Registration

Approval to provide courses to overseas students

Any school or education and training provider that intends to recruit, enrol or deliver courses to overseas students must be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

CRICOS is maintained by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) under the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000. It lists all providers registered to deliver courses to overseas students and the courses they are approved to offer. An overseas student is defined as a person who comes to Australia to study on a student visa.

The ESOS framework

The ESOS framework is based on a cooperative regulatory model between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments. To become registered on CRICOS, a provider must first be assessed and approved by the authority for the state or territory in which it intends to deliver courses to overseas students.

The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) is the approving authority for providers intending to deliver courses to overseas students in Victoria.

As part of the approval process, the provider will need to demonstrate that it is compliant with the requirements of the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students (National Code) which is established under the ESOS Act, and the ESOS legislative framework. It will also need to meet the quality assurance requirements for the specified courses.

Registration

Following the approval process, the VRQA will make a recommendation to DEEWR to register the provider and its courses on CRICOS. DEEWR must be satisfied that the provider complies with the ESOS legislation. It is only when the provider is registered on CRICOS that it may recruit, enrol and deliver courses to overseas students.

For information on the VRQA approval process see:

For further information:

Back to Top