Can I study a short supplementary course in Australia in 2026 without it being on CRICOS?
Yes — but only for the narrow category of courses the Australian Government has actually exempted, and never as the basis of a student visa on its own. Under the Education Services for Overseas Students (Exempt Courses) Instrument 2021, which came into effect on 29 June 2021, certain supplementary courses are exempted from the definition of "course" in the ESOS Act and can therefore be offered to international students without being registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). According to the Australian Government Department of Education's "Changes to the legislative framework for overseas students" page, students will not be able to apply for a student visa based on an enrolment in an exempted course or courses alone; these courses are meant to be taken alongside a main, CRICOS-registered course.
Why does this exemption exist at all?
The problem it solves was supply, not study rights. Before the definition of "course" was changed, the additional administrative and financial investment needed to maintain CRICOS registration meant few providers offered short, low-value courses to overseas students at all. That limited students' access to training for employment in industries such as hospitality, health and construction.
The legal machinery was created by the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Refunds of Charges and Other Measures) Act 2021, which amended the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (the ESOS Act). That Amendment Act enables refunds of registration charges in special circumstances, defines a course for the purposes of the ESOS Act, and enables the Minister to include and exempt certain supplementary courses from that definition. The Department of Education describes the result as allowing providers to more easily enter the market and deliver a wider range of supplementary courses, and helping Australian businesses fill short-term skill shortages.
What actually counts as a supplementary course?
The department characterises exempted courses, "commonly referred to as supplementary courses," by what they are for rather than by a sector label. They are low-cost and short in duration, and they let overseas students gain prerequisite industry qualifications that enrich their Australian experience, improve their skills, increase their employability across a wider range of jobs, and reduce their vulnerability to workplace exploitation.
Two features follow from that description and matter when you are judging an offer. First, exemption is course-specific: it attaches to courses named in the instrument, not to a provider, a campus, or a marketing category. Second, being "short" and "low-cost" is part of the policy rationale, not a guarantee attached to any particular advertisement you may see.
| Exempt supplementary course | CRICOS-registered principal course | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Exempt from the definition of "course" in the ESOS Act, so CRICOS registration is not required | Registered on CRICOS |
| Legal basis | Education Services for Overseas Students (Exempt Courses) Instrument 2021, in effect since 29 June 2021 | ESOS Act registration framework |
| Student visa on this enrolment alone | No | Yes, this is the enrolment your study is built around |
| Typical role | Short, low-cost prerequisite industry qualification | Main program of study |
| Timing | Undertaken alongside the main course | The course your visa was granted for |
Can a supplementary course get me a student visa?
No. This is the boundary the department states plainly: students will not be able to apply for a student visa based on an enrolment in an exempted course or courses alone. A supplementary course adds to your Australian study; it does not substitute for it.
Suppose an applicant is enrolled in a CRICOS-registered course and wants to add a short, low-cost prerequisite industry qualification on the side. In that hypothetical, the supplementary course sits alongside the main enrolment, and the main enrolment remains what the student visa rests on. If the same applicant tried to build a student visa application around the short course by itself, there would be no CRICOS-registered principal course to anchor it.
How do I check whether a specific course is currently exempt?
The exempt list is set by the instrument, so the only reliable answer is the current official list rather than the course's own description. The department commenced a review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (Exempt Courses) Instrument 2021, announced on 1 November 2023, to consider supplementary courses to be added to or removed from the instrument, with requests for courses to be considered accepted until 30 November 2023. That announcement notes there may be more recent updates, and departmental fact sheets carry the list of exempt courses.
Because the list can change, treat any version you read as time-stamped. This article is general information about how the framework is structured rather than personalised advice about your situation, so confirm the current course list and your own enrolment position against the latest official publications before acting on it.
What else changed around CRICOS that matters in 2026?
Separately from the exempt courses instrument, the department records that the Assistant Minister for International Education has temporarily suspended the making of new applications for CRICOS registrations and courses to the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). The suspension is in place between 19 May 2026 and 19 May 2027, and responds to emerging integrity concerns in the VET sector, particularly poor quality and non-genuine new market entrants and concentrated growth in certain course areas.
Two further registration rules are worth knowing when you assess a provider. If a provider has not delivered any registered course to any overseas student at any onshore location for 12 consecutive months, its CRICOS registration is automatically cancelled for all courses at all locations. The Minister for Education may also issue a legislative instrument to cancel a class of courses where there are or have been systemic issues in the standard of delivery, or where the courses provide limited value to Australia's current, emerging and future skills and training needs and priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an exempt course the same as a course that should have been registered but wasn't?
No. Exempt courses fall outside the definition of "course" in the ESOS Act because the instrument exempts them, so offering them to international students without CRICOS registration is permitted. A course that is neither on CRICOS nor covered by the instrument is a different situation entirely.
Can I apply for a student visa using only a supplementary course?
No. The Department of Education states that students will not be able to apply for a student visa based on an enrolment in an exempted course or courses alone. Your visa case needs a CRICOS-registered principal course behind it.
Do I need to be enrolled in another course at the same time?
That is the design the department describes: supplementary courses can be undertaken by students alongside their main, CRICOS-registered course. The short course is an addition to your study load, not a replacement for the enrolment your visa was granted for.
Which courses are on the exempt list right now?
The list is set by the Education Services for Overseas Students (Exempt Courses) Instrument 2021 and published by the department, which began a review of that instrument in 2023 to consider adding or removing courses. Since the list can change, check the current official publication rather than relying on a course description or a dated summary.
Why are these courses described as low-cost and short?
Low cost and short duration are part of what justifies exempting them, since the CRICOS registration burden was disproportionate for such courses. Their purpose is to let students pick up prerequisite industry qualifications that improve skills and employability and reduce vulnerability to workplace exploitation.
Does the 2026 pause on new CRICOS applications affect supplementary courses?
The suspension, in place from 19 May 2026 to 19 May 2027, applies to new applications for CRICOS registrations and courses made to ASQA. Exempt supplementary courses are offered outside CRICOS under the instrument, but the exempt list itself is subject to change, so verify the current list before enrolling.