Government Legislation

Australian Government Protection for International Students

 

Australia is one of the few countries in the world to provide a legal framework for the delivery of education services to international students, ensuring that these services are of the highest quality. This legislation provides international students with some of the most rigorous consumer protection in the world. At GETI Tasmania, we want our students to have a safe, rewarding and enjoyable time in Tasmania. As a government provider of education, GETI Tasmania takes its responsibilities under Australian law very seriously.

 

ESOS

People studying in Australia on student visas are protected by the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) legislative framework. This legislation was introduced in 2000 and was kept up to date with the introduction of the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students in 2007, and further reforms in 2010.

ESOS protects international students by setting minimum, nationally consistent standards for education providers, and consumer protection for students, while also ensuring that the government has the power to enforce ESOS. If a provider does not meet the ESOS requirements for education delivery, as well as marketing, facilities and student support services, then that provider cannot enrol international students. Penalties for education providers who do not follow the ESOS regulations include jail time.

The professionalism and integrity of Australia’s industry are further strengthened by the ESOS legislation’s interface with immigration law. This imposes visa related reporting requirements on both students and providers. It also prevents education providers from offering advice on migration.

No matter where you are studying in Australia, international students are protected by ESOS. You can find out more by visiting the Australian Government’s Department of Education website, or reading this ESOS Framework Fact Sheet.

 

CRICOS

Any education provider that enrols overseas students must be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). To be CRICOS registered, providers and courses must go through a compulsory registration process and undergo periodic auditing to ensure ongoing compliance with regulations. All CRICOS registered organisations must also conform to the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students.

If you are looking for a place to study, you should check that both the institution and the course are CRICOS registered. Each institution and course will have an identifying CRICOS number that must be shown on all promotional material offered to overseas students. If there is no number, then the institution or course may not be registered to teach overseas students.

All institutions which meet registration requirements are listed on CRICOS and are publicly available. Please see GETI’s TasTAFE CRICOS information here, and Tasmanian Government Schools CRICOS information here.

 

Changing or withdrawing from your course

If you are in Australia on a student visa and you have started your course with a provider, you are legally required to continue studying with that provider for the first six months of your main course, or for the whole duration of a course that is less than 6 months. However, under Australia’s ESOS Act, permission can be granted to change providers within the first six months. You must apply to GETI Tasmania to do so and be issued a letter of release. Without this letter of release, you cannot change providers within your first six months of study.

Similarly, the Tasmanian Government will be unable to issue a letter of offer to you, if you are transferring from another provider to the Tasmanian Government without a release letter from that provider.

If you withdraw from a course with the Tasmanian Government within or after this initial six months, any refund will be paid in accordance with the GETI Refund Policy.

 

Australian Government Schools International Homestay Standards

Recognising the importance of ensuring the safety and welfare of under 18 international students and their requirements in line with ESOS legislation, Australian Government Schools International (AGSI) have compiled the following homestay standards.

Download PDF of Australian Government Schools International Homestay Standards