What is an ESOS provider?

An Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) provider is a training provider that offers courses to overseas students.

'Overseas students' means people who hold a student visa to study in Australia, issued by the Australian Government.

You need to gain ESOS registration before you can deliver training to overseas students, except for exempt courses.

CRICOS

CRICOS stands for the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.

This register lists all ESOS providers approved to train overseas students, the courses they offer and the approved locations for those courses. 

View CRICOS register.

How ESOS providers are regulated

ASQA regulates all ESOS providers that deliver VET courses. 

To deliver VET courses, you must also be a registered training organisation (RTO) with the courses on your scope of registration.

ASQA regulates some ESOS providers that deliver English language courses (ELICOS). 

We do not regulate ELICOS courses that are delivered by an ESOS provider operating as a school, a higher education provider or as part of a pathway program for entry into a higher education institution.

Exempt courses

RTOs can offer select supplementary VET skill set courses to overseas students without becoming ESOS providers or adding the courses to their ESOS registration.

The exemption allows overseas students to study supplementary courses simultaneously with the primary course related to their visa.

These types of courses are generally skill sets needed to work in certain industries in Australia.

Learn more about exempt and supplementary courses.