How to apply to renew CRICOS registration

TEQSA registers providers on CRICOS to deliver higher education to overseas students for a specific period, up to a maximum of 7 years. Your application to renew your CRICOS registration needs to be submitted at least 90 days before your current registration period expires.

If your registration expires while TEQSA is assessing your application, your registration on CRICOS will remain active. This means you will be able to continue delivering courses to overseas students and create confirmations of enrolment in PRISMS until TEQSA has made a decision on the application.

The time it takes for TEQSA to assess applications to renew CRICOS registration varies significantly based on a range of factors, including the quality of the application, concurrent assessments for course reaccreditation and renewal of provider registration under the TEQSA Act, whether the provider has been granted self-accrediting authority, and the time afforded to providers to respond to TEQSA's concerns. As your registration remains active during TEQSA's assessment, there is no need to change your operations. As part of the assessment, TEQSA may request additional or revised evidence to address any instances or risks of non-compliance. To assist providers with any planning required to respond to these requests, we will aim to notify you in advance of when we expect to make any findings.

Key steps

1. Prepare your application

Prior to applying, you should contact the CRICOS team at CRICOS@teqsa.gov.au to lodge your intention to apply for CRICOS registration. This is to ensure you have the current evidence requirements for the application and that you understand these requirements.

TEQSA highly recommends that you closely review the requirements of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code) to understand your obligations. Your application should demonstrate how you meet, or will meet, each of these obligations.

For providers without self-accrediting authority

Providers without self-accrediting authority are required to submit evidence to TEQSA to demonstrate compliance with all requirements under the ESOS Framework, in particular the Standards of the National Code. This should include all evidence listed in TEQSA's Confirmed Evidence Table (CET). The evidence requirements for applications for CRICOS Registration can be found in TEQSA’s Confirmed Evidence Table (CET).

For providers with self-accrediting authority

Standard 11.4 of the National Code requires all providers with self-accrediting authority to undertake an independent external audit in the 18 months prior to their registration period expiry. TEQSA has prepared a guide for providers on what this should look like. SAA providers do not require a confirmed evidence table and should submit the following evidence when applying to renew CRICOS registration:

  • the audit report
  • the provider's response to the audit report and any completed or in progress actions to address issues identified in the audit report
  • any other evidence or relevant context required to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of all applicable ESOS legislation.

Further information for providers with Foundation and ELICOS Courses as well as exemptions to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs

Providers wishing to renew their Foundation Programs should provide the following evidence

A self-assurance report of no more than 10 pages outlining how the provider’s governing body assures itself of the quality of its education operations in relation to its Foundation Program, and that it is continuing to meet the Education Services for Overseas Students (Foundation Program Standards) Instrument 2021 (Foundation Program Standards).

As part of the self-assurance report, the provider should:

  1. Outline whether the program is delivered as a standard or extended Foundation Program.
  2. Outline whether the program is delivered as a streamed or generalist program.
  3. Outline any changes that have been made to the Foundation Program since it was last approved by the ESOS agency for the provider:
    1. where the provider has made significant changes that entail any of the following, if the changes are to be implemented at the time of reregistration the provider is to outline those changes, and the rationale for their implementation:
      1. changes, whether incremental or at one time, to more than 25% of the total number of course units or subjects from the time the Foundation Program was last approved by the ESOS agency for the provider
      2. substantial variations to course delivery, or
      3. substantial changes to course nomenclature, duration, entry requirements, outcomes or structure.
    2. where the provider has made any other changes, the provider will need to submit evidence of their approval by the provider’s academic board.

If significant changes are made to courses at any other time, providers are reminded of their obligation to notify TEQSA via a material change notification outlining the changes, and the rationale for those changes. See TEQSA’s website for further advice on notifications required of CRICOS registered providers.

  1. Verify that the scheduled English Language hours are compliant with requirements under Standard 5 of the Foundation Programs Standards.
  2. Provide evidence of the formal measures the provider has implemented to ensure that assessment outcomes for the English language subjects are comparable to other criteria used for admission to the available higher education pathways, or for admission to other similar courses of study.
  3. Outline the findings, actions arising, and resulting outcomes of at least one external review by a suitably qualified discipline expert that verifies that the course is compliant with the Foundation Programs Standards. A copy of the review should be included as an attachment to the self-assurance report.
  4. Provide evidence of how risks have been identified, managed, and mitigated, and how the provider will manage these risks going forward, including areas for continuous improvement, and associated actions and measures to monitor success, particularly those to:
    1. student recruitment and admission
    2. student participation, support, and experience, and
    3. student attainment.
Providers wishing to renew their ELICOS Courses should provide the following evidence

A self-assurance report of no more than 10 pages outlining how the provider’s governing body assures itself of the quality of its education operations in relation to its ELICOS Courses, and that it is continuing to meet the ELICOS National Standards.

As part of the self-assurance report, the provider should:

  1. Demonstrate that the ELICOS Course meets the minimum requirement of 20 hours face-to-face scheduled course contact per week, as well as any other study requirements and any scheduled breaks.
  2. Verify that policies and procedures related to study arrangements for students under the age of 18 comply with the National Code.
  3. Outline that facilities and operations for any mixed-age student cohorts are designed to meet the needs of students of different ages, maturity and levels of English language proficiency.
  4. Outline access to services, learning opportunities, facilities and equipment that address students’ English language learning needs.
  5. Demonstrate that course materials and tutoring are tailored to meet student learning requirements, taking into account the differing levels of students’ age and maturity.
  6. Provide evidence of the formal measures the provider has implemented to ensure that assessment outcomes for the English language subjects are comparable to other criteria used for admission to the available higher education pathways, or for admission to other similar courses of study.
  7. Outline the findings, actions arising, and resulting outcomes of at least one external review by a suitably qualified discipline expert that verifies that the course is compliant with the ELICOS National Standards. A copy of the review should be included as an attachment to the self-assurance report.
  8. Provide evidence of how risks have been identified, managed, and mitigated, and how the provider will manage these risks going forward, including areas for continuous improvement, and associated actions and measures to monitor success, particularly those to:
    1. student participation, support, and experience
    2. student attainment, and
    3. workforce capability.
Providers with Exemptions to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs

Please note that providers who have existing exemptions to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs will need to renew this exemption along with their application to renew CRICOS registration.

To renew exemptions to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs, the provider will need to submit the following evidence requirements:

Exemptions to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs
  • policies and procedures in place for managing the provision of welfare arrangements for U17 students including critical incident policies and procedures
  • details of appropriate arrangements in place for student accommodation and wellbeing including evidence demonstrating that the suitability of accommodation for students under the age of 17 has been verified prior to the accommodation being approved and at least every six months thereafter
  • example of agreements with any third-party provider engaged to provide welfare and/or accommodation arrangements to under 17 students
  • policies and procedures for selecting, screening and monitoring any third parties engaged by the provider to organise and assess welfare and accommodation arrangements, if applicable
  • details of appropriate arrangements in place for the orientation of students that are U17 years of age including samples of information given to students under the age of 17 on emergency contacts and how to seek assistance and report on incidents of actual or alleged sexual, physical or other abuse
  • evidence of appropriate arrangements in place for academic progress review of students that are U17 years of age
  • evidence of compliance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, or other regulations regarding child welfare and protection requirements
  • copy of the Working with Children Check register
  • evidence of Staff receiving training in child protection principles as part of the staff induction process.

Guide for CRICOS providers undertaking an independent external audit

2. Submit your application

Once all evidence has been prepared, you can submit your application through TEQSA's provider portal. TEQSA will initially determine whether the application is complete and includes all required evidence. If not, TEQSA will notify you of what evidence is missing and provide an opportunity to submit this evidence to complete the application.

3. TEQSA assesses the application

Once your application includes all required evidence, TEQSA will begin its assessment. TEQSA assesses the evidence to determine whether the provider will comply with all requirements of the ESOS Act, the National Code, and any other relevant legislation within the ESOS Framework.

If TEQSA identifies any areas where the application is not compliant with these legislative requirements, or at risk of non-compliance, TEQSA will outline its findings in a proposed decision. You will be afforded an opportunity to respond to these concerns and submit additional or revised evidence to demonstrate compliance, usually within 28 days.

4. TEQSA’s decision

TEQSA may approve or reject your application. In doing so, TEQSA will notify you of its decision and the reasons for the decision in writing.

If TEQSA approves the application, it may decide to approve a period of registration less than the maximum 7 years. TEQSA may also decide to impose conditions on your registration to manage any risks that have not been fully addressed in the application.

If TEQSA decides to reject the application, or if you are dissatisfied with TEQSA’s decision, you may seek a review of that decision. Information on your options for review are outlined on our Review of TEQSA Decisions page.

Further information

For more information or assistance applying to renew CRICOS registration, please contact the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.  
 

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