Transfer to another college or university

International students on a student visa

Restricted transfer period temporarily increased

From Friday 2 October 2026, the restricted transfer period for overseas students has increased from six months to 12 months of their main course. This temporary change applies until Wednesday 30 June 2027.

From Thursday 1 July 2027, the restricted transfer period will return to six months.

If you need to transfer to another university or college within the first 12 months of your main course of study, you’ll need to apply for release from the University. You won’t be able to accept an offer at another institution unless your release has been approved.

You don't need permission for release if you’re:

• transferring after 12 months of studying your main course at Monash, or
• not on a student visa.

Eligibility for a release letter

For your application to be considered, the other university or college must be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). You can check this using the CRICOS course and institution search.

We’ll approve your application for release if:

• your course is academically unsuitable for you. This means that:
• you can prove that you need to transfer to another institution because of compassionate or compelling circumstances
• the course outlined in your written agreement has changed or is no longer registered
• your reasonable expectations about your course are not being met
• you have evidence that you’ve been misled by the University or by an education or migration agent (regarding the University or your course) and the course is therefore unsuitable
• an appeal results in a recommendation or decision for you to ask for release, or
• your student visa application was delayed, rejected or cancelled.

• you’re unable to achieve satisfactory course progress to transfer into your main course of study
• your course doesn't meet your educational/developmental needs or study capabilities, or
• you’re better suited to a different learning environment

Compassionate or compelling circumstances

Compassionate or compelling circumstances are personal circumstances that:

• are involuntary and outside your control, such as medical, family, wellbeing, or enrolment circumstances, and
• present you with limited or no choice but to transfer to another institution.

How to apply for a release letter

You’ll need to submit a request with supporting documents to be considered for release.

Before you apply, it’s a good idea to talk with your course advisor about your options and how applying for release might impact you.

Application for Release form

Supporting documents

Do not, under any circumstances, submit fraudulent documentation

Penalties for submitting a forged, altered or falsified document can include exclusion from the University, a fine of up to AUD $1,000 and a permanent record in Monash systems.

To find out more about your responsibilities (and what you should do if you don’t have the required supporting documents), see our documentation integrity page.

To support your request, you’ll need to provide:

• a copy of the offer letter from your new university or college (with no English, academic or Genuine Student conditions)
• a statement explaining why you’re applying for release
• any relevant documents to support your request (e.g. a doctor certificate or financial documents)
• additional documents if you're under the age of 18. This includes written evidence that:
• written support for the transfer from your government sponsor (if relevant).

• your parent/legal guardian/sponsor supports the transfer
• the education provider you intend to transfer to accepts responsibility for approving your accommodation and welfare arrangements

For more details, see supporting documents for compassionate or compelling circumstances.

Notification and outcome

We’ll let you know the outcome of your application within 10 working days. Make sure you stay enrolled in your course while you wait.

You should not accept an offer from another institution while you wait for the outcome of your release request.

Successful applications

If your application for a release letter is approved, your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) will be cancelled and you’ll automatically be discontinued from your course.

Unsuccessful applications

If your application isn’t successful, we’ll tell you why and what you need to do next.

Your release won’t be approved if:

• you didn’t provide a valid offer from another college or university
• you didn’t provide satisfactory evidence of compassionate or compelling circumstances
• you have unpaid course fees for the current study period
• you’re encumbered
• the transfer won’t satisfy your best interests:

• the transfer would put your progression through a package of courses at risk
• you require access to support services that wouldn’t be available to you if you transfer.

Impacts on your visa

Your visa could be impacted if you transfer to another college or university.

You’ll likely need to apply for a new student visa if you transfer to a lower Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) level course or to a non-AQF level course (e.g. you transfer from a Bachelor degree to a Diploma). And, if you transfer to an education provider that doesn’t participate in the streamlined visa processing arrangements, you might no longer meet the requirements for your visa. This means your visa could be cancelled.

Try not to discontinue your course before you know the outcome of your application. If your application for release is rejected and it's too late for you to re-enrol in the current teaching period, you might have to return home to avoid breaching your student visa conditions.

For more information, see your study situation has changed.

Policy and procedure

• Enrolment and Timetable Policy (pdf)
• International Student Transfer between Providers Procedure (pdf)
• ESOS National Code 2018