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These pages define academic integrity and explain different types of cheating to help students understand the risks and penalties for poor behaviour. This information will help you to identify, avoid and report illegal cheating services. The information on these pages is designed to help you to understand these topics. If you need information more relevant to your circumstances, please speak with your tutor or school.
Navigate to a section using the links below:
Academic integrity toolkit
Higher education good practice hub
Guidance notes
Application forms and support
Key contacts at TEQSA for providers
When preparing an application for registration as a higher education provider, prospective providers must submit operational plans and projections to allow TEQSA to assess the financial viability and sustainability of the applicant. In preparing these plans and projections, prospective providers should consider the timeframes for registration by TEQSA. In addition, if a provider is considering delivery to overseas students, these projections should also consider the time to be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), the time to recruit overseas students, and sufficient time for those students to obtain visas and to make travel and accommodation arrangements, prior to the commencement of delivery.
At least 6 months before submitting an application, and after reviewing the relevant guidance materials, prospective providers should contact TEQSA (new.registration.enquiries@TEQSA.gov.au) to advise of an intention to apply for registration. If intending to deliver to overseas students, prospective providers are also encouraged to contact TEQSA’s CRICOS team (cricos@teqsa.gov.au) for guidance.
Once an application is received, TEQSA must complete a preliminary assessment and notify you of the outcome within 30 days. During this assessment, TEQSA will check if you have provided all of the required evidence, including whether the application for registration in a particular provider category is appropriate, and whether an application is required for a course of study to be accredited, as per Section 19(1) of the TEQSA Act. Please note, if an application is not in the approved form, does not include all information, documents and assistance requested by TEQSA, or is not accompanied by the application fee, it will not progress to a substantive assessment.
If TEQSA’s preliminary assessment finds that an application is appropriate (valid), the applicant may continue with its application by providing any further information requested by TEQSA and by paying the application fee. Once these have been received, the substantive assessment of an application commences.
TEQSA must make a decision on the application within 9 months of the commencement of the substantive assessment. However, if, for reasons beyond TEQSA’s control, a decision cannot be made within 9 months, a longer period not exceeding a further 9 months may be applied, as per Section 21(2-3) of the TEQSA Act.
Once a decision has been made, TEQSA must advise the applicant within 30 days of that decision and, if TEQSA rejects the application, the reasons for the decision.
On average, providers submit their application for CRICOS registration 3 months following notification of their initial registration as a higher education provider. TEQSA encourages providers to consider 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) in the development of all policies and procedures if intending to deliver to overseas students.
Further information to assist providers preparing an application for CRICOS registration can be found on TEQSA’s How to apply for CRICOS registration page.
Once an application for CRICOS registration is received, TEQSA will assess whether the requirements of the ESOS Act and National Code have been met. If the application is of a high-quality, and the applicant responds promptly to TEQSA’s requests, a decision is usually made within 3 to 6 months. Where the application does not include all of the required evidence, or where there are delays in responding to TEQSA’s requests, the assessment process will take longer.
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 cannot advertise courses to overseas students or begin recruiting overseas students until registered on CRICOS and issued with a CRICOS code by the Department of Education. Generally, providers will need to commence recruitment activities at least 3 months prior to engaging the last students for a study period or 5 months prior to the commencement of delivery, noting the need for offshore intending students to obtain a student visa.
Currently, the Department of Home Affairs advises students outside of Australia to apply for their visa at least 8 weeks before their course starts. Further information can be found on the Department of Home Affairs’ Subclass 500 student visa page.
In total, prospective providers should plan for delivery to commence at least 35 months after first engaging with TEQSA, or 29 months after submitting an application for initial registration. Please note that these are indicative timeframes and are largely conditional on a high-quality applications and minimal delays in the preparation and submission of responses to TEQSA’s requests.
|
Timeframe |
Description |
|
6 months |
Initial engagement with TEQSA and preparation of application |
|
30 days |
Preliminary assessment of application for initial registration |
|
9 months |
Substantive assessment of application for initial registration |
|
30 days |
Notification and publication of decision |
|
3 months |
Average time to apply for CRICOS registration |
|
3-6 months |
Assessment of application for CRICOS registration |
|
2-4 weeks |
Provider CRICOS code issued by Department of Education |
|
3 months |
Provider commences recruitment of overseas students |
|
8 weeks |
Offshore students apply for visa |
|
Approximately 35 months from first engagement with TEQSA |
Delivery commences |
Applicants should carefully consider whether they meet the following fundamental requirements for registration before applying to become a higher education provider. Applicants should consult with TEQSA before applying to ensure they understand the evidence they will need to submit.
This guidance is intended to be used by applicants to ensure that some of the major shortcomings that commonly arise in applications for registration have been addressed. It is not a summary or restatement of all relevant criteria, standards or matters that we will consider in assessing an application for registration.
Before applying for registration as a higher education provider, applicants should ensure that they are able to demonstrate that:
To apply for registration as an Australian higher education provider, applicants must be:
Under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, all applications for registration must be accompanied by an application for accreditation of at least one course of study.
Applications must be on the approved online application form (available from the Provider portal), include all information requested, and be accompanied by the applicable fee and payment/invoice form. See more information on our fees page.
If the application for renewal registration is successful, we will determine the time period of registration. Under the TEQSA Act, this period can’t exceed seven years.
After reviewing the relevant guidance materials, and at least six months before submitting an application, prospective providers should contact new.registration.enquiries@TEQSA.gov.au to advise us of an intention to apply for registration.
There are minimum requirements that all applicants must meet prior to applying for registration as a higher education provider.
For more information on these requirements, visit our Before applying to become a higher education provider page.
TEQSA evaluates applications to register higher education providers against the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HES Framework).
Visit our Contextual overview of the HES Framework 2021 page for information regarding its context and an introduction to the Standards. More detailed overviews of each of the HES Framework’s Domains can be accessed from our Higher Education Standards Framework 2021 page.
We have produced a number of application guides to assist prospective higher education providers which can be accessed from our Application guides and support page.
To support students in understanding their obligations regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) for learning, studying and assessment, TEQSA has made translations of our Artificial intelligence: advice for students page available.
This webpage, and the associated translations, aim to assist students in understanding how to ethically use gen AI without compromising their academic integrity.
The Artificial intelligence: advice for students page has been translated from English into 7 additional languages. The available translations are in Hindi, Indonesian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.
These and other resources, including information on understanding academic integrity and making a complaint about a provider, are available through the Students section of our website.
