In Australia, is CRICOS registration per course and per campus in 2026, or does one listing cover everything?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Registration is not a badge that a provider owns once and applies everywhere: under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), a person who provides a course at a location to an overseas student must be registered to provide that course at that location. That pairing is stated in section 8A (Guide to this Part) of the Act, on the official text published by the Federal Register of Legislation as of September 2026. So the short answer for 2026 is: one listing does not cover everything — registration is recorded course by course and location by location, and a provider's registration is the sum of the course-and-location pairs it has been granted.

What "registered" actually attaches to

The Act's unit of registration is small and specific. Section 8A's guide describes the core requirement in those exact terms — the course and the location — and then describes registration in Division 3 as something granted to a provider "to provide one or more courses at one or more locations." A provider registered only for Course A at Location A is not, by force of that registration alone, registered for Course A at Location B or for Course B at Location A.

Registration is also time-limited and conditional. Division 3 allows registration for a period of up to 7 years, subject to registration requirements, and allows conditions to be imposed — and those conditions may later be varied or revoked. Division 4 requires the Secretary to keep a Register containing specified information about the registration of all registered providers, and to ensure it is kept up to date. That Register — the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) — is therefore the authoritative statement of which courses sit at which locations, not the provider's website or brand.

Element	What the Act provides
Unit of registration	A particular course at a particular location
Maximum period	Registration for a period of up to 7 years
Scope possible	One or more courses at one or more locations
Conditions	May be imposed, and may be varied or revoked
Later changes	Renewal, and addition of one or more courses at one or more locations; extension or continuation in certain circumstances
Public record	Register kept by the Secretary, required to be kept up to date
Possible pauses	Minister may suspend the making or processing of applications for registration or for adding courses

Why "the same brand" is the classic pre-deposit mistake

The misconception is understandable: a provider trading under one name across a city, or a group with several campuses, looks like a single registered institution. But section 8 of the Act turns the course-and-location pairing into a criminal offence provision. A person commits an offence if they provide a course at a location to an overseas student, make an offer to provide it, invite a student or intending student to undertake or apply to undertake it, or hold themselves out as able or willing to provide it — and they are not registered for that particular course at that particular location. The penalty stated is imprisonment for 2 years.

Two details matter to someone who has not yet paid a deposit. First, the offence reaches the offer and invitation stage, not only the teaching. An offer made before any money moves is still within section 8(1)(a)(ii)–(iii) if the course-and-location pair behind it is not registered. Second, section 8A's guide records that it is also an offence for a registered provider to offer courses, or hold itself out as able to provide a course, to overseas students without being appropriately registered — being registered for something is not a shield.

When two providers deliver the same course

There is one structural exception worth knowing. Note 1 to section 8(2) states that if two or more providers jointly provide a course, only one of them needs to be registered, provided the arrangement covers that particular course for that particular location.

The exception is not silent, though. Note 2 provides that a provider of a course who is not registered must identify the registered provider in any written material promoting the course (section 107) and must not engage in misleading or deceptive conduct in relation to the course (subsection 83(2)). So a flyer, webpage or offer letter that shows a familiar brand without naming the registered provider is a signal to read the course-and-location details rather than the logo.

A hypothetical at the deposit stage

Suppose an applicant is offered a course at a campus that is a 20-minute train ride from the provider's main site, and the offer letter simply repeats the provider's name and the course title. On the Act's structure, the question is not "is this provider registered?" but "is this course registered at this location?" If the pair is not on the Register, the offer itself falls within section 8(1) regardless of whether classes have begun. This is general information about how the Act is framed rather than personalised advice about a particular offer, and the position for any specific case depends on the Register and on official information as most recently published.

Can a provider add a course or a location later?

Yes, in principle — which is precisely why "not yet registered" is not the same as "never will be." Section 9(1) lets a provider apply to be registered to provide a course or courses at a location or locations to overseas students, and the application is made to the ESOS agency for the provider (section 9(2)). Division 3 provides for renewal of registrations and for the addition of one or more courses at one or more locations to a registered provider's registration, as well as extension or continuation of registration periods in certain circumstances.

Two brakes exist on this process. The note to section 9(1) records that under section 14E the Minister may determine that no applications for registration may be made until after a specified day, and Division 5 provides for the Minister to suspend the making or processing of applications for registration or for adding courses to registration. Because additions and suspensions are matters that change over time, the current state of any course-and-location pair needs to be read from the official Register as most recently published.

Who counts as a provider

Section 6E defines "provider" broadly: a registered higher education provider, a registered VET provider, an approved school provider, a person or entity that provides an ELICOS or a Foundation Program, and — subject to the Minister's power to specify otherwise by legislative instrument under subsection 6E(2) — another person or entity that provides, or seeks to provide, courses to overseas students. The definition covering those who "seek to provide" is another reason the pre-enrolment stage sits inside this framework rather than outside it.

What this means for how you read an offer

Before any deposit, the useful reading habit is to treat three fields as one unit: provider, course, and location. A registration that covers one pair says nothing about the others; a joint-delivery arrangement shifts the naming duty onto promotional material; and an application to add a course or location is a process that may be granted, delayed or paused. The single narrow defence in section 8(3) — where conduct was limited to surveys to assess demand or to negotiating course design, reasonable steps were taken to tell interested students that the person was not registered and had no arrangement, and no amount for the course was invited or accepted from students or their agents — only applies to the "holding out" limb, and the defendant bears an evidential burden for it under subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code. Once money for the course is invited or accepted, that defence is not available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does one CRICOS listing cover all of a provider's campuses?

No. Registration runs to a particular course at a particular location, so a listing that covers one campus course pair does not extend to another campus. Section 8A states the requirement in those terms, and Division 3 describes registration as being for one or more courses at one or more locations. The Register is the record of which pairs exist.

Is it an offence before classes actually start?

Yes, potentially. Section 8(1) covers making an offer to provide a course at a location, inviting a student or intending student to undertake or apply for it, and holding oneself out as able to provide it — not only delivering teaching. The stated penalty is imprisonment for 2 years where the person is not registered for that course at that location.

Can two providers run one course if only one is registered?

Yes, if they jointly provide the course under an arrangement for that particular course and location; Note 1 to section 8(2) says only one needs to be registered. Note 2 then requires the unregistered provider to name the registered provider in written promotional material and to avoid misleading or deceptive conduct about the course.

How long does registration last, and can it change?

Division 3 allows registration for a period of up to 7 years, with conditions that may be imposed, varied or revoked. It also provides for renewal and for adding one or more courses at one or more locations to an existing registration. Because conditions and scope can change, the up-to-date Register is the reference point.

Can a provider add a course or a campus later?

Yes — section 9 allows an application to the ESOS agency to be registered for a course or courses at a location or locations, and Division 3 covers additions and renewals. However, the note to section 9(1) records that the Minister may determine under section 14E that no applications may be made until after a specified day, and Division 5 allows the Minister to suspend processing applications, including applications to add courses.

What if promotional material shows a brand but never names the registered provider?

Where a course is jointly provided, Note 2 to section 8(2) requires the unregistered provider to identify the registered provider in any written material promoting the course, under section 107, and to avoid misleading or deceptive conduct under subsection 83(2). Material that omits that name is a reason to read the course-and-location details carefully rather than rely on the brand.