Temporary Student

The Temporary application is for students who:

• will study in Victoria for a short-term period only (up to 12 weeks) while holding a subclass 600, 601 or 651 visitor visa
  Note: These students are referred to as Visitor students. Applications for short-term study periods 12 weeks or under will be re-categorised as Visitor student applications after submission
• have entered Australia on a subclass 600, 601 or 651 visitor visa, but will study beyond 12 weeks as they intend to apply for a subsequent visa or have been granted a bridging visa by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) while they await the outcome of a subsequent visa application
• have entered Australia on any other fee-liable temporary visa other than a subclass 500 Student – Schools visa or dependant student visa
• are currently holding a dependant student visa where the parent is enrolled at an educational institution outside of Victoria.

Entry requirements

Please read the below entry and application requirements before applying. The department will only process fully complete applications, inclusive of all required supporting documents.

Age requirements

All school students must be of an appropriate age for the entry level for their school course, regardless of their country of citizenship. Temporary application students must be 5 years of age by 30 April in the year of entry into Preparatory (Prep) grade.

Students are generally the following years of age in primary school depending on their academic abilities and development.

Students are generally the following years of age in secondary school depending on their academic abilities and development.

Application requirements

Please read the below information carefully to ensure your application doesn’t experience delays.

Supporting documents

Applications without the following supporting documents will not be processed.

• Visas: an appropriate visa (as listed at the top of this webpage) for the student and welfare provider (the person who will live with the student and is responsible for the student during their school enrolment) for the duration of the enrolment.
• Passports: passports for the student and welfare provider.
• Birth certificate: student's original birth certificate with certified English translation.
• Relationship confirmation: evidence relating to the relationship of the student and welfare provider (if the welfare provider is not a parent).
• Transport confirmation: confirmation the student will be accompanied by the welfare provider upon arrival in Melbourne, Victoria (applicable for Visitor students only).
• School confirmation: a pre-approval letter obtained from the local zoned school if planning to study less than 8 weeks (applicable for Visitor students only - see below for more information on finding a school).

Application submission dates

Applications for Visitor Students (students who will study in Victoria for up to 12 weeks while holding a subclass 600, 601 or 651 visitor visa) must be complete and submitted by the below dates. Applications submitted after the application submission date will not be considered for enrolment until the following school term. Please note the below submission dates do not apply to other Temporary Students (i.e. those holding bridging visas). For more information, see: application submission dates

English language requirements

Our schools assess students' English proficiency level when they arrive. Depending on your proficiency level, you will either stay in mainstream classes, or the school will arrange for you to attend intensive English language classes. Intensive English language classes prepare students for mainstream classroom learning. Intensive English language classes are not available for Visitor Students, who enter mainstream classes directly.

Finding a school

Visitor Students

Visitor Students must select their school preferences from the below lists:

• Visitor student – primary schools list (DOCX, 99.99 KB)
• Visitor student – secondary schools list (DOCX, 97.17 KB)

Please note that capacity in schools is subject to change given demand for enrolment places.

Once enrolled in a school, you will be required to live in your school’s local community.

With a home address in Victoria

Temporary Students with a home address in Melbourne or Victoria must choose a school within their local community. This is known as your designated neighbourhood government school or local school, and is generally the government school closest to your home address. For find your local school, see: Find my School search tool.

Accommodation and welfare

Only 2 accommodation and welfare options are available for Temporary and Visitor Students:

1. Living with, and welfare provided by, a parent or legal guardian
2. Living with, and welfare provided by, a Department of Home Affairs (DHA) approved relative

The department and Victorian government schools do not offer homestay for Temporary or Visitor Studentsstudents.
NB: Any other welfare and accommodation options such as living with third parties i.e. friends, distant relatives or in homestays are not permitted for this enrolment category.

Prior to application, please check the age and accommodation requirements specified on the DHA website if choosing the approved relative accommodation welfare option, at www.homeaffairs.gov.au.

School fees

To learn about the costs of studying and living in Victoria, see:

• school fees
• cost of living.

How to apply

For more information on how to apply for this application type, see the Application Process.