Education Provider's Approval to Deliver Courses is Removed

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has special arrangements in place to help you if your education provider has ceased operations and/or is no longer able to deliver your course. This is known as education provider ‘default’.

The department understands that you may be concerned about your visa status. We appreciate that this situation is beyond your control.

Special arrangements are in place to give you adequate opportunity to study elsewhere on your Student visa if you wish to do so.
See: Information for Students Affected by Provider Default (70KB PDF file)

Students seeking information about their right to a refund of their course fees or placement in an alternative course should refer to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) website.
See: Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS)

Students studying at the time the course ceased

If you were actively engaged in studies when your education provider's registration for that course was removed or your education provider closed and you are over the age of 18, the department will allow you extra time to demonstrate enrolment in an alternative course.

You must obtain a Letter of Offer or a Confirmation of Enrolment for alternative studies within three months of the date the course was deregistered or cancelled or your provider ceased to offer the course because they closed. If you cannot demonstrate new enrolment within the three months, you must contact the department as soon as possible to discuss your visa options.

It is important that you read information on the DEEWR website before seeking alternative enrolment.
See: Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS)

Please check your visa expiry date. Your visa would have been granted based on the information supplied in your original Student visa application. There is no provision to automatically extend a visa where an education provider is unable to deliver a course and your new course has a longer duration than your visa.

If your visa expires at any time and you wish to continue studying in Australia, you will need to lodge a new application for a Student visa before your current visa expires and submit evidence of enrolment. If you are not able to obtain a new Letter of Offer or Confirmation of Enrolment with another provider before your visa is due to expire, please contact your nearest department's office as soon as possible for assistance.
See: Australian Offices

If you have obtained enrolment in an alternative course but the new course duration extends beyond the expiry date of your existing visa, you will need to apply for a new Student visa before your current visa expires. This will include submitting evidence of enrolment.
See: Visa application charge exemptions

You can either check your visa label for your visa expiry date or use the department’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service.
See: Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO)

Students not studying at the time the course ceased

If you were not actively studying with the education provider at the time when the provider ceased teaching your course, and you have not yet commenced your studies elsewhere, you will need to secure enrolment in an alternative course.

It is important that you read information on the DEEWR website before seeking alternative enrolment.
See: Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS)

Students under the age of 18

Students who are under the age of 18 must maintain welfare arrangements at all times as a condition of their visa. If you are under the age of 18 and your education provider was responsible for your welfare arrangements in Australia, you will need to seek alternative enrolment immediately. Your parents or authorised representative must contact a department's office as soon as possible to discuss your visa options.
See: Contact Us

Visa application charge exemptions

Special Visa Application Charge (VAC) refunds are in place to assist students who need to apply for a further student visa to continue their studies as a result of the default of their education provider.
See: Visa Application Charge Exemptions for Students Affected by Education Provider Default ( 72KB PDF file)

Students who intend to apply for General Skilled Migration

If your education provider has ceased to offer your course and you intended to apply for permanent residency, you will want to know if you will meet the Australian study requirement of completing a course which is registered on the Commonwealth Register for Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) for the purposes of General Skilled Migration.

If you completed your course requirements and received results before the course registration was cancelled you will meet the two year requirement provided that:

• your course was registered as being a minimum duration of 92 weeks on CRICOS
• you have studied for at least 16 calendar months in Australia in a CRICOS registered course
• there was no recognition of prior learning from non-CRICOS registered courses
• the study was completed in Australia and in English
• the study resulted in the award of a diploma, degree or trade qualification.

If you were not notified by the time the provider ceased teaching your course that you had met your course requirements, you will not meet the Australian study requirement. You may choose to transfer to another education institution registered on CRICOS to complete your qualification. You should ensure that the courses you transfer to are ‘closely related’ for the purpose of General Skilled Migration.

It is important that you read information on the DEEWR website before seeking your own alternative enrolment.
See: Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS)

Any period of study with an education provider after the time the course was deregistered will not be counted for the Australian study requirement. However, study undertaken subsequently with another CRICOS registered provider will be counted for the purpose of the Australian study requirement.

Further information about the Australian study requirement is available.
See: Australian Study Requirement

If you have already lodged a General Skilled Migration visa application and have further enquiries, please use the General Skilled Migration Post-Lodgement Enquiry Form.
See: General Skilled Migration Post-Lodgement Enquiry Form

If you have not lodged a General Skilled Migration visa application, and would like more information, please use the General Skilled Migration Pre-Lodgement Enquiry Form.
See: General Skilled Migration Pre-Lodgement Enquiry Form