For more information see: Accommodation and Homestay
The enrolment spaces at Victorian government schools can change depending on the grade or year level, and time in the school year. Please nominate 6 Victorian government schools in your order of preference when submitting an application. If you are unable to locate a particular Victorian government school in the online application drop down list, please select other schools instead.
Admission requirements depend on the grade or year level and the visa you hold or are applying for. For more information, see:
An application fee must be paid for all international student applications. The non-refundable fee is payable before application submission. For more information, about tuition fees and charges, see: School Fees
Education agents who are not accredited by the department can still lodge an application on behalf of a student. To do so, select the ‘Direct Applicant’ button on the online application module .
Should you have any enquiries, please contact international@education.vic.gov.au.
You can apply to a Victorian government school without passport information. Please leave the passport number and passport expiry date fields empty and proceed to the next section of the application. You may be asked to provide a copy of the student’s passport before the application is processed.
You can apply to a Victorian government school without visa information. In the supporting documentation (section status tab), please proceed to the next screen without uploading this document. You may be asked to provide a copy of the student’s visa before the application is processed.
The department accredits education agents to support international students through the application process. To find an accredited education agent near you, see: Find an agent .
Should you have any enquiries relating to accredited education agents please contact international@education.vic.gov.au.
Standard and Study Abroad application types must apply with a department accredited education agent, see: Application Process and Find an Agent.
Dependant and Temporary application types can apply directly or with a department accredited education agent, see: Application Process and Find an Agent.
Victorian schools offer a wide range of over 90 different subjects. To find out more, see: School Qualifications
There are many benefits to choosing a Victorian government school, see: Leading Study Destination .
Victorian government schools have lower class sizes and student to teacher ratios than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average. For more information, see: Victoria's Education System
International students generally study English as an Additional Language (EAL) as one of their subjects instead of mainstream English. EAL is sometimes known as English as a Second Language or ESL at other education providers
EAL students are provided English language support and teaching specifically designed for students who are from multicultural backgrounds. To find out more, see: Learning English.
English language entry requirements depend on the application type and grade or year level of study. For more information on primary and secondary school English language requirements, see:
Many Victorian government schools have an onsite intensive English Language Centre (ELC), see: Right School Right Place guide. Schools that have an onsite English language centre are highlighted by a purple square on the map and their profile pages. Schools without an onsite ELC have information on the distance to the nearest ELC in their profile page.
There are also 6 dedicated government English Language Schools located across Melbourne. English Language Schools are highlighted by a green diamond in the see: Right School Right Place guide map.
Students can also choose a private ELC.
Your username is the email address which was used for the initial online application module registration. You would have received a confirmation email with your username.
To reset a password, refer to the online application module and click 'Forgotten Password'. You will be sent an email within a few seconds to your registered email address which will provide advice on resetting your password.
Please note that you will be required to change your password every 120 days.
Our homestay families provide the safety and support of a real family. To learn more about our homestay families, benefits, our strict screening and monitoring processes and rules, see: Accommodation and Homestay
An accredited homestay family provides international students with accommodation, meals and importantly the safety and security of a real family. Homestays provide:
For more information see: Accommodation and Homestay
Standard secondary students must have a good level of English for mainstream studies. Students who do not meet minimum English language skill requirements can learn English at an intensive English Language Centre for 20-21 weeks. For more information, see: Learning English
Education agents must provide updated and accurate contact information to the department. Please email us at international@education.vic.gov.au as soon as possible so that we can update your contact details, including for the online application module.
You cannot edit the application online once it has been submitted. Please email international@education.vic.gov.au if you need to withdraw or make changes to your application.
All international students are provided with an orientation when they arrive at a Victorian government school, this includes information about the school and local community, see: Pre-departure and homestay guide (PDF, 2099.53 KB).
Homestay students are also picked up from Melbourne airport by a school staff member and driven to their homestay accommodation, see: Pre-departure and homestay guide (PDF, 2099.53 KB).
Standard, Study Abroad and Dependant students must have health insurance in the form of Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their visa and stay in Australia. We can arrange OSHC on the student’s behalf if requested on the application form. To access current Medibank Private OSHC fees, see: Medibank.
Students can choose their own insurer and purchase their own OSHC. To find out more about OSHC, see: Department of Health.
You can save your application and continue it at a later date by using our online application module ,
Active applications can be accessed by clicking on 'search my application'.
There is no time restriction on how long an application can be saved in 'my applications'.
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is Victoria’s internationally-recognised senior high school qualification, providing pathways to Melbourne’s world-ranked universities and to tertiary institutions worldwide. For more information on the prerequisites, subject choices, recognition of prior learning and pathways to future university study, see: Our School Qualifications .
All Victorian government schools have the same admission requirements. However, some schools may require you to attend a short video conversation prior to your application acceptance to discuss whether they can meet your educational preferences.
Most schools require students to buy and wear a uniform. The school’s International Student Coordinator will assist students with obtaining a uniform. The cost for a uniform varies between schools. For more information on school uniform costs for each school, see: Right School Right Place guide.
You will receive an email informing you that the application has been submitted. This email will be sent to your online application account email address.
You can locate your application in the 'search my applications' section of the online application module .
Should you need support or have enquiries before or after applying, see: Support and payments
Getting around by public transport in Victoria is easy and affordable. Victorian government schools are located near public transport and often have their own dedicated school bus to transport students to and from school. For more information, see: Transport.
International student fee payments
In accordance with Ministerial Order 819 and section 2.2.8(1) of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic), international students enrolled in a Victorian government school, or their parent or legal guardian, must pay a fee for the instruction, educational and other related services provided to the student by the school, as set by the Minister for Education.
The requirement to pay international student tuition fees depends on the student's visa subclass and category. To determine if international student tuition fees are payable, see: International Student Visa Fee Table.
International students are invoiced by the Department of Education in advance once a semester for the instruction, educational and other related services provided to the student by the school. The Department of Education and Victorian government schools must follow the mandatory requirements in Section 2.2.8(2) of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) (ETRA) when invoicing students which may include expulsion of students for non-payment of international student fees.
For information on international student tuition fees in Victorian government schools, see: School Fees.
If an international student's parents or guardians experience difficulty paying fees due to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, please contact isfinance@education.vic.gov.au
International student refunds
If you have requested a refund, please note that due to a high volume of applications, there may be some delays in processing your payment. Due to Australian Government regulatory obligations under the Education Services for Overseas Student Act, we are prioritising refunds for students holding a subclass 500 - student visa (school sector).
If the student holds a subclass 500 - student visa (school sector), please allow 4 weeks to receive a refund. For all other visa holders, please allow 12 weeks.
Refund requests can now be submitted online through the Victorian International Students Information Tool (VISIT) student portal. For enquiries about refunds, please contact isfinancerefunds@education.vic.gov.au
All families who accept an offer to enrol their child in the International Student Program sign a declaration that they have access to sufficient funds to pay their child/ren’s tuition fees for the period of enrolment in a Victorian government school.
Non-payment of tuition fees may result in expulsion of your child/ren from a Victorian government school in accordance with Section 2.2.8 (2) of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and reporting to the Department of Home Affairs, which may impact you and/or your child’s visa in Australia.
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is an internationally recognised school graduation certificate and is recognised for university entry in Victoria, all of Australia and around the world, see: Tertiary and Career Pathways
Victorian government schools provide programs and supports for international students. To find our more, see: Welfare Support
International students must refer to their visa conditions to determine their ability to work. Students who wish to work should discuss this with their parents and the International Student Coordinator at their school prior to making any work plans or commitments.
Our accredited secondary schools from across Victoria carefully select homestay families to host international students aged 15 years and over. You can get in direct contact with an accredited secondary school in your local area to register your interest in becoming a homestay family.
See: Becoming a Homestay
CRICOS provider name and code: Department of Education, 00861K
CRICOS course names and codes: Primary (Prep to Year 6), 019047G; Secondary (7-12), 019048F;
Victorian College of the Arts Secondary Course (7-12), 028651A
