[1] It is a Federal framework under the authority of state and territory jurisdiction, and providers must register through these agents to legally educate and train international students.

In 1997, the Howard government coordinated a response to shortages in skilled workers in Australia and undertook a complete restructure of the Migration Program.

The amendments stated that international students who studied higher education in Australia would receive bonus points when applying for working visas.

[5] With an increase in 1990 to 44,000 full-fee paying international students requests under the Migration Program,[4] CRICOS was formed from requirements and needs of the ESOS Act, releasing the pressure placed on state and territory governments.

[6] 2001 led to further reforms of the Migration Program, making onshore visa applications more accessible to students[1] and increasing the number of people applying to undertake courses in Australia which were experiencing a skills shortage.

[9] The report set out key issues within ESOS legislation as well as the CRICOS framework, expressing increasing concern around the international education sector and its regulation, especially given the financial crisis, incidents involving the safety of students and the continued questioning of the quality of providers.

Student welfare and the quality of Australian education institutions[10] were questioned in the review as a potential factor towards what police described as "largely opportunistic and not primarily racially motivated" attacks.

[9][11] It identified there was a need for CRICOS and its regulators to "raise the bar"[11] for international educators and the requirements these institutions must meet to either enter or remain in the sector.

[10] Conjointly, all providers are limited to five years of registration before having to re-apply, showing their continued ability to meet education and financial requirements and additional regulations.

[8] Registration through CRICOS requires institutions and courses to meet the guidelines distinguished under the ESOS Act and the National Code.

[14] The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) assesses training providers and their practices regarding student experience and compliance.

[18] As such, under CRICOS, all providers must monitor their agents’ activities, ensuring the recruiting undertaken meets all guidelines listed in legislation and written agreements between the two.

[21] It is calculated from enrolment data stored in the Provider Registration and International Student Management Systems (PRISMS)[21] and includes a: *Government and non-government schools that did not have any enrolments in the previous year but maintained a registration pay a lesser base fee of $423"[21] Charges are automatically calculated to a providers ARC payment in the event of late payments.

of days after 28.02.2020)] divided by 365"[21] The relevant minister or delegate has the right to take any necessary action, including suspension, if a CRICOS provider fails to pay the ARC.