How to become an ESOS provider

To become an Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) provider, you need to meet a range of requirements to:

ensure your students receive a high-quality training experience at each stage of their course
support the integrity of the student visa program
protect Australia’s reputation for quality education.

We apply a rigorous assessment process to applicants wanting to enter the ESOS provider market.

Overview of process

To become an ESOS provider you need to:

ASQA regulates all ESOS providers that deliver VET courses.

To deliver VET courses, you must also be a registered training organisation (RTO) with the courses on your scope of registration.

You can apply for RTO and ESOS registration at the same time.

ASQA regulates some ESOS providers that deliver ELICOS courses.

We do not regulate ELICOS courses that are delivered by an ESOS provider operating as:

a school—in this case, you should apply to 'the relevant state regulatory body'.
a higher education provider or as part of a pathway program for entry into a higher education institution—in this case, you should apply to the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA).

If your application is complete when submitted, we will make a decision about your application within 6 months.

We process applications in line with ASQA’s service standards.