English language courses

If your English level is not high enough to enter a higher education course in Australia or if you only want to take an English immersion programme, you may want to attend English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS).

There are other English language programmes besides ELICOS that you can take, but the Government of Australia has an official ELICOS student visa especially for students who study one of these courses.

There are five different types of ELICOS courses:

• General English
• English for Academic Purposes
• English for Specific Purposes
• Secondary School Preparation
• Examination Preparation

There are more than 150 registered ELICOS institutions, which are monitored by the National ELT Accreditation Scheme (NEAS). You can enrol on English language courses at any time of the year, and courses usually last between four and 25 weeks.

ELICOS application procedure

Each institution will have its own application procedure. Check your preferred institution's website for more information.