To deliver higher education courses to overseas students, you first need to apply to TEQSA to be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
Applications for CRICOS registration usually take 3 to 6 months for TEQSA to assess. This timeframe is dependent on a high-quality application with minimal delays in responding to TEQSA’s requests. Information on the entire registration process and timeframes can be found here. Once CRICOS registration is granted, it can take a further 2 to 4 weeks for a CRICOS code to be issued and the newly registered provider listed on the CRICOS register. Providers are unable to advertise courses to overseas students or begin recruiting overseas students until CRICOS registration is granted and a CRICOS code has been issued by the Department of Education.
Key steps
1. Be registered as a higher education provider under the TEQSA Act
Before applying to be registered on CRICOS with TEQSA you must first be registered as a higher education provider under the TEQSA Act. TEQSA will not accept applications for CRICOS registration unless your institute has been registered as a higher education provider, except for providers seeking only to deliver English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) courses or Foundation Programs.
2. Prepare your application
Once registered as a higher education provider by TEQSA, you may begin to prepare your application for CRICOS registration. Please lodge your intention to apply for CRICOS registration by contacting the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.
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. The evidence requirements for applications for CRICOS Registration can be found in TEQSA’s Confirmed Evidence Table (CET).
- Download Confirmed Evidence Table for CRICOS Registration (MS Word, 140 KB)
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 for CRICOS registration, please contact the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.
CRICOS and ELICOS