Enrolment Framework for Students with a Visa in Public Schools

Guidance

Local enrolment entitlement allows a student with a visa to enrol on the same basis as a student who is an Australian citizen. They can enrol at a local intake school provided the address of their usual place of residence is in that school's local intake area.

Some students with a temporary visa do not have local enrolment entitlement.

The Director General has provided approval for all principals to accept enrolment applications from parents of overseas students. Overseas students who reside in a school's local intake area do not have a guaranteed enrolment at that school if a place is not available.

The Director General will continue to approve individual schools to enrol a school-aged international student. The enrolment process for an international student is different to the process for an overseas student.

Guidance

Permanent residents can apply to enrol at a public school. They have the same rights as Australian citizens. The permanent visa subclasses are listed in the Enrolment options for visa holders and the Visa subclass list (link for staff use only).

A student born in Australia is an Australian citizen if at least one parent was a permanent resident when their child was born. Further information is available for parents at the Department of Home Affairs: Immigration and Citizenship and for school staff at Find the enrolment process and conditions for a student with a visa (link for staff use only).

 

Guidance

The School Education Regulations 2000 specify the enrolment conditions for temporary visa holders. The temporary visa subclasses and enrolment conditions that are listed in the Enrolment options for visa holders and the Visa subclass list (link for staff use only) comply with the requirements of the School Education Regulations 2000.

Students who are temporary residents with a visa that have a local enrolment entitlement can apply to enrol at a public school. They have the same enrolment rights as an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.

A student born in Australia is a temporary resident if the parents were temporary residents when their child was born. They have the same visa subclass as their parents. These students have an Australian birth certificate. Further information is available for parents at the Department of Home Affairs: Immigration and Citizenship and for school staff at Find the enrolment process and conditions for a student with a visa (link for staff use only).

Students who have a bridging visa maintain the same enrolment conditions that apply to their previous temporary visa subclass unless they have a valid application for a protection visa.

457 and 482 visa holders have a local enrolment entitlement. They pay a family tuition fee of $4 000 per year regardless of the number of Pre-primary to Year 12 children enrolled at a public school. No family tuition fee is payable if the oldest child is in Kindergarten. TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) manages the tuition fee directly with the family.

Guidance

The Acceptance Advice for Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form is used for processing the student's visa and shows the student is a secondary exchange student. The student's accommodation and welfare arrangements are the responsibility of the registered Student Exchange Organization.

Secondary exchange students enrol for between three months and one year at the school listed on the AASES form or at another school with the agreement of the principal and the Student Exchange Organization.  

Guidance

A Scholarship letter from TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) is sufficient to show the child has a local enrolment entitlement. They have the same enrolment rights as an Australian citizen or a permanent resident. Parents are able to approach a school directly with their Scholarship letter.  

The student's enrolment entitlement and tuition fee conditions are for the duration of the parent's tertiary scholarship as stated in the Scholarship letter from TIWA.

Guidance

The Director General has provided approval for all principals to accept enrolment applications from parents of overseas students.

The School Education Regulations 2000 specify the enrolment conditions for overseas students. The enrolment conditions that are listed in the Enrolment options for visa holders and the Visa Subclass List (link for staff use only) comply with the requirements of the School Education Regulations 2000.

Overseas students are temporary residents who do not have an enrolment entitlement at a local intake school. Overseas students who reside in a school's local intake area may not be able to enrol at that school.

Guidance

The overseas tuition fee is waived for the dependent of a Masters or PhD Student visa holder who is undertaking study at a Western Australian university.

The new TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) Public School Placement Form: Dependent of Postgraduate Student with a Fee Waiver:

• confirms the parent's 500 Student visa details
• includes confirmation of the parent's postgraduate course by the university
• allows the parent to lodge an enrolment application at a school.

The Director General has authorized principals to consider enrolment applications for overseas students with a fee waiver and, wherever possible, offer places to those students who reside in the local intake area or close to the school. Principals may assist the parent to enrol at another school when their enrolment application is declined.

Students with a tuition fee waiver receive per student funding allocations under the student centred funding model. They are not funded for specialist English language or disability support.

​​​Parents are responsible for paying fees for specialist English language or disability support for their child if required. These fees are determined, invoiced and managed through TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA).

TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) will provide an Authority to Enrol the student. This:

• confirms the school's acceptance of the admission
• confirms that where specialist English language or disability support is required, it and will be provided by the school
• provides an authority for TIWA to manage the fee collection from parents for specialist English language or disability support each year.

Enrol a dependent of a postgraduate student (subclass 500) (link for staff use only) provides information for schools, including information about the new Public School Placement Form.

Guidance

All overseas tuition fees are published annually by TAFE International Western Australia at TIWA - School tuition fees.

The new TAFE International Western Australia Public School Placement Form: Dependent of Fee-paying Visa Holder:

• confirms the parent's temporary visa details
• allows the parent to lodge an enrolment application at a school.

The Director General has authorized principals to consider enrolment applications for overseas students who pay tuition fees and, wherever possible, offer places to those students who reside in the local intake area or close to the school. Principals may assist the parent to enrol at another school when their enrolment application is declined.  

TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) will provide an Authority to Enrol the student. This:

• confirms the school's acceptance of the admission
• provides an authority to enrol the overseas student at the school
• provides an authority for TIWA to manage the fee collection for each year, including specialist English language or disability support fees.

Students who have a bridging visa maintain the same enrolment conditions that applied to their previous temporary visa subclass. Overseas students with a bridging visa continue to pay overseas tuition fees unless they have a valid application for a protection visa. 

Schools and parents need to inform TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) when an overseas student requires specialist English language or disability support. Additional fees apply when specialist support is required.​​​​​

Enroling a dependent of a parent with a fee-paying visa (link for staff use only) provides information for schools, including information about the Public School Placement Form.

Guidance

The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) legislative framework governs the registration process and compliance requirements for international students in Australia. International students hold a 'Schools Sector' Student visa. They are not a dependent on their parent's visa. They pay overseas tuition fees.

Principal's must ensure that the Director General has approved the school to enrol international students with a Student visa 'Schools sector'.

The principal's acceptance of a placement request for an international student means that the 'Schools Sector' Student visa applicant can be issued with, firstly, the Letter of Offer and, subsequently, the Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) by TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA ). These are required so the visa application can be completed. The student is expected to enrol at the school when their visa is granted. 

International students who do not reside with their parents may reside with a local guardian, confirmed by the Department of Home Affairs, or live in approved homestay or residential accommodation.

Enrol an international student (subclass 500S - Schools sector) (link for staff use only) provides information for schools.