Overview

PRISMS (Provider Registration and International Student Management System) 

PRISMS is an online system managed by the Australian government's Department of Education, Skills and Employment. It is a key component of the regulatory framework for international education providers in Australia, helping to ensure the integrity and quality of the education provided to international students.

PRISMS is used by education providers to manage their obligations under the ESOS (Education Services for Overseas Students) Act and National Code. This includes registering as an education provider, managing student enrolments, reporting on student attendance and academic progress, and complying with a range of regulatory requirements.

Some of the key features and functions of PRISMS include:

• Provider Registration: PRISMS is used by education providers to register with the Australian government and obtain certification to offer courses to international students.

• Student Enrolments: PRISMS is used to manage student enrolments, including verifying student visa details and reporting on student attendance and academic progress.

• Compliance Reporting: PRISMS is used to report on a range of compliance issues, including agent interactions, student complaints and disputes, and provider performance.

• Data Management: PRISMS is used to manage a range of student data, including personal information, course enrolments, and academic results.

• Communication: PRISMS is used to communicate with education providers, agents and students about a range of regulatory and administrative issues.

PRISMS plays a critical role in ensuring that education providers in Australia comply with relevant regulations and policies, and that international students receive high-quality education and support while studying in Australia.

DIBP (Department of Immigration and Border Protection)

While PRISMS is not directly related to the DIBP, it does have an important role to play in the management of international students studying in Australia. The Department of Home Affairs, which oversees the DIBP, requires education providers to report on the enrolment, attendance and academic progress of international students, and to comply with a range of other regulatory requirements. PRISMS is the main platform used by education providers to meet these requirements and to provide accurate and timely information to the Department of Home Affairs.

In particular, PRISMS is used to manage student visa information, including verifying student visa details and reporting on student attendance and academic progress. This information is then used by the Department of Home Affairs to monitor compliance with visa conditions, and to ensure that international students are meeting their study obligations while in Australia.

COE (Confirmation of Enrolment)

One of the key functions of PRISMS is to issue COE documents to international students who are studying in Australia.

The COE is a document that international students need to obtain in order to apply for a student visa. It confirms that the student has been accepted into a registered course of study, and provides information about the course, the duration of study, and the expected course end date. The COE is issued by the education provider, who is responsible for verifying that the student meets the admission requirements and has paid the required fees.

In order to issue a COE, education providers must use PRISMS. The system allows education providers to manage student enrolment information and to generate COEs for international students who have been accepted into a registered course of study. PRISMS verifies the student's visa eligibility and details, and also checks that the course is registered with the government.

Once the COE is issued through PRISMS, the international student can use it to apply for a student visa through the Department of Home Affairs. The COE includes a unique reference number that is used by the Department of Home Affairs to verify the student's enrolment status and other details.

It's important for international students to keep their COE up to date and valid throughout their studies in Australia. If a student changes courses, extends their studies, or takes a leave of absence, they may need to obtain a new COE. In addition, if a student's enrolment status changes, for example if they withdraw from a course or fail to meet attendance requirements, their COE may be cancelled and their visa may be affected.

eCOE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment)

The main difference between COE and eCOE is the format in which they are issued.

The COE is a physical document that is issued by an education provider to confirm that an international student has been accepted into a registered course of study.

The eCOE is an electronic version of the COE that is issued by education providers through PRISMS and contains the same information as the physical COE and is considered to be an official and valid document for visa application purposes. 

The use of eCOE has several advantages over the physical COE. It is more efficient and cost-effective, as it eliminates the need for printing and mailing physical documents. It also reduces the risk of lost or damaged documents, as the eCOE can be easily retrieved and reissued if necessary. In addition, the eCOE allows for real-time verification of the student's enrolment status and reduces the possibility of fraud, as it is generated and issued directly by the education provider through PRISMS.

The COE and eCOE serve the same purpose of confirming international student enrolment in a registered course of study.

Meshed Platform

This menu allows you to validate and identify any inconsistencies in a providers PRISMS data with the current data stored in the Meshed Platform

Validate PRISMS

• Click Admin > Validate PRISMS.

• Click Choose file to upload the PRISM Data you generated from the PRISM portal.
• Click Upload.
• Once the file is uploaded, Click Compare to view the result.
• The system will then validate both information generated from PRISMs and from your RTOManager.

• When the data is validated by the system, it will generate a list of all the information that matches and that doesn't.
• Matching data are marked in green and those that doesn't are marked pink as shown below.

• You may change those values that doesn't match by going to back to the student's profile page and make the appropriate changes. Once changes have been made, repeat the above steps to validate data until all information matches.

Note: You can also export the result in an excel file by clicking export button found on the top right hand side of the page.