CRICOS registration cancelled

Recently, we cancelled the registration of a secondary school to enrol overseas students. The school was delivering the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) to international students in Years 10 to 12.

The VRQA found that this school was not meeting its obligations for the accommodation, support and welfare of students. This included students under 18 who were living in Australia without a parent or guardian (CAAW arrangement). They were also not meeting the Child Safe Standards. We cancelled their registration to provide courses to overseas students (CRICOS registration) and prohibited them from enrolling new students.

CRICOS registered schools must ensure they meet their obligations to students under 18. These obligations cannot be outsourced to third parties and include:

• ensuring that the student’s living arrangements are safe and meet their needs – students can only live in a registered school boarding premises or an approved home stay
• appropriately recruiting and screening home stay families, including ensuring that all adults living at the home have Working with Children Clearances (WWCC)
• verifying at least every 6 months that overseas student accommodation is appropriate to the student’s age and physical needs
• maintaining the overseas student’s welfare at all times, regardless of their study circumstances
• notifying the police, the student’s parent or guardian, the VRQA and the Department of Home Affairs if they are unable to contact an overseas student and there are concerns about their welfare
• appropriately monitoring the student’s attendance and course progress.

These requirements help keep international students safe and are non-negotiable. They are also relevant to a school is meeting its Child Safe Standards obligations. The Child Safe Standards require schools to pay particular attention to the needs of vulnerable students. This includes international students.

The VRQA will not hesitate to act where a school fails to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its students.

Support for students

We are working with the Victorian and Commonwealth departments of education and the Department of Home Affairs to support students impacted by this action. A dedicated phone line is available for students and their parents or guardians:

• (03) 7022 2500 (9:00 am to 5:00 pm – Monday to Friday)

CRICOS compliance

We remind all schools delivering courses to international students of their obligations under the standards and guidelines for CRICOS providers

Our 2026 registration renewal program will also focus on ensuring your compliance with the Child Safe Standards and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students.