Approval to provide courses to overseas students - Higher Education

Applying for CRICOS approval

The designated authority for approving organisations to deliver courses to overseas students for all sectors of education and training in the State of Victoria is the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).  This authority is given under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. (PDF - 1.4Mb)

New Guide to approval for CRICOS registration and application format are effective from 1 November 2007.

Non self-accrediting higher education institutions

Non self-accrediting higher education institutions seeking approval must submit an application to Quality Assurance - Higher Education within the VRQA and make sure that they are compliant with the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, the ESOS Act 2000 and the National Code 2007. Five copies of the application must be submitted in hard copy.

The relevant documents for non-self-accrediting higher education institutions are:

Following the approval process, the VRQA will make a recommendation to the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)  to register the provider and its courses on CRICOS.  DEEWR will notify the provider of its registration on CRICOS.

Self-accrediting Victorian universities

Self-accrediting Victorian universities and the Melbourne College of Divinity seeking registration of higher education courses for delivery to overseas students in Victoria must submit an application to Quality Assurance - Higher Education within the VRQA by completing the CRICOS Specific Form. (Word - 367Kb)

Fees

Fees for investigating applications for approval to provide courses to overseas students will be applied.  For more information please check the VRQA fees page.  An invoice will be sent to the applicant upon receipt of the application.

Mixed AQF qualifications and registration of courses on CRICOS

In the past, a number of mixed Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications were registered as individual courses on CRICOS. Some examples of these courses were as follows:

“Graduate Certificate…/Master of…”
“Bachelor of…/Certificate IV…”
“Diploma of…/Certificate III…”
“Certificate IV…/Certificate IV…”

In November 2007, the national ESOS Implementation Group agreed that mixed AQF qualifications should not be registered as courses on CRICOS as they are outside the current requirements of the AQF Implementation Handbook 2007 (http://www.aqf.edu.au/ ) which only allow for dual Higher Education courses such as dual/double Bachelor Degrees where the AQF award is the same. This position is supported by the AQF and National Protocols for Higher Education approval Processes:

Mixed AQF qualifications are also outside the AQF requirements for vocational education and training (VET) qualifications. VET qualifications are formally recognised as single AQF qualifications within nationally endorsed Training Packages or as VET courses accredited by state/territory course accrediting bodies, and are each assigned one National Training Information Service (NTIS) code.

Providers should ensure that when making application to the VRQA for registration of a course on CRICOS, there is no mixing of AQF qualifications (the only exception where this may occur is in the case of dual/double Bachelor Degrees). The courses should be registered separately each with their own specific full-time duration and cost.

It is important to note that the above requirements do not prevent CRICOS registered providers from being able to market the courses and their associated pathways, and to grant course credit where appropriate and in accordance with Standard 12 of the National Code 2007 and relevant national protocols and standards.

It is also important to note that under the National Code 2007, the duration of courses registered on CRICOS must not exceed the time required for completing the course on the basis of the normal amount of full-time study, and only courses which can be undertaken on a full-time basis can be registered on CRICOS. The registered duration of a course must include approved holiday periods and any approved periods of work-based training which occur during the course. When the course duration is not specified by the accrediting authority for the course, the duration is based on a minimum of 20 scheduled course contact hours per week. This applies to courses in the VET sector and non-AQF award courses, when determining the duration of a course.

Interim standards for Foundation Studies programs for registration on CRICOS

The following interim standards for Foundation Studies programs were implemented on 1 July 2005 and became effective from that date:

  1. Purpose
    Foundation studies programs equip students with the skills and capabilities to enter the tertiary sector;
  2. Outcome
    Upon successful completion of the program, students gain entry, but not credit, to a tertiary level program of study;
  3. Minimum entry requirements
    Students entering the foundation studies program must demonstrate successful completion of Australian Year 11 or a comparable education level, and have English proficiency equivalent to an IELTS score of 5.5 overall (minimum of 5.0 in each macro skill); and
  4. Minimum duration
    The duration of a foundation studies program for student visa purposes is that it contains no less than 720 hours of contact time over not less than 26 weeks of study.

Non self-accrediting higher education institutions will need to refer to the Approval to deliver non-AQF award courses section of this website for the process applicable to them if seeking approval of non-award Foundation Studies programs for registration on CRICOS.

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