CRICOS, AQF, and why course accreditation matters for your visa

Two acronyms decide whether a course can support your visa and your later plans: CRICOS and AQF.

CRICOS

The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students lists every course a provider is allowed to deliver to international students. If a course is not on CRICOS, you cannot get a subclass 500 for it. You can search the register directly to confirm a course code before you accept an offer.

AQF

The Australian Qualifications Framework sets the level of every qualification, from Certificate I up to Doctoral Degree at level 10. A bachelor degree is level 7, a masters is level 9. This matters for your visa because moving to a course at a lower AQF level than the one you hold a visa for usually means you need a new visa.

The link to skilled migration

The two-year Australian study requirement must be met with CRICOS-registered courses at diploma level or above. Points for qualifications are tied to AQF level: 15 for a bachelor or masters, 20 for a doctorate. A skills assessment will also check that your qualification sits at the expected level for the occupation.

Before you accept an offer

Confirm the CRICOS code, check the AQF level, and check that the field of study maps to an occupation you could later have assessed. A course that is registered and accredited but leads nowhere on the skilled lists is a common and expensive mistake.