High school students

International students are welcome at Australian high schools.

You may like to consider completing your final year or two years of high school in Australia. Together with the diverse local student population, studying at an Australian high school provides an incredibly rich and diverse high school experience.

The advantages of completing high school in Australia include the boost it will give to your English language ability, the opportunity to study in a multicultural environment, the marvelous quality of the education, and the very certain pathway it gives into an Australian university.

Schools accepting international students are located in the major cities or in the countryside depending on your preferences. You can study by the beach in Sydney, in the mountains, or in different rural and suburban settings across Australia.

Accommodation and support

Over the past 20 years it has been common for families in countries like China, South Korea, and Vietnam to send teenagers to complete their final two or three years of schooling in Australia. Not only does this give the teenager a great education and international cultural experience but it opens a pathway that eventually allows the child to sponsor the parent for a permanent visa.

Families living in Latin America can also consider supporting a teenager to complete an exchange year in a safe friendly country like Australia instead of the more common option of studying in the USA or Canada.

In terms of accommodation and support there are three options.

1. Boarding schools

Some private schools take on traditional boarders that allow you to live on campus in a modern supervised boarding school environment. Boarding schools are located in al the major cities and also in regional Australia.

2. Living with a family member

If you already have a family member living in Australia, you can live with your family member and attend the local state or private school. This could include an older sibling who is studying at university or another relative. This is a sensible option if it is available to you.

3. Living with a parent

A parent can travel to Australia with the student as a guardian of a child or children under 18 years old to care for and look after the children. This allows a parent to set up house with the child for the period of the studies and to live an Australian experience while caring for the child.

For more information about these options please contact VisAustralia.

what to Study

There are a range of different high school study options to choose from including high quality public schools, and private Catholic and other Christian and Islamic schools. Within this some schools have a particular focus on academic achievement and others focus on music, dance and the arts. Yet others emphasise sporting and physical development.

VisAustralia is currently putting together a portfolio of different study options for each sector. Keep an eye on this space!

Government
Schools

Private
Schools

Catholic
Schools

Christian
Schools

Other
Schools

Student
Guardian Visa
(Subclass 590)

A Student Guardian visa allows you to stay in Australia as the guardian of an international student younger than 18 years of age who is studying in Australia on a Student visa.

With this visa you can:

  • Come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder who is under 18 years of age (or over 18 in exceptional circumstances);
  • Care for more than one student;
  • Study an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students or study a short course of no more than 3 months.

You cannot work in Australia but you can purchase property, volunteer, and work online if it is incidental to your caring duties.

To be eligible to apply for a Student Guardian visa you must meet the following eligibility criteria

Key requirements:

  • Be a parent or person who has custody of the student, or a relative who is 21 years or older and has been nominated in writing by a parent or someone who has custody of the student;
  • Not bring family members younger than 6 years of age, except under certain circumstances.
  • Be able to provide accommodation, general welfare and other support to the student unless you are applying for this visa with the support of the government your home country.

You must also:

  • Meet health and character requirements.
  • Have enough money to support yourself, any dependents accompanying you and the student.
  • Have adequate health insurance for you and any dependents coming with you.
  • Not owe any money to the Australian government or have arranged to repay any money owed.
  • Only stay in Australia temporarily.
  • Provide biometric information if requested by the Australian Government.

Processing times are indicative only and they may vary depending on individual circumstances or government policy.

  • 75% of applications: 6 months.
  • 90% of applications: 8 months.

The visa costs from AUD$620 for the main applicant.

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

Please be aware that other costs may apply such as health checks, police certificates and bio-metrics.

You can find information in relation to the cost of this visa on the Department of Home Affairs website.

To verify the cost of your visa please use the Visa Pricing Estimator.

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