Enrol a child (dependant) of a temporary resident
Learn about enrolling a school-aged dependant in an ACT public school if you are in Australia on a temporary resident visa.
If you are in Australia on a temporary resident visa, you may need to enrol your child (dependant) in school if they are school age.
Your visa subclass determines if you:
- can enrol your child in a public school
- need to pay school tuition fees and if so:
- whether you can apply for a fee exemption
- what documents you need for that process.
If you are in Australia for a short stay of 5 to 10 weeks, read about schooling for short-term visitors.
When a child needs to be in school
By law, a child must attend school from 6 years of age until they complete year 10.
They must then be in full-time education, training or employment until they complete year 12 or turn 17, whichever happens first. To find out when a child should be in school, use our school age calculator.
| Age | Year level |
|---|---|
| 5 years turning 6 on or after 30 April | Kindergarten |
| 6 years turning 7 on or after 30 April | 1 |
| 7 years turning 8 on or after 30 April | 2 |
| 8 years turning 9 on or after 30 April | 3 |
| 9 years turning 10 on or after 30 April | 4 |
| 10 years turning 11 on or after 30 April | 5 |
| 11 years turning 12 on or after 30 April | 6 |
| 12 years turning 13 on or after 30 April | 7 |
| 13 years turning 14 on or after 30 April | 8 |
| 14 years turning 15 on or after 30 April | 9 |
| 15 years turning 16 on or after 30 April | 10 |
| 16 years turning 17 on or after 30 April | 11 |
| 17 years turning 18 on or after 30 April | 12 |
Humanitarian visa holders
Humanitarian visa holders include these visa types:
- asylum seeker visa
- refugee visa
- temporary protection visa
- safe haven visa.
You do not need to pay school tuition fees.
Email our International Education Unit (IEU) at ieu@act.gov.au to get help enrolling.
You will need to email the IEU a copy of:
- passport details, if you have passports, for the student and the parent who was the main visa applicant
- visa grant letter
- proof you live in the ACT.
The IEU will confirm which school your child can attend. The school is determined by the schools in your Priority Enrolment Area (PEA). This is based on where you live.
Enrolment steps for all other types of temporary residents
Follow these steps to enrol a child if you are in Australia on any other type of temporary resident visa:
Check if you can enrol
If your visa subclass is on this list, one of your visa conditions states that you cannot enrol a dependant.
If your visa subclass is not on this list, you can enrol. Go to Step 2.
| Visa subclass number | Visa subclass name |
|---|---|
| 400 | Temporary work (short stay activity) |
| 590 | Student guardian |
| 771 | Transit |
| 884 | Contributory aged parent (temporary) |
| 942 | Crew travel authority |
| 988 | Maritime crew |
Check if you need to pay school tuition fees
If your visa subclass is on this list, you do not need to pay school tuition fees. Go to Step 5.
If your visa subclass is not on this list, go to Step 3.
| Visa subclass number | Visa subclass name |
|---|---|
| 100 | Partner (outside Australia) |
| 101 | Child |
| 102 | Adoption |
| 103 | Parent |
| 114 | Aged dependent relative |
| 115 | Remaining relative |
| 116 | Carer |
| 117 | Orphan relative |
| 124 | Distinguished talent |
| 132 | Business talent |
| 143 | Contributory parent |
| 151 | Former resident |
| 155 | Resident return |
| 157 | Resident return |
| 186 | Employer nomination scheme |
| 187 | Regional sponsored migration scheme |
| 189 | Skilled – Independent (may be eligible for fee exemption after 6 months of ACT business activity. Ask ACT Skills Migration for a letter to support your fee exemption application). |
| 190 | Skilled – Nominated |
| 191 | Skilled – Regional |
| 200 | Refugee |
| 201 | In-country special humanitarian |
| 202 | Global special humanitarian |
| 203 | Emergency rescue |
| 204 | Woman at risk |
| 801 | Partner |
| 802 | Child |
| 804 | Aged parent |
| 808 | Confirmatory |
| 835 | Remaining relative |
| 836 | Carer |
| 837 | Orphan |
| 838 | Aged dependent relative |
| 858 | Distinguished talent |
| 851 | Resolution Status |
| 864 | Contributory aged parent |
| 866 | Protection |
| 887 | Skilled – Regional |
| 888 | Business innovation and investment |
| 890 | Business owner |
| 891 | Investor |
| 892 | State / Territory sponsored business owner |
| 893 | State / Territory sponsored investor |
| 945 | Special purpose, including SOFA (Enrol online as Diplomatic) |
| 995 | Diplomatic |
| 998 | Australian declaratory |
Check if you can apply for a fee exemption
Check this visa subclass list to see if you can apply for a fee exemption. If you can, note the documents you need for your application then go to Step 4.
If you cannot apply, you need to pay school tuition fees. Go to Step 5.
| Visa subclass number | Visa subclass name | Can apply for fee exemption? | Documents you need to apply for a fee exemption |
|---|---|---|---|
| 010 | Bridging visa A | Yes | Same documents you provided for your original application and proof you live in the ACT. |
| 020 | Bridging visa B | Yes | Same documents you provided for your original application and proof you live in the ACT. |
| 030 | Bridging visa C | Yes | Same documents you provided for your original application and proof you live in the ACT. |
| 040 | Bridging visa D (Prospective applicant) | Yes | Same documents you provided for your original application and proof you live in the ACT. |
| 041 | Bridging visa D (Non-applicant) | Yes | Same documents you provided for your original application and proof you live in the ACT. |
| 050 | Bridging visa E | Yes | Same documents you provided for your original application and proof you live in the ACT. |
| 051 | Bridging visa E (Protection Visa onshore) | Yes | Same documents you provided for your original application and proof you live in the ACT. |
| 173 | Contributory parent | No | Proof you live in the ACT. |
| 188 | Business innovation and investment | No | Proof you live in the ACT. |
| 300 | Prospective marriage | No | Fee paying until 309/820 visa granted, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 309 | Partner – outside Australia | Yes | Passports and visas for you and your partner outside Australia, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 403 | International relations | Yes | Passports, visas, employment contract, copy of visa application to confirm employer business or task specified in application. If under visa summary 'activity' it states 'Privileges and immunities' then you can enrol with the school directly. |
| 407 | Training | Yes | Passport, visa, University or Government offer or contract, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 408 | Temporary activity visa | Yes | Passport, visa, evidence of research activities, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 417 | Working holiday | No | Proof you live in the ACT. |
| 444 | Special category | Yes | Evidence of New Zealand (NZ) citizenship, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 445 | Dependent child | Yes | Passport, visa, citizenship, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 461 | New Zealand citizen - Family relationship | No | Proof you live in the ACT. |
| 462 | Work and holiday | No | Proof you live in the ACT. |
| 476 | Skilled – recognised graduate | No | Proof you live in the ACT. |
| 482 | Skills in demand | Yes | Passport, visa, ACT Employment Contract (Core Skills List), proof you live in the ACT. |
| 485 | Skilled – graduate | No | Proof you live in the ACT. |
| 491 | Skilled work – regional | Yes | Passport, visa, ACT Employment Contract, State or Territory Nomination Letter or Family Sponsored Letter (MLTSSL or ROL), proof you live in the ACT. |
| 494 | Skilled – employer sponsored regional | Yes | Passport, visa, State or Territory Nomination Letter, ACT Employment contract, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 500 | Higher education sector | Yes | Passport, visa, University Offer Letter, Australian scholarship confirmation. |
| 500 | Postgraduate research sector | Yes | Passport, visa, Confirmation of Enrolment (research only), proof you live in the ACT. |
| 500 | Vocational education and training (only AusAid scholarship holders) | No | AusAid scholarship confirmation, proof you live in the ACT. |
| 500 | Foreign affairs or defence sector | Yes | Passport, visa, University offer letter, Australian scholarship confirmation. | 602 | Medical treatment | Yes | Passport, visa, University Offer Letter, Australian scholarship confirmation. |
| 785 | Temporary protection visa | Yes | Passport, visa, proof you live in the ACT, ACT ACCESS Card or ImmiCard. |
| 786 | Temporary humanitarian concern | Yes | Passport, visa, proof you live in the ACT, ACT ACCESS Card or ImmiCard. |
| 790 | Safe haven enterprise | Yes | Passport, visa, proof you live in the ACT, ACT ACCESS Card or ImmiCard. |
| 820 | Partner | Yes | Passport, visa, Australian citizenship, proof you live in the ACT. |
Apply for a fee exemption
If your visa subclass allows you to apply for a fee exemption, to apply:
- Download and complete the Depandants of Temporary Residents Fee Exemption Application Form.
- Gather your supporting documents, the ones you noted in Step 3.
- Email your form and supporting documents to ieu@act.gov.au.
Submit your application
Download and complete the Dependant of Temporary Resident Application Form.
Email the completed form to ieu@act.gov.au and attach:
- visa notification
- a copy of the details page of your passport
- proof you live in the ACT (for example, a utility bill, lease agreement or statutory declaration)
- proof of medical insurance cover.
Pay the administration fee of $265. Payment details are on the application form.
Accept your enrolment offer
If we approve your application, we send you an enrolment offer. It includes a form for you to sign. The school we offer is determined by your home address and the schools within your Priority Enrolment Area (PEA).
If you are a fee-paying student, you pay the first year of school tuition fees when you return the signed form. We can arrange a payment plan if needed.
If you have a fee exemption, we will issue you a fee exemption letter.
We give you an Approved Reference Number (ARN) to complete your enrolment in Step 7.
Enrol in a public school
Complete the online form on enrol in a public school. You need your ARN to complete the form.
School tuition fees
School tuition fees cover the cost of learning in a public school. They do not include the cost of uniforms, books, materials for personal projects or fees for excursions that are not related to the curriculum (what we teach).
Annual fees are:
- Preschool: $4,200
- Primary school (kindergarten to year 6): $11,100
- High school (years 7 to 10): $14,500
- College (years 11 to 12): $16,200.
These fees may change.
Fee waivers
You may be able to get a fee waiver. This means you do not pay school tuition fees for a set amount of time.
You can apply if your situation has changed significantly since your visa was granted. It is for short-term situations where it would be too much of a burden to pay school fees.
You can apply for a fee waiver if your visa subclass requires you to pay school tuition fees but paying the fees would:
- limit your ability to provide essential items such as food, housing, clothing or medical costs for you or your dependant
- be a considerable burden for compassionate reasons, for example, you cannot earn money because you need surgery or have an illness that has a long recovery time.
1. Email the International Education Unit at ieu@act.gov.au if you are not sure if you can apply.
2. Gather any supporting documents you need for your application. Depending on the reason you're applying, these may relate to:
- assets such as your salary, bank account balances, investments or scholarships
- expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, phone, groceries, health cover or car expenses
- medical evidence, such as a doctor or surgeon's certificate.
3. Email your application to ieu@act.gov.au, including:
- a short summary of why you are applying
- documents that support your application.
You can email this yourself or an advocate, such as a community support organisation, can email this for you.
If you submit false or misleading information we may:
- cancel your enrolment
- take legal action to recover any school fees you should have paid.
We usually let you know if you are granted a fee waiver within 28 days of you applying. It may take longer if we need to ask for more details to assess your application.
If you need us to extend the date when your fee waiver ends, you need to make a new application. Do this before your existing fee waiver ends. We consider each new application on its merits.
Other visa types
You enrol using the steps and online form on enrol in a public school if you are a:
- permanent resident
- NZ passport holder
- diplomatic visa holder
- Status of Forces Agreement holder.
You do not need to pay school tuition fees.
Short-term visitors
The program that allowed students on a visitor visa to study at an ACT public school for 5 to 10 weeks is currently unavailable.
Related policies
Related information
Contact us
Contact us if you have questions or want to know more.