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Education institutions can only enrol and deliver education services to students in Australia on a student visa if they are registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Registered providers must meet, the requirements of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code). Any providers wishing to deliver English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) or Foundation Program courses must also meet the ELICOS or Foundation Program Standards as relevant. See here for more information about the ESOS legislative framework.
Following amendments to the ESOS Act passed by Parliament in December 2015, registration requirements changed.
Any provider intending to offer education or training services to students must apply for registration to the ESOS agency for their education sector. ESOS agencies are responsible for making decisions on a provider’s registration and monitoring a provider’s compliance with the ESOS framework.
The Department of Education, Skills and Employment has fact sheets for each education sector outlining the registration and regulatory processes:
- Registration fact sheet for higher education, foundation programs and ELICOS
- Registration fact sheet for VET courses and ELICOS
- Registration fact sheet for schools
The ESOS agency is determined by the sector and jurisdiction a provider operates in. Please consult the ESOS agencies page for information on identifying your ESOS agency.