CRICOS registration

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Special notice: Changes to regulatory arrangements for the registration of providers and their courses on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)

From 1 July 2011, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) will regulate and be the designated authority  for registered training organisations (RTOs) who deliver vocational education and training (VET) courses to international students in Victoria. 

In addition, ASQA will regulate and be the designated authority  for providers of English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) and Foundation programs to international students in Victoria, except where these programs are delivered by registered schools.

CRICOS approval and the regulation of any school programs, ELICOS and Foundation programs delivered by a registered school, and higher education courses continue to be the responsibility of the VRQA as the designated authority for Victoria for these types of providers and programs.

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About CRICOS

Any organisation that proposes to provide education or training courses to international students must first be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) for the course for the state or territory in which delivery will occur.

CRICOS is maintained under the Commonwealth Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000  (ESOS Act) by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and designated authorities as defined under the ESOS Act.

VRQA has responsibility for CRICOS approval and the regulation of any school programs, ELICOS and Foundation programs delivered by a registered school, and higher education courses.

Registration on CRICOS to provide a specified course to international students

Only suitable courses which can be undertaken on a full-time basis may be registered on CRICOS. Approved courses may include ‘award’ courses recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), and ‘non award’ courses.

AQF award courses include senior secondary certificates of education, Certificates I–IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Vocational Graduate Certificates and Diplomas, Associate Degrees, Bachelor Degrees, Graduate Certificates and Diplomas, Masters and Doctoral degrees.

Non AQF award courses include some school sector programs, Foundation Programs and English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS). There are special requirements involved in registering these courses.

For more information on registering as a provider on CRICOS, consult the page relevant to your sector (listed below).

In this section

In this section you can find information on:

Legislative framework

The VRQA is the designated authority for approving certain organisations to deliver certain courses to international students in Victoria. This authority is given under section 4.5.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 and the ESOS Act.

Delivery of courses to international students is regulated by designated authorities for a state or territory in cooperation with the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). The relevant Commonwealth legislation is the ESOS Act 2000. 

For more information, see: ESOS Act and related regulations