Compliance Framework | Enrolling Students on Visas

Independent Schools Victoria Compliance Framework

Information dealing with issues such as duty of care, student wellbeing, excursions and work experience.

Enrolling Students on Visas

Please scroll to the bottom of the page for contacts and links

Do you need to comply?

Yes. Note that different conditions apply depending on the visa carried by the student.

Conditions of compliance

Overseas students can be enrolled in a non-government school in three ways.

Schools can enrol overseas students travelling on a visa listed in the Migration Act 1958 and will receive government funding for these students. These students typically hold temporary visas that are usually linked to one of their parents’ temporary visas. For a list of eligible visas, click here.

Overseas students travelling on a visa not covered in the Migration Act 1958 list, and not a student visa sub-class 571 or 570, can also be enrolled, however schools do not receive government funding for these students.

Non-government schools cannot enrol Full Fee Paying Overseas Students (FFPOS) international students travelling on a student visa subclass 571 or 570 unless the school is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Click here for more information on enrolling FFPOS students.

Students who hold a visitor’s visa are not legally able to be enrolled in certain courses and can only study for a three-month period.

Exchange students can only enter Australia under the auspices of an organisation, group or school that is registered as an exchange organisation. Click here for more detail.

If you have to comply, what do you have to do?

Your school may be eligible to receive funding for enrolling students travelling on visas. To check if your school will receive government funding for a student on a visa, refer to the Migration Act 1958 visa list.

What are the consequences if you don't comply?

Independent schools receive funding from the Australian Government under the Schools Assistance Act 2008 (Cth.) subject to the conditions which are set out in the Act. To receive funding, the school must sign a funding agreement with DEEWR covering the 2009-2012 quadrennium.

One of the conditions of the funding agreement is the completion of the Commonwealth Census, which asks schools to provide the number of overseas students they have enrolled.

Who will help you?

Independent Schools Victoria contact:

Peter Roberts
Director, School Services
Ph. 03 9825 7211
peter.roberts@independentschools.vic.edu.au