The Australian Government will suspend new applications for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) registrations and courses to the National VET Regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), for 12 months.
The suspension will provide ASQA with additional time to address sector integrity issues while processing existing applications with a focus on rigour, scrutiny and integrity.
The decision follows the release of the Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia's Visa System (the Nixon Review) and the Migration Review in 2023, which identified significant integrity concerns within Australia's international education system, particularly in the vocational education and training (VET) sector.
The Government is committed to strengthening and boosting the integrity and quality of Australia's international education sector.
This includes cracking down on dodgy and unscrupulous providers, addressing poor provider practices, and improving the overall experience for genuine international students.
The Government has acted swiftly through a package of integrity reforms, including the passage of the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Act 2025, which provides the necessary authority to suspension the lodgement of applications for new CRICOS registrations and courses.
The 12-month suspension will give ASQA greater capacity to assess the integrity of potential new market entrants and analyse market oversaturation within the international VET and ELICOS sectors.
The suspension does not apply to new applications from public providers, including government schools, TAFE providers and Table A universities.
To ensure existing courses remain up to date, providers who are currently registered to deliver a course can still apply to:
- add a location for that course
- register to deliver a new course that supersedes that course, as reflected on the National VET Register.
The Government will continue to work closely with regulators and will closely monitor the implementation of the Instrument alongside broader integrity reform measures.
These actions reflect the Government's commitment to protecting and advancing Australia's global reputation as a high-quality education destination, while ensuring the migration system supports genuine students and education providers who are doing the right thing.
Quotes attributable to the Assistant Minister for International Education, Julian Hill:
"Australia welcomes genuine international students seeking a premium Australian education and the Government is committed to further strengthening integrity and sustainability in the international education sector.
"Suspending new registrations to teach international students VET or English language onshore is not a decision taken lightly and will allow the Government to address integrity concerns about new market entrants and oversaturation in the international VET and ELICOS sectors. Frankly, it raises suspicions when at the same time student numbers in these parts of the sector are moderating the regulator continues to see a rush of new market entrants.
"Australia's continued success as a destination of choice for international students requires a ruthless focus on quality, integrity and student experience."
