Is my Australian course on CRICOS? How to check in 2026
Yes — you can verify it, and the check runs on three things at once: the provider's name, the exact course name, and the location where that course is delivered. Section 14A(2) of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) gives that list its formal name, the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), and s 14A(1) requires the Secretary to keep it for the purposes of the Act. Section 14A(4)(b) then requires the register to record, for each registered provider, "the name of each course which the provider is registered to provide, and each location at which the provider is registered to provide that course". A course is therefore not registered in the abstract; it is registered for a named provider at named locations.
Everything below describes what the law requires that register to contain, drawn from the official Federal Register of Legislation text of ss 14A, 14B and 16 of the ESOS Act 2000 as published at September 2026. It is general information rather than advice tailored to any individual's situation, and where your case turns on detail, the current official register and official announcements should be your final reference.
What is CRICOS, and who maintains it?
CRICOS is a statutory register, not a marketing list. Under s 14A(1), the Secretary must cause it to be kept for the purposes of the ESOS Act, and under s 14A(3) the Secretary may make all or part of its contents available to the public by electronic or other means — which is why the record can be searched rather than requested.
Two provisions keep the record open-ended. Section 14A(4)(i) allows regulations to prescribe "any other matters" to be entered, and s 14A(5) allows the Secretary to enter any other information considered appropriate about a provider's registration. So the visible entry may legitimately carry more than the mandatory fields described here.
Who is allowed to be registered at all?
Registration is restricted by s 16: a registered provider must be either a resident of Australia or a Table C provider within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003. Providers that do not fit either category should not appear.
The note to s 16 adds that if a registered provider breaches this section, the ESOS agency for the provider may take action under Division 1 of Part 6 of the Act. That makes continuing eligibility worth checking rather than assuming, because registration depends on an ongoing status, not a one-off approval.
Which fields does the law require the register to show?
These are the mandatory contents set out in s 14A(4), stated per provider's registration.
| What appears on the register | What it tells you | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Name of each registered provider | The legal entity that holds the registration | s 14A(4)(a) |
| Name of each course the provider is registered to provide, and each location for that course | Whether this specific course is registered at this specific location | s 14A(4)(b) |
| Name of the principal executive officer, if the provider is not an individual | Who is named for the registered entity | s 14A(4)(c) |
| A unique identifier allocated to the provider | A stable code for identifying that provider | s 14A(4)(d) |
| A unique identifier for each course at each location | A stable code for that course at that location | s 14A(4)(e) |
| The period of the provider's registration | The time span the registration covers | s 14A(4)(g) |
| Any conditions of registration, and when they take effect | Limits or requirements attached to the registration | s 14A(4)(h) |
| Any other matters prescribed by the regulations | Additional required content set outside the Act | s 14A(4)(i) |
Two identifiers matter more than they appear to. The provider identifier is issued once per provider, while s 14A(4)(e) allocates an identifier to each course at each location — the structure itself tells you that course-plus-location is the unit of registration.
Why do course and location have to match together?
Because s 14A(4)(b) pairs them in a single requirement. Taken with s 14A(4)(e), the register treats "Diploma of X at campus A" and "Diploma of X at campus B" as separately identified entries, not as one nationwide approval.
Suppose an applicant is considering a provider that advertises a qualification across several campuses, but the register lists that course for only one location. Nothing in s 14A(4)(b) lets the single entry be read as covering the others; under s 14B(2)(a), the register is also expected to distinguish suspension or cancellation applying "for any one or more courses for any one or more locations". The safe reading is literal: only what is written for that course and location counts.
How do I check my own course, step by step?
- Take the exact strings from your paperwork. Use the full course title and the delivery location (campus or address) exactly as written in your offer or enrolment documents — approximate titles are the most common reason a search fails.
- Find the provider entry. Search by the provider name and confirm it matches the entity you are dealing with, not a similarly named trading name.
- Match the course. Within that provider entry, locate the course name that corresponds word for word with your own.
- Read the location column. Confirm the location where you will actually study is listed against that course, and note the course-at-location identifier in s 14A(4)(e).
- Note the period and conditions. Record the registration period from s 14A(4)(g) and any conditions and effective dates from s 14A(4)(h), along with the provider identifier from s 14A(4)(d).
- Check again at each milestone. Section 14B(1) requires the Secretary to keep the register up to date, which means a record you read earlier may no longer be identical later.
How should I read the registration period and conditions?
The period in s 14A(4)(g) is the period of the provider's registration, so an entry that looks fine today may sit near the edge of that period when your intake begins or when a long course runs past it. Conditions under s 14A(4)(h) are recorded together with the date they take effect, which is why the date is part of the field rather than a footnote — a condition may bite on future enrolments while earlier ones differ.
These fields are factual registration data. This article cannot say how they apply to any person's enrolment, visa assessment or refund position, and the current official record governs.
What happens if the record changes after I check it?
It is expected to change. Section 14B(2) requires the Secretary to alter the register appropriately when a provider's registration is suspended or cancelled for one or more courses at one or more locations, when a condition is imposed, when a suspension or condition is removed or a condition varied, or when a provider applies for review of a suspension, cancellation or condition decision. The note to that subsection adds that the register can also be updated under s 103 through an Immigration Minister's suspension certificate.
One point is easy to misread. Section 14B(3) says a failure to keep the register up to date does not affect the validity of any action referred to in s 14B(2). A record that still looks clean is therefore not evidence that nothing has happened; it may simply not reflect a decision yet.
If something genuinely looks inconsistent, the practical field check is to re-read the current official entry — including the period, the conditions with their effective dates, and the listed locations — rather than relying on an earlier copy, a screenshot or a summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does being on CRICOS mean the course is good?
No. Registration is a legal status for delivering specified courses to overseas students at specified locations, recorded under s 14A(4). The register's mandatory content covers names, identifiers, locations, period and conditions — not teaching quality, graduate outcomes or employment results.
My course is listed, but my campus is not. What does that mean?
Under s 14A(4)(b), registration attaches to each course together with each location where the provider is registered to provide it, and s 14A(4)(e) allocates an identifier to each course at each location. Read literally, an unlisted location is not part of the registered entry for that course.
What are the CRICOS codes for?
Section 14A(4)(d) allocates one unique identifier to the provider, and s 14A(4)(e) allocates another to each course at each location. They exist so that similar provider or course names can be matched to one exact registered record.
Do I need to worry if the register shows conditions?
Conditions are entered on the register under s 14A(4)(h) together with the date they take effect, so the practical step is to read what they say and note their effective date. Their significance depends on your own circumstances, and the current official entry governs.
Can registration stop or be limited?
Yes. Section 14B(2) requires the register to be altered on suspension or cancellation for one or more courses at one or more locations, on conditions being imposed, removed or varied, and on review applications. A note allows updates under s 103 following an Immigration Minister's suspension certificate.
Is everyone who teaches in Australia on this register?
No. Section 16 confines registration to providers who are residents of Australia or Table C providers within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003. It also notes that the provider's ESOS agency may act under Division 1 of Part 6 if that requirement is breached.
Is the register guaranteed to be current when I look at it?
Section 14B(1) requires the Secretary to keep it up to date, but s 14B(3) provides that a failure to update does not affect the validity of the underlying action. Treat the record as the best available snapshot and re-check it at each decision point.