• Our values

    At TEQSA, our values underpin our mindset and behaviour, supporting us to achieve our purpose and reflecting our awareness of our role as Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education.

    Our values describe who we are as a regulator, guiding how we conduct ourselves and work with our stakeholders to enact our regulatory authority.

    Along with other guiding statements such as our regulatory principles, policies and guidance notes, our values enable our stakeholders to understand what they can expect when interacting with us.

    Our values reflect the Australian Public Sector (APS) Values and Code of Conduct and, in practice, create a positive culture in which we can perform efficiently and effectively as the national higher education regulatory and quality assurance agency for the benefit of all Australians.

    These values provide a foundation for best practice and support us to go beyond, to ensure we are well-positioned to serve students, providers and and the wider community.

    Trust

    We have confidence in each other to do our best. We encourage open and honest conversations that focus on the issue not the person. We promote a supportive and safe workplace environment.

    Respect

    We approach every situation with kindness, compassion, and an open mindset. We value people, the range of views and experience they bring and the work they undertake.

    Accountability

    We hold ourselves and each other accountable for our actions, how we work together and the quality of what we deliver. We gather feedback, reflect and act on opportunities for improvement.

    Collaboration

    We draw on our collective strength by encouraging each other to contribute to the achievement of shared objectives. We provide context and information to help others succeed.

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  • Joint ASQA and TEQSA sector alert – compliance concerns about overseas student transfers

    Image of ASQA and TEQSA's wordmarks

    13 July 2026

    What?

    TEQSA and ASQA are aware of concerns that some advertising by registered providers appears inconsistent with the intent of the ban on the payment of education agent commissions in relation to onshore transfers.

    Both agencies view any attempts by providers or education agents to bypass this restriction as unacceptable and providers who are not adequately managing these risks or not meeting the relevant Standards may be subject to a compliance assessment and/or regulatory action.

    Why?

    The ban is intended to remove incentives for unscrupulous education agents to facilitate unnecessary onshore transfers that may not be in a student’s best interests. It is an important integrity measure that supports quality and transparency in the international education sector and helps protect Australia’s reputation for high-quality education.

    Our concerns

    TEQSA and ASQA are concerned about:

    • referral, recruitment or incentive arrangements that preserve commission-based behaviour
    • business practices that encourage and facilitate unnecessary transfers of students from other providers
    • providers lacking robust oversight of the performance and behaviour of education agents
    • providers failing to declare their arrangements with third parties facilitating student transfers
    • improper management of data around agent activities and student enrolment, including inaccurate or delayed reporting
    • weak governance, controls, monitoring or recordkeeping practices around recruitment and student enrolment
    • providers with poor risk management practices in respect of accepting higher risk students who have transferred from another provider and do not appear to be academically prepared for their new course.

    Our expectations

    TEQSA and ASQA expect providers to take active steps to ensure their arrangements, practices and controls are consistent with the new definition of ‘education agent’ and with the ban on the payment of education agent commissions in relation to onshore overseas student transfers.

    TEQSA and ASQA expect providers:

    • not pay, offer or facilitate commissions connected to onshore overseas student transfers
    • review agreements, incentives and referral arrangements with education agents and third parties
    • closely monitor advertising and recruitment practices to ensure they are not promoting transfer activity in a way that circumvents the restriction on the payment of agent commissions
    • ensure that all parties facilitating onshore transfers are transparent in their dealings with students
    • exercise effective governance oversight so boards and senior management are accountable, and that risks are understood and managed effectively
    • have robust admissions processes in place that ensure decisions to accept students transferring are in students’ best interests, and that the student has sufficient qualifications to enter the course
    • be able to demonstrate compliance with the ESOS Framework through clear policies, controls, assurance and recordkeeping.

    It is therefore a priority that all higher education and VET providers, and their governing bodies, focus on these issues as a priority.

    Relevant standards for providers

    In delivering courses to overseas students, the following legislative frameworks apply to higher education providers:

    The following legislative frameworks apply to VET providers:

    Undertaking a check

    Providers need to be able to demonstrate, through robust governance oversight, that their arrangements, practices and controls are consistent with the recent changes to the National Code preventing the payment of education agent commissions in relation to onshore overseas student transfers.

    In support of this, TEQSA and ASQA expect all providers to undertake a check of their current processes and practices. This may include, but is not limited to:

    • review your agreements, incentives and referral arrangements with education agents and other third parties
    • check what your education agents and third parties are promoting in the market, including advertising relating to onshore transfers, and ensure these arrangements are subject to robust oversight
    • review admissions, recruitment and transfer practices to ensure they do not facilitate or encourage conduct that circumvents the ban
    • ensure decision-making about overseas student transfers is consistent with students’ best interests and the intent of the legislation
    • ensure your academic, corporate and governing boards are aware of these risks and the controls in place to manage them
    • be able to demonstrate compliance through clear policies, monitoring, assurance and recordkeeping.

    Providers who are not adequately managing these risks or not meeting the relevant Standards may be subject to a compliance assessment and/or regulatory action.

    TEQSA and ASQA will rely on having communicated this sector alert with an expectation that providers will take action as outlined above in any subsequent compliance assessment or regulatory action that is undertaken.

    Raising concerns

    TEQSA and ASQA take concerns raised about the quality of student outcomes and experiences seriously. You can report a concern:

    Related resources

    All providers

    Mary Russell
    Chief Executive Officer
    Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency

    Saxon Rice
    Chief Executive Officer
    Australian Skills Quality Authority

    Last updated:

  • Sector updates and alerts

    From time to time, TEQSA provides general guidance and issues updates to the sector and higher education providers to assist in their understanding of emerging risks or identified concerns. These items are listed individually below.

    For access to TEQSA's full suite of guidance resources, please see the guides and resources section.

    Sector alerts

    Sector updates

    Last updated:

    Related links

  • Joint sector alert issued for overseas student transfers

    TEQSA and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) have issued a joint sector alert relating to compliance concerns about overseas student transfers.

    Both agencies are concerned that some advertising by registered providers appears inconsistent with the intent of the ban on the payment of education agent commissions in relation to onshore transfers.

    The ban’s intent is to remove incentives for unscrupulous education agents to facilitate unnecessary onshore transfers that may not be in a student’s best interests. This measure supports quality and transparency in the international education sector and helps protect Australia’s reputation for high-quality education.

    TEQSA and ASQA expect providers to take active steps to ensure their arrangements, practices and controls meet their obligations, and are consistent with the intent of this ban. We expect all higher education and VET providers to review the sector alert, apply focus to the expectations outlined and undertake a check of their current processes and practices.

    Providers who are not adequately managing these risks or meeting the relevant standards may be subject to a compliance assessment and/or regulatory action. Our expectation, in any subsequent compliance assessment or regulatory action that is undertaken, is that providers will have taken action, as outlined in this sector alert.

    Date
    Last updated:
    Featured image
    Sector alert

  • Student Advisory Panel

    Students are central to TEQSA’s work to assure the quality of Australian higher education. When the quality of higher education is strong, students benefit. When quality falters, students are the first to feel the impact.

    As such, students have a pivotal role in helping to identify emerging and enduring sector risks. Their lived experiences provide valuable and diverse insight that continues to inform TEQSA’s work.

    Background

    In recent years, the higher education sector has faced complex challenges and opportunities. TEQSA recognises our role has evolved and we are therefore rebalancing our regulatory approach. As part of this, TEQSA’s Student Advisory Panel seeks to support us in identifying and managing risks to assure quality across the sector.

    TEQSA is expanding the student voices we engage, beyond elected student representatives with the creation of a Student Advisory Panel. Australia’s higher education sector is diverse and complex, and the Student Advisory Panel seeks to reflect this.

    Establishment

    TEQSA established our first Student Advisory Panel in July 2026.

    An expression of interest (EOI) process, facilitated by external agency Elliot Gray, attracted more than 500 applications from across Australia.

    Panel members have been appointed for a one-year term and will be invited to express interest in extending their term for a second year at the conclusion of the first year. The panel will meet 4 times a year (both online and in person) and will be paid an honorarium for their time.

    More updates on the Student Advisory Panel will be released in due course.

    Last updated:

  • Student Advisory Panel established

    TEQSA is pleased to announce the establishment of our first Student Advisory Panel.

    The expression of interest (EOI) process, held in April, attracted more than 500 applications from across Australia.

    The panel is an important step in ensuring that the lived experiences of students and their perspectives continue to inform TEQSA’s focus on systemic and emerging risks in higher education.

    Further updates on the panel’s progress will be published in due course.

    Date
    Last updated:
    Featured image
    Student Advisory Panel

  • Other student support services

    You should always check with your provider about support services available to you. We’ve compiled this list to help students access information about other services that can help them. 

    TEQSA information for students

    Department of Education

    Mental health resources

    Students with a disability

    Online safety and scams

    Fair Work Ombudsman

    Services Australia

    Department of Health and Aged Care

    Translation services

    State and territory study centres

    International students

    Resources and links in this section are for student visa holders studying in Australia.

    Department of Education

    Study in Australia

    Ombudsman for international students

    Department of Home Affairs

    Fair Work Ombudsman

    Australian Taxation Office

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  • How to add or withdraw a course on CRICOS

    How to apply to add a course on CRICOS

    CRICOS registered providers are required to apply to TEQSA to add a course of study to their CRICOS registration. To add a course on CRICOS, registered providers should submit the Add course on CRICOS application via the TEQSA Provider Portal. Before an application to add a course to CRICOS can be made, that course must first be accredited by TEQSA, except where the provider has self-accrediting authority (SAA).

    Course details

    In your application, you should include all relevant course details, including:

    • registered location/s where the course will be delivered (including campus name/s as listed in PRISMS)
    • AQF level and qualification type
    • whether the course awards a dual qualification
    • field of education type, including codes for broad, narrow, and detailed field of education
    • course duration in weeks (including breaks)
    • maximum percentage of total course that a student may undertake by distance and/or online learning
    • estimated tuition fee
    • estimated non-tuition fee/s
    • mandatory work-based training component (if applicable), including hours per week, number of weeks, and total number of hours
    • projected number of international students
    • projected number of domestic students
    • language the course will be delivered in, if other than English.

    Professional accreditation

    If professional accreditation is required for the course, your application should include evidence demonstrating that accreditation with the relevant professional body has been obtained, including the duration of the accreditation. If an application to the relevant professional body has been submitted and is awaiting an outcome, include details of the application status and indicative date of an outcome.

    Arrangements with other providers

    If the course is to be delivered as part of an arrangement with another provider, include:

    • the name of the other provider/s
    • the CRICOS provider code/s of the other provider/s (if applicable)
    • applicable delivery site/s of the other providers.

    Please note, if the arrangement with another provider has not been previously approved by TEQSA, an Arrangements with other provider/s (third-party partnership/s) application should be submitted concurrently with this application.

    Exceptions

    How to apply to withdraw a course on CRICOS

    CRICOS registered providers are required to apply to TEQSA to withdraw one or more courses of study from the provider’s CRICOS registration. To withdraw a course, submit the Withdraw course/s on CRICOS form via the TEQSA Provider Portal. There are no fees associated with this application.

    In applying to withdraw a course, you may indicate whether the course is to be cancelled or suspended:

    • Cancel:
      Once a CRICOS code has been cancelled it cannot be reinstated. By selecting this option, you will effectively delete the course from CRICOS.
    • Suspend:
      By suspending a course, it may continue to be delivered with any currently registered students with a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), but the provider will not be able to issue any new CoEs for that course. A suspended course may have its registration restored again in the future. 

    Please ensure there are no CoEs with an ‘approved’, ‘saved’, ‘pending’, or ‘visa granted’ status linked to a course before choosing to cancel or suspend a course. Any CoEs linked to a course that is suspended or cancelled may impact the student’s visa, potentially resulting in a cancellation.

    Course details

    To withdraw a course on CRICOS, TEQSA requires the following information:

    • whether the course is to be cancelled or suspended
    • proposed date of withdrawal (suspension or cancellation)
    • reason for withdrawing the course
    • confirmation that all overseas students registered for the course will be able to complete it before it is withdrawn from CRICOS.

    Transfer of current students

    If there are any overseas students that will transfer to another provider, for each applicable course, please include:

    • an outline of the arrangements that have been put in place for the overseas students to complete their course with other providers
    • a sample of the correspondence that will be sent to students regarding the transfer of students to another provider
    • a copy of each agreement that has been put in place with other providers.

    Refund arrangements

    If any overseas students will have access to a refund, for each applicable course, please include:

    • an outline of the arrangements that have been put in place for the refund of course fees
    • a sample of the correspondence that will be sent to students regarding the refund arrangements.

    Pending students

    If there are any pending overseas students with a CoE for a course being withdrawn from CRICOS, please include a sample of the correspondence that will be sent to these students, as well as education agents, about the withdrawal of each applicable course from CRICOS.

    Arrangements for overseas students

    If there are any pending or current overseas students with a CoE for the course/s to be withdrawn, providers should include a list of impacted students confirming whether the student:

    • will complete their course/s before the course/s are withdrawn
    • has been offered a place in an alternative course and has accepted the offer in writing
    • has received a refund of tuition fees in relation to the course.

    If any other relevant arrangement has been agreed between the student, the provider and a third party, details of that arrangement should also be included in the list with the following information:

    • the name of each overseas student currently enrolled in a course
    • a unique identifier for each student (for example, date of birth, student number)
    • the course/s in which the overseas student is enrolled
    • the specific arrangement agreed for each student
    • for transfer students, include details of the new provider and contact person, and the new provider’s CRICOS Provider Code.

    Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

    Is an application required to add or remove a course from an existing location?

    If both the course and the location are already registered on CRICOS, you can request to link (add) or unlink (remove) any CRICOS registered course to a CRICOS registered location by using the Linking Courses to Locations Function. Instructions on this process are available in the Provider User Guide). No application to TEQSA is required.

    How do I change course fees on CRICOS?

    To make a change to course fees providers should:

    • upload the revised cost information in the Department of Education’s Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS)
    • email the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au to advise that a request has been made.

    There are no fees associated with these changes.

    How do I reinstate a suspended course?

    If you wish to reinstate a suspended course on PRISMS for a brief period of time to accommodate a CoE extension, please contact the CRICOS inbox at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.

    Courses with a cancelled status can only be reinstated by the Department of Education, via a request made by the CRICOS team.

    When should the 'Other CRICOS changes' application be submitted?

    The Other CRICOS changes application should be submitted to TEQSA via the Provider Portal in the following circumstances:

    • Changes to the duration of a course. You should provide evidence to support your application including rationale for the change and minutes of the decision taken by the governing body, evidence that students have been advised of the proposed change and evidence that students have been advised to contact the Department of Home Affairs if this change will require an extension of their student visa.
    • Changes to the title of a course, where the course duration and its learning outcomes remain the same. You should provide evidence to support your application including minutes of the decision taken to update the course title and evidence that current and accepted students have been informed.
    • Changes to work integrated learning components of a course. You should provide evidence to support your application including the rationale for the change and minutes of the decision taken.
    • To report administrative changes such as change of provider address.
    • To request a correction of a course’s Field of Education.
    • To request corrections to minor errors in the initial data entry.

    Changes to the title or duration of accredited courses of study from providers without self-accrediting authority require a Material Change notification, as this change requires an update to the National Register. More information is available on our Material changes page.

    The Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 and National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 also have notification and approval requirements for CRICOS registered providers. Find out more about on our Notifications and approvals required of CRICOS registered providers page.

    When do changes to a course already registered on CRICOS require an application to register a new course?

    In some instances, changes to a course are significant enough to require a new application to add a course on CRICOS. Providers should submit an Add course on CRICOS application if there are:

    • changes to the title of the course, which reflect significant changes to the outcomes of the course
    • any significant change to the course field of study
    • any change to the course level.

    How should a course with specialisations be registered on CRICOS?

    Specialisations can be registered as a single course of study on CRICOS, if all pathways through the course lead to the same award and share all the following characteristics:

    • qualification level
    • broad field of education
    • course duration
    • course location
    • any work-based components
    • an estimate of course costs (this may be an average of a cost range).

    The award title is not changed based on the addition of specialisations, but the specialisation may be included on the testamur, for example, a Bachelor of Arts with specialisation options.

    When applying to add a single course with more than one specialisation to CRICOS, providers must demonstrate these characteristics (as part of course accreditation or by confirmation of internal processes for providers with self-accrediting authority).

    It is important to note that CRICOS registration is a separate process to course accreditation under the TEQSA Act. For the purposes of accrediting awards with multiple specialisations, each specialisation will be assessed separately to ensure that each is a coherent course of study.

    How should ‘joint award’ and ‘dual award’ courses be registered on CRICOS?

    TEQSA uses the term ‘joint award’ to refer to ‘a single course of study arranged and delivered jointly by two or more providers that leads to the award of a single qualification that is recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and is typically conferred jointly by the providers involved.’ TEQSA uses the term ‘dual award’ to refer to where ‘one or more courses of study … [lead] to the award of two separate qualifications’, for example: a double degree. For more information about joint and dual awards, refer to TEQSA’s Guidance note: Joint and dual awards.

    To register a dual award course, submit an Add course on CRICOS application, respond ‘yes’ to the question ‘Is this a dual course?’, and make sure to enter the fields of education for both awards.

    To register a joint award course, the primary provider is to submit an Add course on CRICOS application. If the joint award will be delivered as part of a new arrangement between providers, also submit an Arrangements with another provider (third-party partnerships) application. For more information about third-party partnership applications, see How to apply for TEQSA to assess a third-party agreement.

    How should ‘nested’ courses be registered on CRICOS?

    TEQSA uses the term ‘nested courses of study’ to refer to where ‘a set of courses of study … are offered sequentially and can lead to qualifications at different Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels’, for example: where a student may exit a bachelor program early with a diploma. For more information about nested courses, refer to TEQSA’s Guidance note: Nested courses of study.

    To register a nested course, submit separate Add course on CRICOS applications to create a unique CRICOS code for each award. While it is not a requirement that providers register exit awards, it is best practice to do so to enable monitoring of course progression and completions.

    If nested courses are not separately registered, and a student finalises their studies and completes with an exit award, the provider would need to report this event on PRISMS as non-completion of the primary course. This is to ensure the Department of Home Affairs is notified that the student’s course of study has concluded, requiring them to either apply for a new visa or exit the country. A more accurate record would be created if the student were transferred to the exit award, which can only occur if the course is CRICOS registered.

    Having nested courses registered on CRICOS allows oversight into student transfers to lower qualifications. Such transfers may highlight risks to the sector from (a) providers regularly admitting students into higher qualifications that are not able to meet the standard required, or (b) encouraging students to exit with lower qualifications rather than implementing robust strategies to support transition and progression.

    Further information

    For more information or assistance applying to add or withdraw a course on CRICOS, please contact the CRICOS team at cricos@teqsa.gov.au.

    For more information regarding fees providers must pay in relation to applications made to TEQSA, refer to our Application-based fees page.
     

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    Related links

  • Gen AI and research

    This page contains resources to support institutions, staff and students in considering the potential impacts and benefits generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) tools pose for research.

    TEQSA resources
    From the sector: good practice guidance
    International
    Last updated:

    Related links