What CRICOS Is: Providers Allowed to Enrol International Students

What is CRICOS?

CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) is the Australian Government’s national registration system. Any education provider wishing to enrol international students on a subclass 500 visa must be CRICOS-registered.

CRICOS registration applies not only to the institution (provider code) but also to each specific course (course code). A provider may hold CRICOS registration, but if the course you choose has no CRICOS code of its own, it is not valid for a subclass 500 visa.

Why does CRICOS matter?

Legal requirement: Applying for a subclass 500 visa requires a CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment) from a CRICOS-registered provider. If a provider is not CRICOS-registered, the Department of Home Affairs will not process the visa.

Student protection: CRICOS-registered providers must comply with the ESOS (Education Services for Overseas Students) Act and the National Code — the legal framework that protects the rights of international students. This includes commitments to refund tuition if a provider cancels a course, complaints procedures, and conditions for transferring providers.

Subclass 485 requirement: To apply for a subclass 485 (Graduate) visa after finishing your studies, you generally need to have studied for at least two years in Australia at a CRICOS-registered provider. Study at a non-CRICOS provider does not count.

How do you check CRICOS?

Option 1 — Search online: The official website is cricos.education.gov.au.

• Enter the provider name or provider code to search.
• Enter the course name or course code to check a specific course.
• The results show the registration status and the approved courses.

Option 2 — Check the CoE: A CoE from a provider must clearly state the CRICOS Provider Code and CRICOS Course Code. If a CoE is missing either of these codes, ask the provider directly.

Does CRICOS mean the school is good?

No. CRICOS is a minimum legal requirement, not a guarantee of academic quality. A provider can be CRICOS-registered yet still:

• Have weak teaching staff and poor facilities.
• Not be recognised by the relevant skills assessing authority (ACS, EA, TRA).
• Offer inadequate student support.

CRICOS confirms a provider is permitted to enrol international students — it does not confirm that the provider’s qualification will help you pass a skills assessment or find work.

Provider Code and Course Code — important to check

Each institution has a Provider Code (for example, 00116K for the University of Melbourne). Each course has a Course Code (for example, 066518G for a specific program). Both can be looked up.

A common mistake: a student searches the provider name, sees CRICOS registration, but does not check the specific course — some programs within the same institution have no CRICOS code (for example, programs offered only to domestic students).

Can a CRICOS provider lose its registration?

Yes. If a provider breaches the ESOS Act or the National Code, its CRICOS registration can be cancelled or suspended. This has happened to some private providers in the past — students partway through a course have had to transfer schools at short notice.

Your rights if this happens:

• The Australian Government activates the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) — ensuring you either receive a tuition refund or are placed into an equivalent course at another provider.

Prevention: Choose a provider with a stable operating history, and be cautious of newly established providers or those with financial problems.

Applying this when choosing a provider

When researching providers for study:

1. Search CRICOS to confirm the institution and course are valid.
2. Check whether the provider is recognised by the relevant skills assessing authority (ACS, EA and others).
3. Look into the provider’s actual standing and reputation in the industry.
4. Find out about graduate employment outcomes.

CRICOS is the starting point, not the end point, in choosing a provider.