Approval overview
Information about the approval of school providers who are seeking to deliver courses to overseas students in NSW. Find out about the process and key contacts.
The approval process
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for approving NSW schools to deliver courses to overseas students. These courses may include:
- school courses
- non-Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Award English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) courses, where provided in the capacity as a school.
Approval of NSW school providers to deliver overseas students' courses is a 2-stage process.
NESA approval
NESA, which is is responsible for administering the process in NSW, approves the provider and the courses to be delivered.
CRICOS registration
The Australian Government Department of Education registers providers and their courses on CRICOS.
The Guidelines
The requirements for approving NSW school providers seeking to deliver courses to overseas students in NSW are detailed in NESA's Guidelines for approved NSW school providers delivering courses to overseas students (the Guidelines).
Administrative arrangements
NESA’s functions relate to approval and amendment, suspension and cancellation of approval, certification and the issue of guidelines. This information is detailed in Administrative arrangements and guidelines.
Fees
NSW school providers are required to pay a fee to NESA. Find out about the Fee schedule.
Contacts
The contacts below can help answer your enquiries.
| Enquiry | Organisation | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| CRICOS approved providers and courses (including contact details) | Australian Government Department of Education |
|
| Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS) | PRISMS Help Desk |
|
| ESOS Act and associated legislative framework | Australian Government Department of Education |
|
| Visa enquiries | Department of Home Affairs (DHA) |
|
| Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers and courses, including English language/ELICOS courses delivered by a VET provider | Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) |
|
| Higher Education (Tertiary) providers and courses, including English language/ELICOS courses delivered by a higher education provider | Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) |
|
Exchange students Secondary exchange students:
| DE International | |
| NSW schools seeking approval to deliver courses to overseas students | NESA - School Registration Unit, Regulation of Schooling |
|
If you have a complaint about a provider, first raise your complaint directly with the provider by following the provider’s internal complaints and appeals procedures.
If you are not satisfied with the result, you may contact Commonwealth Ombudsman.
Enquiry | Organisation | Contact |
|---|---|---|
Complaint about a provider | Commonwealth Ombudsman |
|
Legislation
The approval process for NSW school providers to deliver courses to overseas students in NSW is governed by the following legislation.
- Education Act 1990
- Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 (amended 2015)
- National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students (The National Code) 2018
- English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) Standards 2018
Information for overseas students
If you are from overseas and plan to have a student visa (subclass 500), you must check that the school you want to study with is:
- approved to deliver courses to overseas students
- listed on the CRICOS.
The Australian government's Study Australia website contains useful information for overseas students.