Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, my services are free for students. I receive a commission from the institution for a successful enrolment.

No. I do not give visa advice — only a registered migration agent (OMARA) or a lawyer may do that. I will refer you to one.

I work with private institutes and universities in Melbourne. The current list is in the Institutions section.

Usually 2 to 6 months depending on the program and application deadlines.

Most programs require proof of English. There are options without IELTS — for example a provider's own test or an English course. I will help you choose.

A subclass 500 student visa allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight during study periods. Confirm exact conditions with a migration agent.

Overseas Student Health Cover — mandatory health insurance for international students in Australia. See the budget calculator for an estimate.

Yes — I help you navigate accommodation options in Melbourne and advise which suburbs are more convenient and affordable for students.

Tuition is set by the institution. The program catalogue shows the yearly price, total cost and initial deposit for each program.

First contact me or the provider, then use the internal appeal, then external bodies. See the Student rights page for details.

Yes. The child of an international student can attend a Victorian government school.

Whether tuition fees apply is a separate question and depends on the parent's study sector.

Rules and application process: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Not necessarily.

If the parent is studying higher education, vocational education (VET), ELICOS or a non-award course, the child is generally fee-paying and applies through the Dependant Application.

If the parent is studying at a Victorian university for research purposes, the child is fee-exempt and applies directly to the school.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

The word "Master's" alone is not enough.

It matters whether the course is coursework or research: the exemption applies to research programs, not to every master-level degree.

Your exact study sector is stated in your Letter of Offer and CoE, and that is what determines the child's fee status.

Check here: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Then the child is generally exempt from government school tuition fees.

The official page states it directly: children of parents studying at a Victorian university for research purposes are fee-exempt and apply directly to individual schools rather than through the Dependant Application.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Victoria's published 2026 fees for a dependant child:

Prep to Grade 6 — AUD 13,600 per year.

Years 7 to 10 — AUD 16,660 per year.

Years 11 to 12 — AUD 18,700 per year.

An application fee of AUD 300 also applies.

See the Dependant tab: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/support-and-payments/school-fees

No, that is tuition only.

Victoria also publishes the other costs: uniforms AUD 600–1,200 every one to two years, textbooks and stationery AUD 400–700 a year, excursions AUD 50–250 a year, camps AUD 400–1,000 a year, and an electronic device AUD 500–1,500 every two to three years.

Full list: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/support-and-payments/school-fees

It is usually sensible to start early.

Fee-paying dependant children go through the Dependant Application and receive placement documentation before starting school.

Children of research students apply directly to the local school.

Application process: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Not always to begin, but the address determines the school.

A dependant child enrols at the school for their local area, based on the Victorian home address. Until you have an address, the school cannot be identified.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Use the Victorian Government's official Find My School service.

Enter your future or current residential address to see the designated neighbourhood school.

https://www.findmyschool.vic.gov.au/

For a dependant child, no — the school is determined by where you live.

The official requirement is explicit: Dependant applicants must choose a school within their local community based on their Victorian home address.

This differs from the standard international student program, where the school can be chosen.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Yes — with a child, this is one of the most important decisions when moving.

Since the school follows the address and the address is fixed by the lease, the order should be: choose the zone and school first, then the housing.

Check the zone: https://www.findmyschool.vic.gov.au/

The child's passport, birth certificate, previous school reports, and vaccination records.

If the child has medical or learning needs, bring the relevant reports.

Plus your own student documents: Letter of Offer, CoE and health cover.

Yes — anything the school or the department requires in English must be submitted with a translation.

It is easier and cheaper to translate the child's key documents at home before you travel: birth certificate, school reports and vaccination records.

No — dependant students are not required to provide academic evidence for entry, as the official requirements state.

School reports are still useful: they help the school understand what the child has covered and place them in the right year level.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

There is no need to delay school because of this.

Victorian schools assess English proficiency on arrival and either keep the child in mainstream classes or arrange intensive English language classes.

Importantly, intensive English classes at government schools do not require additional tuition fees.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Not necessarily.

Speak to the school first and find out what language support exists inside the government school system. It is often enough on its own.

Bring the most complete vaccination record from your home country, with all dates.

Once in Australia, a GP or a recognised vaccination provider can compare it with the Australian schedule and, where appropriate, help record it in the Australian Immunisation Register.

It is a statement from the Australian Immunisation Register showing which vaccinations are recorded for the child in the Australian system.

A school may ask for it at enrolment. An overseas certificate is not the same thing: the details have to be entered into the register first.

Not automatically.

If you hold a single policy, the child is not covered by it. You need a family policy that lists the child.

Check your insurance certificate before you fly: sorting it out after arrival costs more time and money.

Yes. Catholic and independent schools have their own enrolment procedures and their own fees, unrelated to government school prices.

You contact the chosen school directly.

In Victoria, school is compulsory for children from 6 to 17 years of age, unless one of the exemptions provided by law applies.

This comes from the Education and Training Reform Act 2006.

Source: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/enrolment/guidance/school-age-requirements

The child must be five years old by 30 April of the year they start Prep.

This applies to every student, regardless of citizenship.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

With a parent or legal guardian — for dependant students this is a requirement, not one option among several.

The other accommodation arrangements available to international school students do not apply here.

Source: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/schools-and-programs/dependant-student

Start by confirming your exact study sector — it decides whether school is fee-paying.

Then, in order: work out the budget from the published fees, choose the area and check the school through Find My School, and only then sign a lease.

I do not advise on visas — only a registered migration agent (OMARA) or a lawyer may do that. On school and budget I can help.

Fees: https://www.study.vic.gov.au/en/international-student-program/support-and-payments/school-fees