Compliance Requirements Guidance

The Revised Standards for Registered Training Organisations are made up of:

• Outcome Standards
• Compliance Requirements (this document)
• Credential Policy

All RTOs are required to comply with this policy, in addition to the  Outcome Standards and the Credential Policy.

The Credential Policy and Compliance Requirements largely reflect requirements drawn from the previous Standards for RTOs 2015 (2015 Standards). Where there are changes, these are outlined below.

Final agreement to the legislative instruments to enact the Outcome Standards, Credential Policy and Compliance Requirements was given by Skills Ministers in February 2025. 

The Compliance Requirements set out the conditions that all RTOs must meet to obtain or maintain registration. The content of the Compliance Requirements reflects administrative and process-driven requirements drawn from the 2015 Standards, with amendments to make requirements easier to navigate, and some changes to better support integrity. Following feedback from the sector on the draft Compliance Requirements policy document, the requirement for RTOs to keep records of all AQF certification documentation issued to VET students for 30 years has been retained.

There are two Schedules attached to the Compliance Requirements instrument to incorporate the Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) Logo Conditions of Use Policy, and the Fit and Proper Person Requirements (FPPRs). Please note these Schedules contain minimal changes to the current FPPRs, and minimal changes to streamline the NRT Logo Conditions of Use Policy as outlined below.

Key changes to administrative requirements for RTOs include:

• Broadening concepts in the 2015 Standards into a general requirement to ensure secure maintenance of learners’ personal information, to highlight the importance of this.
• Including a requirement around retention of learner assessment items previously enshrined in guidance and extending the retention period to at least two years following the learner’s completion of the training product to ensure evidence is available to support regulatory activities.
• Where a training product is superseded, RTOs must continue to comply with the one-year timeframe to cease enrolment of new learners. The set timeframe for transitioning or teaching out existing learners has been replaced with a requirement that this be undertaken in a timely manner. This new requirement is designed to minimise disruption for existing learners and reduce administrative burden on RTOs including reducing the number of requests for extensions to the transition period made to the regulator. Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) would retain the ability to recommend adjustments to VET regulators by exception based on stakeholder consultation, for example to recommend set end-date for delivery of a particular training product to existing learners where required to address safety risks or licensing implications.
• Simplifying requirements around the submission of the annual declaration on compliance.
• Clarifying requirements for notifying the VET Regulator of material changes and reducing the timeframe from 90 days to 10 business days to strengthen integrity.
• Clarifying requirements around third party arrangements, by providing a more detailed definition and further detail about what must be included in written agreements with third parties, drawing on regulatory guidance and related frameworks to support greater clarity and consistency.
• Removing requirements that duplicate requirements in the National VET Regulator Act 2011 to reduce regulatory burden.
• Streamlining prepaid fee protection requirements to support navigation and clarity.
• Streamlining requirements on the use of the Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) Logo to reflect existing requirements from the current Standards.

Structure

The Compliance Requirements are made up of 21 Requirements split into 3 areas and 2 Schedules:

More information on each requirements is available below: