Compliance: visa matters at this practice are handled by a registered migration agent whose number can be verified on the public register

About AU Educate

We are not the largest agency, but we treat "still being here when it goes wrong" as the minimum standard. In this industry, the genuinely scarce thing has never been the ability to get a student out of the country.

Our Story

Why problem solving sits at the centre of what we do

AU Educate started in 2008 from a small Sydney office doing nothing but admissions. The turning point came in our third year. A student we had already placed received a notice about his attendance, panicked, and went first to the agency that had originally handled his application. Their answer was that the admissions work had finished.

By the time he found his way back to us, four days of a twenty-working-day appeal window remained. We filed on the last day and, by good fortune, his enrolment was saved. What that taught the whole team was that the real value in this work sits after something has gone wrong.

From then on we made problem solving a separate service line, and set an internal rule: any student who has worked with us can come back with a problem at any point before they graduate, however long it has been.

Eighteen years on we have worked with more than nine thousand students. Some got into the Group of Eight, some came back from the edge of exclusion, and some ultimately chose to go home — we count all of those as the job done, because in each case the student understood the choice they were making.

2008

Founded in Sydney's CBD with three consultants.

2011

Dedicated problem-solving service established — among the first Chinese-language practices to offer appeals systematically.

2016

Melbourne office and teaching centre open; tutoring becomes a separate operation.

2026

Four offices, and more than 9,600 students supported in total.

18yrs
In Australian education services
9600+
Students supported
40+
Partner institutions
97.4%
Visa approval rate (2025)
Our Principles

Four things we do not compromise on

These are not marketing lines. They are internal standards, and every consultant signs off on them when they join.

One — never assist with falsified documents

We do not produce, alter or lodge false documents of any kind: bank statements, employment letters, transcripts or references. If a plan only works on fabricated evidence, we will tell you the plan does not work rather than help you take the risk. The consequences of PIC 4020 fall on the student for three years, sometimes ten. Nobody should be paying that price for our sales figures.

Two — no promises we cannot keep

Nobody can guarantee admission, a visa grant or a successful appeal. What we give you is a realistic range based on comparable cases, plus a fallback where the odds are not good. If we cannot take your matter on, we will say so and point you to the kind of organisation that can — a migration lawyer, a counselling service, or your institution's student advocacy office.

Three — transparent fees, nothing added later

Our fees and third-party costs (visa charges, medicals, certification, testing) are listed separately in the agreement. Third-party costs are paid by you directly to the relevant body — we neither collect them nor add a margin. For admissions, most institutions pay commission and there is no separate student fee; we explain this before you engage us, including which institutions we hold agreements with.

Four — one consultant, start to finish

The consultant you meet when you engage us is the person who runs your case. We do not operate the model where a salesperson signs you up and an assistant does the work. Where a consultant takes leave or moves on there is a formal handover, and you are told who is now responsible. You can ask to change consultant at any time without giving a reason.

Our Team

Our consultants

Twenty-plus full-time consultants and around sixty contracted tutors. Below are the leads for each service line.

Michelle Chen

Founder · Registered migration agent

A registered migration agent with 18 years in the field, handling the complex visa work — review after refusal, responding to cancellation, and re-applications where there is compliance history. LLM, University of Sydney.

David Liu

Director of Admissions

Leads undergraduate and postgraduate admissions, with detailed knowledge of Group of Eight entry policy and how institutions tier overseas qualifications. Previously six years in an Australian university's international admissions office.

Sarah Wang

Head of Student Affairs & Appeals

Works exclusively on course progress, attendance, academic misconduct and transfer appeals. More than four hundred matters handled, with close knowledge of the internal processes and policy language of the major institutions.

James Zhou

Director of Teaching

Oversees HSC, VCE and university tutoring, including tutor recruitment and curriculum development. MEd, UNSW, and nine years teaching in Australian secondary schools.

Amy Huang

Schools & younger students

Handles school applications, selective and independent school test preparation, guardianship and accommodation for students under 18, and long-term relationships with homestay families.

Kevin Zhang

Vocational education & arrival services

Covers TAFE and VET course planning and progression into degrees, and coordinates arrival support — airport pickup, accommodation, bank accounts — plus guidance on rental and workplace rights.

Compliance

Credentials and compliance

In Australia, providing immigration assistance is a regulated activity. Verifying that whoever you engage holds the right credentials is the simplest and most effective thing you can do to protect yourself.

  • Registered migration agents

    All visa work at this practice is carried out by a registered migration agent. Each agent holds a unique registration number that can be looked up on the public register. Ask us for it and check it yourself — a legitimate agent will not be evasive.

  • Authorised education representative

    We hold formal recruitment agreements with our partner institutions. We will tell you which institutions we have agreements and commission arrangements with, so you can judge whether our recommendation carries any interest.

  • Working with Children Checks

    Every tutor and consultant who works with students under 18 holds a current check for their state, reviewed periodically.

  • Privacy and data handling

    Student information is managed in line with Australian privacy law and used only for the matters you engage us on. We do not provide your personal information to any third party without your written consent, and never use it for marketing.

How to spot an agency you should avoid

  • Promises of a "100% visa guarantee", "guaranteed admission" or "guaranteed successful appeal"
  • Offers to "arrange" bank statements, employment letters or transcripts for you
  • Refusal to provide a registration number, or vagueness about it
  • No written agreement, or an agreement that does not specify services and refund terms
  • Asking you to transfer third-party costs such as visa charges to a personal account
Offices

Where to find us

Please book ahead so we can have the right service lead available.

Sydney (head office)

Level 12, 88 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Hours Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00
Services All services · teaching centre

Melbourne

Level 8, 120 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Hours Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00
Services All services · teaching centre

Brisbane

Level 5, 200 Adelaide Street
Brisbane QLD 4000

Hours Mon–Fri 9:00–17:30
Services Admissions · visas · problem solving

Shanghai (representative office)

Room 1808, 100 East Nanjing Road
Huangpu District, Shanghai

Hours Mon–Sat 9:30–18:30
Services Admissions advice · pre-departure

Not in one of these cities?

Every service can be delivered remotely — video meetings, electronic agreements, documents submitted online. A significant share of our students never visit an office at all. Just book an online consultation; time zones can be arranged around.

Talk to us first, then decide about working together

The first consultation is free, with no selling and no pressure to sign.