Intensive English (Elementary to Advanced), formally known in Australia as ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students), is a structured, full-time English language program delivered by registered Australian language schools and colleges. The course spans multiple proficiency levels — typically Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, and Advanced — allowing students to enter at their current level and progress through to full fluency. Each level builds systematically on the four core language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing, alongside grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Programs are generally delivered face-to-face, running approximately 20–25 classroom hours per week, and are aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Course duration ranges from as few as 2 weeks to over 60 weeks depending on the student's starting point and goals.

The program is designed primarily for international students and migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds who wish to improve their English for everyday life, academic study, professional work, or social integration in Australia. Students may be young adults preparing to enter Australian universities or TAFE, working professionals upskilling for career advancement, migrants seeking to settle and participate in Australian society, or travellers and gap-year students wanting to gain practical language skills. At advanced levels, classes may be streamed according to intended discipline of study — such as business, health, or academic English — making the course highly adaptable to individual goals.

Key employers and stakeholders in this sector include private English language academies, university-affiliated English language centres, TAFE institutes, community education providers, the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), and government-funded settlement services. Graduates of Intensive English programs may go on to further VET or higher education study, enter the Australian workforce, or pursue careers as English language educators themselves. All ELICOS providers in Australia must be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), ensuring consistent quality and government oversight across the sector.

Entry requirements for Intensive English (ELICOS) programs in Australia are generally accessible, making the course suitable for a wide range of applicants. Most providers require students to be at least 18 years of age at the time of course commencement, and international students must hold an appropriate Australian Student Visa (Subclass 500) prior to enrolment. Crucially, there are typically no formal academic entry requirements — no minimum secondary school qualification is needed to enrol. Instead, all applicants are required to sit an English placement test, either online before arrival or in-person upon enrolment, which determines the appropriate entry level (Elementary through to Advanced). Students entering at Elementary level are generally expected to have at least an A2 CEFR level of English proficiency — meaning they are not complete beginners and have some basic language foundation.

For students entering at higher levels, providers may require evidence of prior English study, a recent IELTS score (for example, IELTS 4.5 or above for intermediate entry, or IELTS 5.0+ for EAP pathways), or an equivalent standardised test result taken within the past two years. International students on Student Visas must study full-time and on campus, typically attending 20–25 class hours per week, and must maintain a minimum attendance rate of 80% as required under the ESOS Act. Students who progress through all levels may receive a Certificate of Completion, and those who achieve the required proficiency at the Advanced level may gain direct entry into undergraduate, postgraduate, or VET programs at partner institutions — subject to meeting all other academic entry conditions of their chosen course.