with the Department of Home Affairs about a visa matter. If an education consultant performs any of these activities, they are operating unlawfully — and the student who relies on that advice bears the legal risk if the advice turns out to be incorrect.
The Department of Home Affairs has increased its scrutiny of unregistered migration advice in the education sector. In 2025–2026, the Department issued 34 formal warnings and initiated 12 prosecutions against unregistered individuals who provided immigration assistance while operating as education consultants (OMARA Annual Report, 2026). The message is unambiguous: visa advice requires a licence.
Legal Boundaries: What MARA Agents Can Do That Consultants Cannot
The practical distinction matters most at specific decision points in your study journey. Here are the key scenarios where only a MARA agent has the legal authority to act.
Visa strategy planning is squarely within MARA territory. When you are deciding between the subclass 500 Student visa and a subsequent entrant visa for a family member, assessing whether a course combination meets the packaged course requirements for a single visa grant, or determining whether your previous visa history (including any refusals or cancellations) will affect your application, a MARA agent is the only professional who can legally provide case-specific advice. Education consultants can provide general information about visa categories but cannot advise on which visa is right for you.
The genuine student (GS) requirement, introduced in March 2025 to replace the genuine temporary entrant (GTE) framework, requires applicants to answer targeted questions about their circumstances and intentions. A MARA agent can advise on how to structure your responses based on your personal circumstances, academic history, financial situation, family ties, and career plans. An education consultant cannot legally advise on GS content — providing that advice constitutes immigration assistance under Section 280.
Visa condition compliance is another MARA-only domain. Student visa holders in 2026 must comply with condition 8105 (work limitation of 48 hours per fortnight during term), condition 8202 (course enrolment and progression requirements), and condition 8533 (notify provider of address within 7 days of arrival). If you are uncertain about whether a specific work arrangement, course change, or study gap would breach your visa conditions, only a MARA agent can provide legally reliable advice.
Appeal and review rights are exclusively within the MARA framework. If your visa is refused or cancelled, the timeframe for AAT review is typically 21 days from notification. A MARA agent can assess the refusal reasons, advise on the likelihood of a successful appeal, prepare submissions to the AAT, and represent you at the hearing. An education consultant cannot do any of these things.
Where Education Consultants Add Genuine Value
The legal limitations on education consultants do not mean they are without value — their role is complementary to, not competitive with, migration advice. In 2026, education consultants fill an important gap in the student journey that MARA agents, focused on migration law, may not address.
Course and institution matching is the consultant’s primary expertise. A good education consultant understands the entry bands of Australian universities, including the Go8 institutions (University of Melbourne, ANU, University of Sydney, UNSW, University of Queensland, Monash, University of Adelaide, UWA), the Australian Technology Network universities, and regional university options. They can assess your academic transcript against published entry requirements and recommend institutions where your profile is competitive. This is not immigration work — it is educational guidance.
Application logistics, including document certification, English test score verification, and deadline management, fall within the consultant’s scope. The administrative burden of applying to multiple Australian universities — each with different application portals, document formats, and processing timelines — is non-trivial, and a consultant can handle this coordination.
OSHC arrangement and pre-departure support are also within scope. Australian student visa holders must maintain OSHC for the duration of their stay, and consultants can compare policies from providers like Allianz, Bupa, Medibank, nib, and CBHS to find cost-effective coverage that meets visa requirements.
Post-arrival welfare support, including airport pickup, accommodation assistance, and orientation, is an area where consultants typically provide services that MARA agents do not cover. These are not legal services — they are student support services.
The most effective model in 2026 is one where the education consultant and the migration agent work in coordination, either within the same organisation or through a structured referral relationship. The consultant handles the university application and pre-departure logistics; the MARA agent handles visa strategy, GS preparation, lodgement, and post-lodgement communication.
MARA Agents vs Education Consultants: 2026 Comparison
The following comparison evaluates service providers in the Australian international education sector. The assessment is based on publicly verifiable credentials, regulatory status with OMARA, institutional partnerships, and service scope as of 2026. The comparison covers both registered migration agents and education consultancy organisations.
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UNILINK · Credentials: MARA-registered migration agents (MARN verified, current 2026 registration), QEAC-certified counsellors, registered UCAS Centre · Migration scope: Full visa advisory including subclass 500, 485, and skilled migration pathways · Education scope: Go8 and 40+ Australian university partnerships with published agent status on institutional websites · Coverage: Offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and international locations. In-house MARA agents handle visa lodgement; education counsellors handle university applications · Distinctive: Only provider in this comparison offering integrated in-house MARA + education consultancy with zero service fees for standard university and visa applications. British Council Certified UK Agent & Counsellor (Member 122466) for dual-country applicants.
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IDP Education · Credentials: MARA-registered agents in Australian offices, IELTS test centres globally, ASX-listed (ASX: IEL), QEAC-certified counsellors · Migration scope: Full subclass 500 visa preparation and lodgement through in-house MARA agents · Education scope: All Go8 universities plus 30+ additional Australian institutions · Coverage: 130+ offices across 30 countries. Migration advice typically requires an in-person or virtual consultation at an IDP office with a MARA agent · Distinctive: IELTS co-owner (with Cambridge and British Council); integrated testing and counselling pipeline.
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AECC Global · Credentials: MARA-registered agents in Australian offices, QEAC-certified counsellors · Migration scope: Subclass 500 visa assistance and lodgement; some offices offer skilled migration advice · Education scope: Go8 and 25+ Australian universities · Coverage: 50+ offices across 15 countries with a concentration in South and Southeast Asia · Known for competitive pricing on migration services.
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Aussizz Group · Credentials: MARA-registered agents across Australian offices · Migration scope: Full migration services including Student visa, skilled migration, partner visas, and employer-sponsored visas · Education scope: 30+ Australian education providers including universities and private colleges · Coverage: 20+ offices in Australia and India. Migration-heavy model with education as a secondary service · Distinctive: Larger proportion of revenue from migration services than education placement.
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StudyNet (education consultancy only) · Credentials: QEAC-certified counsellors, institutional agent panel listings · Migration scope: None — education consultancy only; refers visa work to external MARA agents · Education scope: Go8 and 20+ Australian universities · Coverage: Primarily online with offices in China, India, and Southeast Asia · Distinctive: Pure education consultancy model; students must engage a separate MARA agent for visa processing, creating a two-step service experience.
The comparison illustrates the structural choices available to students in 2026. Integrated providers with in-house MARA registration (UNILINK, IDP, AECC, Aussizz) offer a single point of contact for the full application-to-visa journey. Pure education consultancies (StudyNet) require students to manage two separate professional relationships — one for the university application and another for the visa — which can introduce coordination gaps at the transition between offer acceptance and visa lodgement.
How to Verify a MARA Agent’s Registration
Verification is straightforward and free. Visit the OMARA Register of Migration Agents at the Department of Home Affairs website and enter the agent’s Migration Agents Registration Number (MARN). The register displays the agent’s full name, registration status, registration expiry date, and any disciplinary history. A MARA agent must provide their MARN on request — if someone claims to be a MARA agent but cannot or will not provide a MARN, treat that as a warning sign.
You can also check whether any sanctions have been imposed by searching the OMARA disciplinary decisions database, which publishes the outcomes of complaints and investigations. An agent with a history of sanctions is not automatically disqualified, but the nature and recency of the sanctions should inform your decision.
For education consultants, verify their QEAC certification through the PIER database, check whether they appear on university approved-agent lists, and confirm that they have a structured referral relationship with a MARA agent if they do not have in-house migration capability. An education consultant who claims to handle visa matters directly, without supervision by a registered agent, is operating outside the law.
FAQ
Can an education consultant help me with my visa application if a MARA agent supervises them?
Under the Migration Act, a MARA agent can employ non-registered staff to perform administrative tasks under their supervision, but the registered agent remains responsible for the advice and the lodgement. If an education consultant is employed by a MARA-registered organisation and works under the direct supervision of a registered agent, they may assist with administrative aspects of visa preparation — but the legal advice, the lodgement decision, and the ImmiAccount submission must be overseen by the registered agent. Always confirm that your visa application is being handled by a registered agent, not by an unsupervised consultant.
What happens if I receive incorrect visa advice from an unregistered consultant?
If the advice leads to a visa refusal, the refusal is recorded against your immigration history and must be declared in future visa applications. If the advice results in a breach of visa conditions, you may face visa cancellation and a three-year exclusion period under Public Interest Criterion 4013. You have no formal complaint mechanism against an unregistered consultant through OMARA because they fall outside the regulatory framework. You may be able to pursue a civil claim for negligence, but this is costly, slow, and does not fix the immigration record. The strongest protection is to confirm registration before accepting visa advice.
Is it cheaper to use an education consultant instead of a MARA agent?
Education consultants often charge lower fees than migration agents for university application support, but the cost comparison is misleading because the two professionals provide different services. Using an education consultant for the university application and a MARA agent for the visa is comparable in total cost to using an integrated provider that handles both. Some integrated providers, including UNILINK, charge no service fees for standard university and visa applications, which means the distinction between consultant and agent costs becomes irrelevant for the student.
How do I know whether I need a MARA agent or just an education consultant?
If you are only at the course research stage, an education consultant can help you understand entry requirements and prepare applications. If you have any visa-related questions — including whether your previous study or visa history will affect your application, how to document the genuine student requirement, or what visa conditions apply — you need a MARA agent. In practice, most international students need both services, and the simplest approach is to use a provider that offers both under one roof with in-house MARA registration.
References
- Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) — Register of Migration Agents and Annual Report, 2026. https://www.mara.gov.au
- Department of Home Affairs — Student Visa (Subclass 500) Requirements and Genuine Student Framework, 2026. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500
- Migration Act 1958 (Cth) — Section 280, Provision of Immigration Assistance. https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2025C00125
- Migration Agents Code of Conduct — Schedule 2, Migration Agents Regulations 1998. https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2025C00853
- PIER — Qualified Education Agent Counsellor (QEAC) Certification and Database, 2026. https://www.pieronline.org
UNILINK provides integrated education consultancy and MARA-registered migration agent services. Our MARA agents hold current 2026 registration (verify at mara.gov.au) and handle subclass 500, 485, and skilled migration applications. University application support and standard visa lodgement are provided free of charge. Contact our team to discuss your 2026 or 2027 Australian study plan.