How do I check an Australian course and campus are registered on CRICOS in 2026?
You check them as a pair, not as a school. Under subsection 10(1) of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), the ESOS agency for a provider "may register the provider to provide a course or courses at a location or locations" — registration is granted to a course at a location, so a registered institution is not the same thing as a registered course at the campus you will actually attend. This article is based on the ESOS Act 2000 text published by the Federal Register of Legislation, as of the September 2026 version of the official page.
Why isn't "the school is on CRICOS" enough to pay tuition?
Because the registration decision is scoped, and the scope is the part that matters to you. A provider can be registered and still not be registered for the course you picked, at the campus you picked. That gap is where people lose money: they confirm the brand, pay, and only later discover the specific course-and-campus combination they enrolled in sits outside the provider's registration.
Adding a site is not a formality either. Subsection 10(2) requires the ESOS agency to use a risk management approach when deciding whether to register a provider, and a note to section 10 records that the Minister may determine that the ESOS agency is not required to, or must not, deal with registration applications for a period (see section 14C). A newly opened campus, a converted office floor, or a course delivered through a partner site is therefore exactly the kind of entry worth verifying rather than assuming.
What exactly is registered — the course, the campus, or both?
Both, together, as one entry. Section 10(1) uses the plural forms "a course or courses" and "a location or locations", which is the legal structure behind everything else in this article: registration is a list of course-and-location pairs held by a provider, not a single yes/no flag attached to the institution's name.
Practically, that means one check cannot cover two questions. "Is this provider registered?" and "is this provider registered for this course at this campus?" are different questions, and only the second one protects your enrolment.
What must the written material you receive actually identify?
The offer and advertising material are themselves part of your check. Section 107 makes it an offence for a person to, in written material (including electronic form), offer a course at a location to an overseas student or intending overseas student, invite them to undertake or apply for it, or hold itself out as able or willing to provide it — if the material fails to identify:
- the registered provider for the course;
- the unique identifier allocated to the registered provider under paragraph 14A(4)(d);
- any other information prescribed by the regulations.
The penalty is imprisonment for 6 months. The useful point for you is the first two: the material naming a course at a location must also name the registered provider and that provider's unique identifier. If a document is vague about which legal entity is delivering the course, or carries no provider identifier, it is not giving you the fields you need to verify anything.
Can a provider be registered but out of reach right now?
Yes. Registration and suspension can coexist, which is another reason a register lookup alone does not tell the whole story.
Under section 100, an Immigration Minister's suspension certificate remains in effect for 6 months beginning on the day it says it takes effect, and the Immigration Minister may revoke it at any time by written notice. Section 101 makes it an offence, punishable by imprisonment for 2 years, to offer a course at any location to an overseas student or intending overseas student, invite them to undertake or apply for it, or hold the provider out as able or willing to provide it, while such a certificate is in effect. Yet subsection 101(2) is explicit: "The provider is still registered for all other purposes."
So a provider can appear registered while being unable to have new overseas students recruited into its courses. Under section 102, a further certificate may be issued, and a copy must be tabled in both Houses of Parliament within 15 sitting days of being given to the provider.
Does the register always show the current position?
Not necessarily, and section 103 explains why. The Secretary must cause the Register to be altered appropriately when a suspension certificate is given or revoked, but subsection 103(2) says a failure to do so does not affect the validity of the certificate or revocation. The certificate is valid whether or not the register entry has caught up. Don't read the absence of a note on a register entry as positive proof that nothing is in force.
What should I match before paying tuition?
The check is a four-field match. Compare your enrolment documents against the registration record field by field, and treat any mismatch as unresolved until you can reconcile it.
| Field to match | What you are checking | Where the requirement comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Course | The exact course record, not just the qualification name or a marketing title | Section 10(1) registers "a course or courses" |
| Location | The campus or address where you will actually study, including new or satellite sites | Section 10(1) registers courses "at a location or locations" |
| Registered provider | The legal entity registered for that course, which may not be the trading name on the brochure | Paragraph 107(d) |
| Unique identifier | The identifier allocated to that provider under paragraph 14A(4)(d) | Paragraph 107(e) |
Suppose a student is offered a course under a well-known institution name, to be delivered at a city campus that opened recently, and the offer letter names the brand but not the registered provider or its identifier. On the rules above, that document is missing two of the four fields, and the risk sits precisely on the newest part of the chain — the location. Paying before those fields are filled in means paying before you can verify anything.
Registration status also moves over time: providers are registered per course and location under section 10, and a suspension certificate can run for 6 months under section 100. Verify close to the date you pay, not from a search you did months earlier.
This is general information about how the registration framework is structured under the ESOS Act, not advice about your enrolment or your visa situation, and the Act and the register can change. Where your own circumstances depend on a specific entry, treat the officially published current text and any qualified professional advice as the authoritative source rather than this summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a second campus covered automatically once the main campus is registered?
No. Section 10(1) registers a provider to provide courses "at a location or locations", so each location needs to fall within the registration. A brand-new or satellite campus is the most common place for that assumption to break down.
Two campuses list the same course title — do I only need to check once?
No. The same title at two locations is two course-and-location pairs under section 10(1), and registration for one does not carry the other. Check the course against the campus you will actually attend.
What identifier should appear in the material I receive?
Written material offering a course at a location must identify the registered provider for the course and the unique identifier allocated to that provider under paragraph 14A(4)(d), under section 107. Omitting them is an offence carrying a penalty of imprisonment for 6 months.
Can a provider stay registered while being unable to take new overseas students?
Yes. Subsection 101(2) states that the provider is still registered for all other purposes while an Immigration Minister's suspension certificate is in effect. Registering a provider and suspending recruitment into its courses are two separate things.
How long does a suspension certificate last?
Under section 100, it remains in effect for 6 months beginning on the day it says it takes effect. The Immigration Minister may revoke it at any time by giving the registered provider written notice.
If the register doesn't show a suspension, does that mean there isn't one?
Not necessarily. Section 103 requires the Register to be altered when a certificate is given or revoked, but subsection 103(2) provides that a failure to do so does not affect the certificate's validity. The certificate stands regardless of whether the register entry reflects it.
Does finding my course on the register mean my student visa will be granted?
No. Registration under the ESOS Act is one legal requirement in the chain, not a visa decision, and a visa outcome depends on the criteria applied to your own application. Confirming registration removes one obstacle; it does not produce a result.