From the CEO - Australian Skills Quality Authority
The Australian Government has introduced a temporary suspension on certain new applications under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), through the Education Services for Overseas Students (Suspension of Applications for Registration to the National VET Regulator) Determination 2026. The suspension applies to new applications for registration on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), and applications to add new courses to an existing CRICOS registration.
This measure forms part of the Australian Government’s broader action to strengthen the integrity and quality of the international education sector. It responds to emerging integrity concerns, including risks associated with non‑genuine and poor quality providers and concentrated growth in some course areas.
The suspension is a targeted and time‑limited measure. It supports a focus on:
- focus on the rigorous assessment of existing applications already on hand
- undertake deeper integrity checks, and
- continue to monitor market behaviour.
The suspension commenced on Tuesday 19 May 2026 and will remain in place for 12 months until 19 May 2027.
All valid CRICOS applications lodged before the commencement date will continue to be processed in accordance with ASQA’s existing processes.
What is affected
From Tuesday 19 May 2026, the suspension applies to:
- new CRICOS applications for CRICOS provider registration
- applications to add new courses to an existing CRICOS registration.
Exemptions
The Determination includes specific exemptions to ensure continuity for certain provider types and training product updates.
Provider‑based exemptions - The following provider types may continue to lodge CRICOS initial and add-to-scope applications during the lodgement suspension:
- Government schools
- Registered VET providers owned or controlled by a State or Territory
- Table A providers (within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003).
Training‑product‑based exemptions - These exemptions apply where the training product is already on the provider’s scope of registration:
- Superseded equivalent training products will continue to be updated automatically (no application required)
- Superseded non‑equivalent training products may continue to be added to scope through a CRICOS application.
Location-based exemptions - The lodgement suspension does not apply to CRICOS applications that relate only to adding a new delivery location for an existing, approved course that the provider is already registered to deliver.
Lodgement during the suspension
Any non‑exempt CRICOS application lodged on or after the commencement date will be withdrawn, and any associated fees will be cancelled or refunded in accordance with existing processes.
Note: an application is only considered valid once the application fee has been paid. An application that is submitted but paid later is taken to have been lodged on the date payment is made. In the context of the Determination, if an application is submitted in asqanet before the Commencement date however paid after the Commencement date, it will fall into the suspension period and will not be processed (unless it falls into one of the exemption categories).
More information
Further information about the suspension is available in the Department of Education fact sheet and access the instrument.
Providers with questions can contact ASQA via the Contact us page.