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International education providers

Regulatory information to help student exchange organisations and CRICOS providers comply with the new Child Safe Standards.

Minimum standards and guidelines

Providers must comply with the Standards from 1 July 2022 if they are:

  • registered on the Commonwealth Department of Education's Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
  • approved as student exchange organisations (SEOs).

This is detailed in the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) guidelines.

VRQA regulates compliance through reviews, reapprovals and complaints investigations.

What do international education providers have to do?

Providers must update their child safe strategies, policies, and practices and tailor them to the international education environment.

SEOs and most CRICOS schools have 24/7 responsibility for the accommodation, support and general welfare of students.

They must create and maintain a child safe culture, and:

  • follow the VRQA guidelines
  • have clear policies and procedures, supported by suitable governance and operational arrangements, that address each Standard
  • ensure agreements with third-party service providers, to deliver all or part of the student's education, accommodation or care, require them to comply with the Standards.

Ready to get started?

CRICOS schools and SEOs that are also registered schools should follow the child safe advice for schools. They must ensure their CRICOS and SEOs operations are incorporated into the school’s compliance with the Standards.

Non-school SEOs can use this checklist to help you comply:

Non-school SEOs Child Safe Standards compliance readiness tool
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Guidance and evidence requirements for each Standard is also available.

Updated