International student associations are calling for more regulation of overseas migration agents as they reveal cheating on English tests required for Australian universities can be common practice.

The test is taken before a student is granted a visa and accepted into a tertiary education institution.

Key points: Students often admitted to courses they could not pass

Students often admitted to courses they could not pass Claims agents lying to students about work and accommodation

Claims agents lying to students about work and accommodation Call for agents to be registered

The ABC spoke to one international student, Maria Shumusti, who said she knew at least five students who had cheated.

Ms Sharmusti was previously the public relations officer with Council of International Students Australia.

Australian Federation of International Students former president, Pratik Ambani, also suspected some students were guilty of cheating and believed it was a common practice overseas.

"There are some cities in particular countries where students prefer to go where you can pay a couple thousand dollars and get someone else to sit your test," Mr Pratik said.

"The people managing the test get bribed a big amount and that's where they let this pass."

He said the students were often admitted into difficult courses they could not pass.

"It not only affects the level of education, it also impacts the students who are coming here … with false hopes.

"I've seen a lot of students walk up to a migration agent and say 'I want to go to Australia, I don't know which course, which university, just send me'.

"Many of those students who are coming with that mindset, their main intention is to work and work cash jobs and earn as much as they can."

A national survey last year found students with English as a second language were more likely to cheat on their tests and assignments.

Migration agents and student bodies want legislative change so overseas agents have to be registered in order to help someone coming to Australia. ( Reuters: Jason Reed )

Over the past year, news stories have referred to universities using international students as 'cash cows' and allowing them to continue in courses they could not complete.

Council of International Students of Australia Public Relations Officer, Manfred Mletsin, said fraudulent agents were also lying to students about work and accommodation expectations.

"We've seen news about how six people can live in one room," Mr Mletsin said.

"Some of the agents are promising that you can work and you can send money home. They're building a wrong picture.

Mr Pratik said he had seen similar situations where agents had given students false hopes of pay-rates and working hours.

"They come here with the expectation of a good payment but when they realise $10-$12 is what you usually get paid, they are required to work more hours to manage their own expenses."

Both the CISA and AFIS want overseas migration agents to be regulated to help reduce the malicious practices of overseas agents.

Need for legislative change

The Migration Institute of Australia has been advocating for legislative change for years requiring people overseas to be registered if they want to work as an agent.

SA Branch President Chris Johnston said sections of the Migration Act did not clearly define the need for overseas agents to be registered.

"To become registered the code of conduct requires a certain level of education, also English standards," Mr Johnston said.

"If those standards aren't met MARA can investigate what's happened and impose bans on a person.

"The cost of it are so huge. If you think about all the people who have lost money and been ripped off, if you think about all the bad applications that've been lodged.

He said there was a lack of political will to address this.

"It's a problem that's been persistent for this long, it really is a shocking situation."

In March 2018 a joint committee inquiry into the efficiency of current regulation of Australian migrations agents was announced.

A number of stakeholders have made submissions discussing challenges around fraudulent migration agents including consumers being overcharged, having incorrect applications submitted and being unable to report complaints because of the unregulated system.

The Federal Government has also announced it was looking to publish the performance of education agents operating in Australia.

Mr Johnston said focusing on internal operators was not going to resolve the issue if the rest of the world was unregulated.