Under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), TEQSA is the ESOS agency for:
- all higher education providers registered under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act)
- English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) courses delivered by, or in entry arrangements with, registered higher education providers
- all providers of Foundation Programs.
Institutions must be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) to enrol and deliver education services to students who are in Australia on a student visa.
TEQSA registers providers on CRICOS for a specific period, up to a maximum of 7 years. Registration periods are recorded in PRISMS under the ‘Summary’ tab.
Applications to renew CRICOS registration can be made using the form in TEQSA’s provider portal.
Providers must make a CRICOS renewal of registration application at least 90 days before their current registration period lapses.
Application timeframes for CRICOS renewal are specified by TEQSA through a legislative instrument, as per section 10D of the ESOS Act. Providers can request a shorter application period by emailing the CRICOS team.
Providers with ELICOS or Foundation Programs, or an exemption to enrol students under the age of 17 in Foundation Programs, will need to apply for renewal of these course accreditations and exemptions as part of their CRICOS registration renewal. The application guide for renewing CRICOS registration provides more information.
Once a renewal application is submitted CRICOS registration remains active, with no restrictions in place, until TEQSA makes a decision.
Processing times
To support TEQSA in assessing applications as promptly as possible, we encourage providers to check they have included all required information to make a decision.
While TEQSA endeavours to complete assessments as efficiently as possible, assessment times can vary considerably. Factors which impact assessment times include:
- application quality and completeness
- risks identified by TEQSA and complexity of the assessment
- the volume of applications TEQSA is assessing.
As part of the assessment, TEQSA may request additional or revised evidence, if the application is incomplete or if instances of or risks of non-compliance are identified. If this occurs, TEQSA will let the applicant know what is missing and when it needs to be submitted.
Key stages
Applications for renewing CRICOS registration have 3 key stages:
- Stage 1: the provider prepares a CRICOS renewal application
- Stage 2: TEQSA assesses the application
- Stage 3: TEQSA decides on the application
Application guidance
Before starting an application, TEQSA encourages providers to read the application guide for renewing CRICOS registration. This guide supports providers by:
- explaining the process
- outlining what evidence and documents are required
- providing guidance on preparation.
Further information
For more information, or assistance with your application, please email the CRICOS team.
CRICOS and ELICOS