Last updated: 22 May 2026. Primary source: ASQA — legislative instrument F2026L00600 · ASQA official announcement, 19 May 2026 · ICEF Monitor, 19 May 2026.
From 19 May 2026, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) stopped accepting new registration applications from private VET and ELICOS providers for 12 months. The freeze runs until 19 May 2027.
No new private VET or ELICOS provider can enter the market during this period. Existing registered providers are unaffected — they retain their registrations, can continue to enrol students, and can apply for renewal of existing registrations.
For students choosing a VET or ELICOS course, the freeze has one practical implication: if a provider asks you to enrol with them but they are not currently registered on the CRICOS register, they cannot legally enrol international students in Australia — and no new registration will be possible until at least May 2027.
Scope note: This article covers VET and ELICOS providers only. The ASQA freeze does not apply to Higher Education providers, which are regulated separately through TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency). The enrolment figures referenced in this article are combined (offshore + onshore) as published by the Department of Education.
What the freeze means for your provider search
The freeze removes the possibility of choosing a newly registered provider. Every legitimate VET and ELICOS provider accepting international students right now has been operating long enough to have a registration history — which is useful for you as a student choosing where to enrol.
Before you sign a letter of offer or pay a deposit, confirm the provider is:
- Registered on CRICOS — the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. Check at CRICOS Register. A provider not on CRICOS cannot legally enrol international students.
- Registration is current — registrations can lapse or be suspended. Search by provider name and confirm the status shows "active" for the specific course you intend to enrol in.
- The specific course is registered — CRICOS registers providers AND courses separately. Your course must appear as an active registration under the provider's listing. Providers sometimes have their institutional registration but have had specific courses cancelled.
How to check CRICOS registration in 3 steps
- Go to https://cricos.education.gov.au/
- Search by provider name, CRICOS code, or suburb
- Click through to the provider's course listing — check the course-level registration status, not just the provider-level status
If the provider or course does not appear, or appears with a suspended or cancelled status, do not enrol and do not pay any fees. No legitimate provider should ask you to pay a deposit before providing their CRICOS code.
Red flags after the freeze
The 12-month freeze on new registrations creates a specific risk: providers who are not registered but represent themselves as though they are. With the freeze in place, any provider claiming to be "in the process of registering" or "awaiting ASQA approval" cannot obtain that registration until May 2027 at the earliest.
Other red flags to watch for:
- No CRICOS code provided — every legitimate registered provider has one and will share it upfront
- Unusually low fees — providers operating below market rate for a registered VET Diploma or ELICOS intensive program may be operating outside the regulatory framework
- No formal Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) process — DHA requires a CoE from a registered provider to process your student visa. If a provider cannot issue a CoE, your visa application cannot proceed
- Pressure to pay before documents are provided — legitimate providers issue an offer letter (which includes the CRICOS code and course details) before requesting payment
What "existing provider" means in practice
The ASQA freeze applies to new registrations only. An existing provider that was registered before 19 May 2026 can continue operating normally. This includes:
- Re-enrolling new international students
- Applying for course accreditation for new courses (subject to normal ASQA processes)
- Applying for registration renewal when their existing registration expires
What existing providers cannot do during the freeze: add a new registered training organisation (RTO) entity under a different name/ABN as a new registration. The freeze is at the provider-registration level.
Source: ASQA legislative instrument F2026L00600.
Enrolment context: ELICOS and VET in January 2026
Total ELICOS commencements fell 37% and VET fell 23% from December 2025 to January 2026 (combined offshore + onshore). Source: Department of Education Monthly Summary.
This contraction means most existing VET and ELICOS providers are operating well below their previous enrolment peaks. For students, this typically means:
- More intake flexibility — providers are not at capacity and are actively seeking enrolments
- Most providers remain at MD115 Priority 1 — meaning faster offshore visa processing. Verify at DHA Visa Prioritisation Status
See our ELICOS and VET enrolment data article for the full sector picture.
MD115 and packaged courses: an extra check
If you are enrolling in a VET or ELICOS course as part of a package (e.g., ELICOS + VET Diploma, or VET Diploma + University Degree), your offshore visa processing priority is set by the main course provider — the provider offering the final or highest qualification in the package.
Before you commit to a packaged enrolment, check the MD115 priority status of the main course provider specifically. A Priority 2 or 3 provider significantly extends your offshore wait time even if the ELICOS or VET component is with a Priority 1 provider.
Full details in our MD115 processing guide.
Provider verification checklist
Before signing any enrolment agreement or paying a deposit:
- Searched CRICOS by provider name — provider appears with active status
- Searched CRICOS by course — the specific course you are enrolling in appears with active status
- Provider has supplied their CRICOS code in writing (in the offer letter or formal communication)
- A formal offer letter is available before any payment is requested
- The CoE issuance process has been explained — the provider can issue a CoE for DHA
- MD115 priority status checked at DHA Visa Prioritisation Status
- ASQA registration status confirmed as active (not suspended, cancelled, or conditional)
This article provides general information only. It is not migration advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, consult a MARA-registered migration agent.
Data sources: ASQA — legislative instrument F2026L00600 · CRICOS Register · ICEF Monitor, 19 May 2026 · Department of Education Monthly Summary · DHA Visa Prioritisation Status · Study Australia — MD115