It’s been a long time since I wrote my post Cost of Living in Australia: School Fees, over three years to be a little more precise. In that article I said…
“First, let me make it clear that these are the fees that apply to Australian citizens and permanent residents. If you are here on a temporary visa then different fees may apply or you might get a grant.”
That information is still correct today, but when I wrote it originally I was reluctant to go into more detail because these are the kind of things that change very quickly and then, all of a sudden, I’m giving out incorrect information.
In reality though, I don’t think the information has changed very much at all since then, so I think the time has come for me to name states and territories, because this information is VERY important for anybody coming here on a temporary visa with children of school age.
Being aware of the following information is essential for parents as these sometimes unexpected school fees can throw the family budget right out of the window.
Let’s hand over to the teacher…
The fees I am about to mention are applicable to those here as Temporary Residents (TR), the most common visa for which is the Employer Sponsored Subclass 457 Visa. These fees are nothing to do with Private or Catholic schools; they are applicable to state run government schools.
For clarification: this article deals most specifically with the 457 Temporary Residents visa, but almost certainly applies to certain other types of TR visas. There are though certain temporary visas available for Australia for which school fees will always apply, most notably the Student visa (subclass 500) and, no doubt, some other temporary visas as well.
If you have any doubts about the school fees that might be applicable for the kind of visa you are applying for, please consult with a MARA registered migration agent.
These schools are free for permanent residents and Australian citizens, but in some states holders of certain temporary visa classes are required to pay tuition fees.
But which states?
This is the current situation as at the time of writing:
States that will not charge…
- Queensland
- South Australia – see update below
- Victoria
- Western Australia – see update below
States that will charge a fee…
- New South Wales
- Australian Capital Territory
- Northern Territory
- Tasmania
And it’s not quite that straightforward either.
For some of those states and territories that do charge a fee, 457 visa (and some other classes of temporary visa) holders can often be exempt. At the moment, those in Northern Territory or Tasmania on a 457 TR are likely to have these tuition fees waived.
That leaves just two…
- New South Wales
- Australian Capital Territory
The bottom line is, if you’re moving to Australia on a 457 or other temporary residency visa, you have children of school age and you are moving to NSW or ACT, expect to pay for your children’s state school education.
There’s a hole in my budget
Imagine arriving in New South Wales, starting your new sponsored job whilst putting the final touches on your three kids going to the local state school. Let’s say your children are 5, 7 and 13.
The weather is great, you love your new job and the kids can’t wait to get started in their new school. Life is perfect!
Then you get a bill from the school for $14,500.
Ouch!
In Australian Capital Territory, that same scenario could lead to a bill in excess of $30,000.
Double ouch!!
Oh, and you’ll get that bill every year.
Yes, you definitely need to know what kind of school fees you might be in for.
My advice is search the Internet through the ‘knower of all things’, Google. Use one of the following phrases, depending which state or territory you are moving to. Hey, you can copy and paste if you want!
Search for…
- State school fees for temporary visa holders in New South Wales
- State school fees for temporary visa holders in Australian Capital Territory
- State school fees for temporary visa holders in Northern Territory
- State school fees for temporary visa holders in Tasmania
And just to be sure, I’d even do the same searches for Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia if you are considering going to any of those states because, who knows, the rules might change there as well.
You will need to know which visa class and visas subclass you will be entering Australia with and then cross-reference that with the state or territory you will be living in. That way you can find out exactly how these potential state school tuition fees might affect YOU!
Ah, there goes the bell; that’s the end of today’s lesson. Except for just one more thing.
United Nations Children’s Fund
According to a UNICEF fact sheet regarding the Rights of the Child, Article 28 states “All children have the right to a primary education, which should be free.”
Seems to me the states and territories who do charge for children’s education in government run schools are out of line with Australia’s “fair dinkum” attitude.
For this reason, these state school tuition fees are an Australian bad thing even though I have put this post into my Cost of Living – Australia category.
Update: 2015 for Western Australia
My thanks to Laura who made a comment below, apparently Western Australia have now introduced fees for some temporary visa holders. Looks like it’s (currently) going to cost $4000 per family regardless of the number of children. Cheaper, I think, then the other states who are making a charge, but it is still an additional expense to consider. For more information, visit:
Update: 2017 for South Australia
It would appear that South Australia, as of January 2017, have introduced school fees for those here on temporary 457 visas. Please click on School fees for 457 visa holders to open up a PDF with the full details.
I have 457 visa with my family i.e with two boys.Currently my family in Pakistan and now my one more boy born on Aug 20.
I want to ask that we want to add new born baba to our 457 visa.
Kindly tell me the fees structure and timming process.your early response will be highly appreciated.
Thanks
Mudassir
Sorry, I do not answer questions of this nature, see Would I Qualify?
Hi there
We moved to au in 2011 in Brisbane..
We didn’t pay anything there and 2012 we moved to Sydney and since that we haven’t pay anything no one ask us to pay until yesterday. My son in year 6 and finishing in December. They are asking me to pay last 4 years now.. We are in briging visa waiting our or soon..
Do anybody know what should I do??
It wasn’t our mistake it was a school mistake not checking carefully.. They have all our document since the beginning..
Thanks
Gosh, what a mess, I really don’t know what to suggest. If I were you, I would try and get some kind of legal advice on this. It may be a good idea to see a lawyer. Obviously a mistake has happened here somewhere, you should surely have been notified that you needed to pay when you move to New South Wales sooner than this.
If you don’t want to get legal advice, maybe you could try and negotiate a compromise with the school or government, whoever is asking you for the money.
Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob:) I’m not sure if you can help me. My husband have a job offer from Sydney work in Campbelltown NSW. We like to take this offer but we not sure about school fees. Visa tipe is 457 (long term). Probably we will be moving at the beggining of 2017. We got 3 sons – 5, 4 and 2.5 years. Our son will be 6 on Feb next year, middle one will be 5 in June 2017. My question is that my 6 years old need to start school do we have to pay fees from January 2017 if we will move in March ? And do we have to send our middle one to school in 2017 or 2018 when he will be 6?? Do you know some good primary schools near Campbeltown ??? Thank you .
Everything I know about schools is on my page called Which school? Please be sure to also check out the ‘More useful links’ section at the bottom.
You can certainly work out when your youngest needs to start school and also the grades the others will go into. You can even research schools in the Campbelltown area to see how they performed.
As for school fees, yes, I’m pretty sure you will have to pay as suggested in this post, but I don’t think you will need to pay for the full year if you arrive a while after it has started. This though is something you will need to take up directly with the school to see what they will charge you for.
Bob Thank you very much for information 🙂 it will help a lot. Have a nice evening. Aggie
Hi Bob
We are going to move to south Australia next year as 457 visa. With our 3 year old boy. Can my boy learn in public kindergarten or childcare with low cost?
I’m not sure about the rules on that one, but you might get some help on my page about daycare, there is a link on it to another website that knows more about this sort of thing than I do. Check it out here…
https://www.bobinoz.com/blog/12566/childcare-options-for-children-in-australia/
Thanks, Bob! That is really useful information for me now.
Hi Bob, nice to see your website, I am moving to South Australia soon, coober pedy to be exact. Can you please confirm if the state education policy for 457 visa holders in South Australia is still “free education” for children.
thanks in advance.
cheers
saad
Well, I think it is, but no, I can’t confirm it. Any state government can change any rule at any time, all I can tell you is that the time of writing this post the above information was correct.
If you have concerns about this, I suggest you use Google to search for the latest information or contact the Victorian education department direct to ask them. Good luck, Bob
We are coming to Sydney on 457 for three years my children are aged 7 year 3 and aged 9 in year 5 . We are in the uk. My question is should we go into private schooling to allow the children to be educated well so to allow easier transition once back in uk, or would public school be ok , I was looking at areas like st Ives so I hear the schools are good there. I’m worried that once back in the uk they will be lost or behind due to curriculum differences
I believe the curriculum is the same for both private and state schools, and it may surprise you that some state schools provide better education than private ones.
Paying money doesn’t necessarily mean getting a better education.
Just choose the best school you can for the area you decide to move to, you can find out how to research them on my page called Which school?
We came here in 2014 (Sydney NSW) on a 457 and put our kids into public school. The school is great – better than UK in many ways – and we figured that if we had to pay $5K per child for 2 years then we could manage it if we knew that eventually we wouldn’t have to pay after we got PR.
PR is due for us shortly so we’ll stop paying school fees.
That’s probably a very good way of looking at it Matt, especially the part about it only being for two years.
I think where some people struggle with it is when the school fees come as a shock to them, because they didn’t know they were going to have to pay them. But if you do know the fees are coming, and you budget for it, then it isn’t so bad.
hi bob,
i will be moving to perth in next few months, my concern is my 6 years old daughter, can she get admission in public school from midterm, is there any school fees. my second concern is how safe and friendly perth is to live in. i would also like to know the good public schools in perth. my English is pretty good but daughter is not that good, so is she going to face a problem in interaction or how difficult it will be for her to adapt the language. pls help
thx
preeti
Firstly, school fees, I don’t know for sure but please do read the update at the foot of the above post for more information.
As for your other points, all schools in Australia are more than used to people arriving from abroad and joining midterm without a good command of the English language. They know how to deal with it, so your daughter will be fine.
You can research schools from my page Which school?
And yes, Perth is safe and family friendly. Hope that helps, Bob
Thanks Bob website and guide books you really helping anyone he
Thank you Julianto 🙂
Your welcome Bob
I live in nsw with 457 visa after 2 years we will apply a PR.I have my two son 11 and 10 the education here is too expenses.my question is after I will apply a PR the immi issue us bridging visa the education of my sons will be free on bridging? May be after issue a PR will be education free.
Thanks
I don’t know the answer to that question, perhaps you should ask your case officer who should be able to help you.
NO I am in the same situation now, for as long as you are on a bridging visa your current visa conditions still apply, therefore you will be paying fees for as long as your on a bridging visa. We were informed that processing for PR was approximately 8mths, however we are now 14mths after applying and haven’t heard anything. The fees in qld are ridiculous $11,792 this year.
Thanks for your reply.
Another question is while I said that I am here with my family wife and two sons I also paid the medical to bupa monty basis approx 220$ for 4 persons.If my family 3 persons will back to Pakistan and I will live alone here.whats the condition apply means I will change the medical payment i.e I will pay one person.whats your openion.
Thanks
I think it would change from family policy to single policy, I am not 100% sure as I am English and therefore entitled to reciprocal healthcare
I am Mudassir Hassan living in sydney with 457 visa for my family i.e wife and two sons.
My question is my wife pregnant and they back my country to delivey new child will expect end of August whats the procedure i will add my new child on 457 visa and how much expense
Nobody reply yet
I don’t know the answer, I think you would need to speak directly to the immigration department about this.
Hi, im planning to enter Australia with my daughter as a tourist but im inlove this country and i want my daughter to study here..which state does not require expensive school fees? Thanks
That’s what is answered in the above post. You will need a visa that will allow your daughter to study here though, you should talk to a MARA migration agent about your options.
Hi,
I got NSW 190 visa last week. I am planning to move to Sydney by April. Is it possible to get admissions for my kids in the month of April? My elder one is completing 4th and youger one will be 1st. Please advise.
My understanding is that a state school is obliged to offer a place to any children that live within their catchment area, so I’m pretty sure you will be okay. Good luck, Bob
Hii,
We are moving to brisbane with visa subclass 188 in the next few months. I have three kids aged 13,8 and 6. Are the state schools still free on this visa at the moment or are they implementing charges in those states as well?
I’m not sure how that particular class of visa applies when it comes to the education of your children, I think to be safe you should check with the state’s education department. You can also find out a lot of information of what you can and can’t do on certain visa types from the government’s website, if you watch the video on my page called Visas you will find out how. Good luck, Bob
Reajinder,
In Brisbane you have to pay for education. I´m applying for student visa and have two kids as well. I had to pay almost $10k for six months for them.
Hi, everyone…
My main concern to move to Australia is regarding to education for my kids (I have two in the primary school). Reading the posts of Bob´s blog I noted some benefit for education in Queensland. So, in fact, this benefit is hard to get.
Bob, the benefit that you have mentioned is regarding to section 51 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (EGPA)? If yes, we need to cover a lot of conditions and the major of people don´t have this conditions (Financial hardship and/or exceptional circumstance).
So, if you are talking about other benefit, tell me, please, because I noted that I have to pay average AU$12k for two kids in one semester. Oh, its expensive!
(I ttrying to put a link of this article, so I can´t)
(PS>> this blog is wonderful)
Sorry, but I don’t know anything about this section 51 thing, so I’m pretty sure it’s not an article that I have written, is it?
As with most benefits, I think the only way you will discover whether you qualify is to actually apply for it through the relevant Queensland State Department. Good luck though, Bob
Sure, Bob
It is what I´ll do. Firstly I have to pay in order to apply for visas. And arriving there I´ll looking for these benefits. If I really have these benefits, the government will recover my money spent in the visa process.
Tks, by your return.
Hello,
I am British citizen coming with my three children from UK to Adelaide in February 2016. I have three children, aged 7 in year 3, aged 9 in year 5, aged 12 in year 7.
I would be grateful if anybody can help me to answer the following questions:
Which year groups my children will be admitted to in Adelaide? Will they miss a year?
For example, my daughter in year 7 in the UK, will she go to year 7 in Adelaide or how it works?
I am aware that they start school year at end of January in Australia, my children will have just 4 or 5 months in UK to finish their year group.
Will this affect which school year they will be admitted to in Australia?
What documents do I need to bring with me to register my children in Adelaide Schools?
How applying to schools works in Australia, should I apply to each school or there is local authority I can apply through it?
How can I know how well the schools
are doing? In UK I check ofested, is there similar thing in South Australia?
Best Regards
Sarah
I have lots of information about schools on my page called Which school?
On that page you can research how good the schools are according to the statistics, and if you look towards the bottom of the page you’re find many links to other articles about schools in Australia.
The bottom of those links, or close to the bottom anyway, is one about what age children start school in Australia. Click on that and you should be able to answer your specific questions about what year your children will go into.
Hope that helps, Bob
Dear Bob,
Thank you very much.
Many thanks
Sarah
Hi, Sarah…your questions helped me a lot…tks for sharing
Bob, I have plans to go to Brisbane, like Sarah, but for studing. I have two kids as well. So, we will arrive there in midle of the March and the season for TERM2 will start in april. So, my kids will miss Term1. Is it a trouble for education system in the Australia?
Tks a lot!
I think the state school within the catchment area where you choose to live have an obligation to provide your children with a place as soon as they arrive. So it should not be a problem in terms of placing, all your children will need to do is slot into the Australian curriculum, I’m sure they will manage that okay.
Good luck, Bob
Tks, Bob
I´ll send notices about it. We have plans to move in march and start the class in April. After our experience, I´ll write with you.
See you…Fabi
Okay, sounds good, thanks, Bob
Dear Bob
Hello! My family and I have a regionally sponsored (Victoria) permanent residency visa 176 held since July 2011. We activated when holidaying in Easter 2012. The travel component expires this coming July 2016.
I am told this just means once we are there we need to stay long enough to apply for citizenship or apply rrv? Is this correct?
Also I am told uni fees for kids will be same as for Australians ie not overseas students? Does anyone know?
I have a job offer! Yay family not keen and we may send me ahead first as the guinea pig and they complete studies in uk……is it easy to set up bank account NI medi are etc ahead or do I have to wait until there?
Best wishes
H
Well, I can’t comment on the technicalities of your visa, you should check the conditions thoroughly. Same with applying for citizenship, you need to check the latest terms for applying which you’ll get from the government’s immigration website.
As for university fees, my understanding, although not 100% certain, is that the fees are different for Australian citizens and non-Australian citizens. Again though, this is something that you will need to check out for yourself, I don’t actually keep up-to-date with all the latest rules and regulations.
If somebody else knows the answers from experience, hopefully they will come here to help you out. Good luck with your move though, hope it goes well and hopefully the rest of the family will come round soon 🙂
Trying to say this politely and as correctly as I can.
Don’t come. Australia is full up.
We have over 1 million unemployed or people on welfare.
The cost of living is ridiculous, housing, services, energy, food, education, you name it.
We already have 1.7 million foreign guestworkers masequrading as students or tourists or 457 or via NZ back door on top of uncontrolled & unsustainable unskilled immigration & family reunion of over 130,000 a year.
The productivity commission examined the case for 457 and skilled migration and concluded there is NO Jobs and NO case – all the current 457 candidates were here on a fraudulent basis and local skills existed in surplus in every category.
Our cities are vast ethnic slums full of 2 bed unit hovels with up to 10, 12 guestworkers sharing bunks & mattresses.
Our streets are littered with Australian homeless living on the street or families living in parks or a car.
We have non English speaking Asian, Indian, African & Arab as well as warring Muslim enclaves where 90% of the people are on welfare and do not bother in any way to assimilate or live an australian way of life.
Don’t come.
Australia is about to tip into a major recession and face severe structural and social issues due to migration overshoot.
We are full up.
And ps – why shouldn’t a migrant guestworker pay the full cost of the education service as a guest in a host country ? Do Australian taxpayers have any obligation to feed or fund services to temporary guest workers?
No.
In the call in Australia is that every guestworker be it a ‘student’, ‘tourist’, 457 or NZ back door non NZ born third worlder pays a non refundable $50,000 bond for the usage of community and public infrastructure.
Just don’t come.
We have had enough ; too many millions have just come here, stolen, used us and made the place a mess.
Every country has people like you Full up who, quite simply, just don’t like it when ‘foreigners’ move to where you live. You blame them for everything, it’s all their fault. They take your jobs, they make people homeless, they build slums, they are the problem.
People like you blame everything on ‘foreigners’.
Fortunately though, people like you are in the minority. The rest of us, the more forwardthinking among us, appreciate how much the influx of other cultures have improved this country. We understand that without the skills we have imported, this country would have ground to a halt many years ago.
The picture you paint of Australia is inaccurate and does not represent this country. You do not speak on behalf of Australians, you are a minority. You are entitled to your opinions, that’s one of the joys of living in a country that allows free speech. You should be aware though, that it’s an opinion that the vast majority do not share.
These are difficult times in Australia by comparison to 5 years or more ago, but the whole world is going through difficult times. Australia is not full though, other than in your head.
Full up’s follow-up comment has been removed, it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of this post which is the payment of state school fees for temporary visa holders.
My Comment Policy shouldn’t be too difficult to adhere to, after all, in its simplest form it only asks people to “Be polite, be friendly and discuss the subject of the post.”
This users comment has comfortably breached those guidelines and has therefore been removed.
If you had ” thumb up ” symbol, I would hit it for this comment Bob.
🙂
Hi Bob,
I notice that most of the above comment regards school fee is base on 2013 and 2014. Maybe I missed out the comment around 2015. Anyway, I’m planning to continue my study in OZ land (Brisbane) under 572 visa (student visa). My concern is my 4 kids which I am planning to bring together with me aged between 5yo/14yo/15yo/16yo. Do you have any positive advice before I decide something that might bite me back in future in term of financial paying an hefty school fee?
Thanks eddie
Eddie, firstly, you have posted five comments here on this page in a matter of just a few minutes pretty much asking the same questions. You have asked four of my readers to email you directly posting your email address online. I have now deleted your email address from those comments.
This isn’t the way we work it here, if someone is going to help you they will help you online, publicly, that way it helps everyone who visits this page. Please do not post your email address again and ask for direct responses.
As for the 572 visa which, as you say, is a student visa, I’m really not sure how it works. I don’t know whether you would need to pay for your children’s education or not or whether that is something that varies from state to state. Maybe somebody here can help you out, but please, you only need to ask the question once.
Many thanks for your cooperation, Bob
Hi Bob,
Thank you and apologize for the over done comments. Will wait for others to give their point of view. Again…many thanks
Thanks for understanding, Bob
Hi Bob,
We are looking to relocate in Queensland (Brisbane). We are a decent family of 5 currently living in Bristol-UK. My husband is a skilled bricklayer working for about 15 years in construction industry. He recently obtained the job assessment by Down Under Centre in London and Ielts 7 ( 8, 7 ,7 , 6.5). We were assessed by a Mara Agent in Swindon what kind of Visa would be suitable for us 189, but my husband still need the skills assessment by TRA, that is a quite long process. It is difficult also to provide 8 years with references, invoices and so on, because of the situation in Spain a lot of previous employers don’t exist any more. So he is thinking in 457 Visa. The problem is that he cannot find sponsored jobs in Brisbane and he need some advice where to look for. We are 38 and we have 3 children 5, 7 and 16.
We keep trying to go Australia since 2010 and hope one day our dream will come true. Any information and advice is very welcome. We spent a lot of money in all this recognitions and processes, but nobody can guarantee our success.
I apologise if my writing is not grammatically correct as I am in process of studying English.
Thank you
An important detail, we have Romanian passports.
I can’t help you personally find a sponsorship, but I do give guidance on my page called Getting a Job or a Sponsorship.
Looking at your IELTS scores, I do not think you have a 7. It’s not an average of all of the scores, I believe it’s the lowest score that counts when it comes to visa applications for Australia. If that is still the case, you have IELTS 6. You might like to check that with your MARA agent. Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob,
I about to make the move to Oz (Cairns) and I noticed on your forum a Ramesh Sharma who did so under sub class 572. I was wondering what that’s about and how did Ramesh do it? Also, my kids are 6 and 14 and would like to have them attend State School.
If Ramesh can contact me about it too, that would be so helpful: rob.kawi2013@gmail.com
I will, for obvious reasons, leave this one to Ramesh.
Hi Bob,
I have similar issue with Rob Kawi.
Wanted to know the exact school fee for my 4 kids and can they apply for state school under my 572 visa
Hi
We are at the start of finding sponsorship and have just spoken to a recruitment company in Australia who have advised us you pay fees on a temporary visa in WA.
I have just had a quick search online and it seems that they have introduced fees this year. The fee is $4000 (don’t quote me!) per year per family.
Hope this helps anyone else looking to make the move and deciding where to go.
Laura
Wow, I didn’t know, thanks for bringing this to my attention Laura. I’m going to add an update to this post right now. Cheers, Bob
Hi Laura
Can you share with me the company name. Interested in it
Thanks
I have moved to Australia under Visa Sub class 572 for two years. My girls adged 14 & 9 studying in year 8 & 4. I never new the school fees are so expensive. I dont know what may be the reason. If I could find any other school cheaper than the ones they are studying now.
Thank you
Ramesh Sharma
If you are talking about a private school, they all charge different amounts so it is worth shopping around. State schools are free unless you have a temporary visa and are living in one of those states mentioned in the above article who do charge a fee for those visa holders.
Possible solutions for you are to switch to a state school if you are currently paying for private education or maybe move to a state that doesn’t charge temporary visa holders school fees for their children. My article will guide you on that, but do doublecheck with the authorities to make sure the information is still correct.
Hi Ramesh,
Can you tell me about 572??
Regards,
Rob.
Hi Ramesh
How much are you being charged on the school fee?
Thanks
Hi bob, I would like to study an certificate of accounting IV in TAFE. Is it related to you? Can you please advice me cost and requirements for a foreigner student / semester. Thank you.
Hi Judith, my email delivery service has already alerted me that you have found my Student Visas page and signed up for the free assessment.
If you complete the form and return it, my expert will help you with these questions. Me, I have no idea 🙂
Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob,
Am planning of moving to Perth with visa subclass 573. I like to know if my girls ages 8 and 5 will pay tution fee in a public school. I hope to get a quick response from you. Thanks.
Esther
That’s a study visa, I’m not sure, you’d need to talk to a MARA agent or maybe directly with the Australian government to see whether you need to pay or not.
Hi Bob i love your website because of the usefull information. I am moving to Queensland and was worried about the costs and enrollment procedure for my 4 year old son to get in a public school. Is the education in QSLD still free for public schools? how mych for the voluntary fees per year and in which case? Then i seek on the web and found out they recueve aplications since september year before, do you know something about the procedure?
As I understand it, the state (public) school within the catchment area of wherever you choose to live has an obligation to provide a place to your son, so don’t worry too much about the September thing, they don’t expect you to do that when you’ve only just arrived.
As for those voluntary costs, have a look at this article…
https://www.bobinoz.com/blog/3335/cost-of-living-in-australia-school-fees/
Good luck, Bob
Thanks Bob you are always helpfull. I will start with a place to live do you have any advice about that? And wanted to know which are the most common celphone lines in australia… Tersla? Thanks for all in advance.
Yes I do, see A Quick Guide to Choosing a City in Australia.
Telstra is our major communications supplier, but also the most expensive. You might want to read this post…
https://www.bobinoz.com/blog/9484/uk-versus-australia-mobile-phone-prices-compared/
I apply for 190 visa and I got bridging visa but because my visa 573 is still active so bridging visa is not in effect and I have to pay full school fees for my daughter is it possible I can claim this school fees after I get my permanent residency.
Sorry Ajay, I have no idea about that one. Somehow I doubt it, but it’s definitely worth looking into. Good luck, Bob
This Blog is useful for us. Whoever opened up, Hats off to them. I am already in Western Australia with 572 Visa. I was surprised to see the school fees for my kid getting charged to 11000 as compared to 6500 as of 2014. I don’t know the reason for sudden rise, Any chances of coming down please??
That would be me who opened it up Ramesh, Bob 🙂
That’s obviously a private school that you are paying for, and I believe some of them have different fees for different grades, so for example, perhaps grades 4 to 7 might be $6500, but then when you go to grade 8 then you may well go into a different payment band.
So it’s probably not just a cost of living rise, it’s to do with the grade. I’m only guessing of course, you would need to check with the school. In my opinion, some state schools (which are free) are often every bit as good as private schools, so worth looking into.
To do that, see my page called Which school?.
Hi Bob,
I would like to know about the TR benefits when it comes to my child, she is already 13. We’re planning to move in Adelaide this July. Would it be easy for her to enrol in a government school knowing that we are just holding TR? Thanks so much and I appreciate your response.
Benefits are very much dependent on your circumstances, you would need to go and speak to Centrelink, they will sort it out for you. As for school, I’m pretty sure state schools have a legal responsibility to give a place to anybody living in their catchment area, so I think you’ll be okay.
If you know where abouts you are going to live, may be worth giving the school a call to sort it out. Good luck, Bob
Bob,
Thanks so much for the quick reply! Appreciate it.
All the best!
I recently arrived Perth on 25.02.2015. I have two daughters aged 9 and 14. I cannot find the school fees structure anywhere in the site. I am International student from Bhutan. I would appreciate if someone could help me.
You should get the school fees directly from the school you intend sending your daughters to.
Hi Bob,
Is it possible for a single mum of twin boys in primary, the exemptiom get approved (in Sydney)?
I’m not sure what the exemption criteria is, all you can do is apply and see what happens. Good luck, Bob
Dear Bob,I am leaving to WA on January,holding visa 489 ,,with three lovely daughters. 11,7 and 4 years ,,I need to know if I need to pay the school charges for public schools..we will appreciate if anyone passed through the same case and share his experience …
Thanks
Everything I know about this subject is in the above article and as far as I’m aware, nothing has changed as at today’s date. I think the article explains everything quite clearly, have a good read, you should get your answer.
If in doubt, telephone one of the schools you are considering using and ask them the direct question. Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob,
I wonder if you, or one if your readers, can answer a question I have about enrolling my kids into a school in Queensland while visiting on a tourist visa (ETA or subclass 600 Visa). I know that there is a maximum limit of 12 weeks (which I understand you have to pay for). But can you tell me if it is possible to leave for a short trip to NZ after the 12 weeks and the come back and enrol for a further 12 weeks. We would like to stay for 6 months on a tourist visa but obviously couldn’t keep the kids off school for 6 months).
Thanks in advance.
I’m not sure about this one, it may even be something you will need to negotiate directly with the school. Hopefully somebody else reading this can help you out, otherwise I do hope you find the answer you are looking for.
Hi Bob,
Great blog! useful information indeed. My family & I will be going to QLD under visa subclass 402 ( Research & Training) next month. I bring along my school children age 8 & 9. What concern me most is Tuition fees for our kids…do we need to pay or are we exempted from that payment…thanks bob
“I don’t think so” is my rather hesitant answer, but if you’re talking about state education I’m pretty sure you will not have to pay. But this is something you will have to doublecheck with someone who really does know, the full terms and conditions of your visa should have been made available to you somewhere along the line when it was granted.
Have a good read through that, it should cover the subject or speak to your case officer and ask the question.
Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob!
Thanks for your kind reply and advice. Finally, i’m here (QLD) with my beloved family. Our kids were exempted from school fees (sigh!). They really enjoy & love the school.
Cheers!
Welcome, hope you get to love this place is much as I do. Glad to hear you got the school fee exemption 🙂
Cheers, Bob
Hi Mohd Hashairi,
Can you share with me which region of QLD are you residing. I’m on 572 starting march 2016 and need as much information regards schools fee as possible before I decide to bring along the whole family in
Thank you
Hello
Wanted to get good Science Tuition in Chesham for ages,
finally I found this site and got all the required info, so happy with the service.
Thanks
If you’re happy I’m happy 🙂
Hi Bob,
I caught your site by coincident and have captured quite a lot of concise info.
We love Aussie in every way.
Same reason we are planning to enrol our daughters 12yrs and 7 yrs on 2015 schooling year.
We’ll be in tourist Visa and plan to apply for student Visa 571.
Please advice which state will give us some relieve on the yearly school fees, I mean the lowest.
Kind regards,
Siva
Each school charges different fees Siva, so I don’t think any one state would be the place to head, it’s more a case of checking out individual school costs. It may well be worth you going through my free assessment service offered by my expert on my Student Visas page.
Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob,
We have two kids aged 10 and 6 and planning to move to Albury NSW with a 489 visa. Can you p,ease tell us if they hool fees will be waived off for our kids?
Thanks,
Sarangi
My entire knowledge on this subject is written in the above article 🙂
Hi Bob,
My wife and myself are looking to make a move to Oz. We most probably will come over on a 489 visa. From my understanding it is the same as the old 457 visa. We just want to know what the school fees will be for state schools in Queensland, SA, WA, and Victoria.
Regards Peet.
Everything I know about state school fees is in the above article, it’s all there.
If you want to doublecheck anything, use my copy and paste Google search also in the above article. Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob in Oz,
We’re thinking of moving to Perth but would like to trial it for few months first. Would a school take my son temporarily so we could live and breathe life down under before we make a full commitment?
Kind Regards,
Marie
Hi Marie
I think that would depend on what kind of visa you were here on, a holiday visa might be a problem but some kind of temporary working visa or long-term permanent visa would probably mean that the state school within the catchment area where you choose to live would have an obligation to provide education for your son.
That’s my guess, but I don’t know the legalities, I suggest you phone a few schools direct and ask them about it.
Good luck, Bob
Thank you very much for your quick response, very helpful just like your site
Hi Bob,
I’m looking to come over to either Victoria or SA in the next few months. I have two kids aged 11 and 8. Are the state schools still free on a 457 at the moment or are they implementing charges in those states as well?
I have not heard of any changes to the rules Ian, so I would guess that they are. I think it’s more a case that if anyone should be falling in line, the states that do charge should be falling in line with those who don’t.
Just my opinion though, but there are some mighty big children’s organisations who agree with that.
Thanks Bob, that is really helpful.. It’s always nice to get as much info as possible so that your not shocked when you come out.
I’ve also been offered a couple of positions in Brisbane as well so am weighing up my options. I know that at the time of writing this article Queensland were not charging for school fees but is that still the case today?
Yes, there is still the situation at the moment, no sign of it changing either.
Hi Bob,
Love this site! Thanks so much for sharing all of this good info. We have just found out about the cost for school in NSW. OUCH! We plan to leave in July 2014 and live there for around 12 months. Originally had NSW in mind. Now we are thinking more QLD. My husband is an Aussie citizen. Three of our four children were able to obtain citizenship by descendent. My daughter will have to go over there on a 571 and I will have to go over on a 600. Do you know if the 600 or the 571 are considered TR visas? This will help reduce the cost of her tuition. That is if I am understanding this concept correctly. Any ideas?
Hi Jodi
Glad you love the site, thanks. I’m afraid the question is a bit too technical for me, I don’t know. It might be worth phoning the admin department of a potential school and ask them how they view those visas. Good luck, Bob
Hi Bob, Love your site, gives some great info.
Thinking of moving out to Queensland, on a 457 visa, I have 2 kids aged 5 and 6, with all the new rules and regs with the 457 visa, do you know if the state schools in Queensland are still free?
Thanks
Yes, still free Carrie, although you’ll get collared for ‘contributions’ every now and then, say $100 or $200. Plus books, stationary, uniforms etc…
Cheers, Bob
For some of those states and territories that do charge a fee, 457 visa (and some other classes of temporary visa) holders can often be exempt. At the moment, those in Northern Territory or Tasmania on a 457 TR are likely to have these tuition fees waived.
Am I missing something Karim? Your comment is simply a copy and paste job of one of the paragraphs in my article, why would you want to do that?
Bob, i expect to join la trobe University in Victoria for masters course am having Australian award scholarship, i will accompany with my kids a boy 6 years, two girls fraternal twins 4 year, while studying i want them to join public schools (primary and nursery education) i want to know school fees if i can afford to my three kids.
In that case I can’t help you, I don’t really know what the arrangements are for those on a student visa. If it’s the same as 457 visa holders, then you would probably be looking at $4500 or so a year per child, but I’m guessing.
I think you will need to ask the schools direct to get the correct answer.
Can I just check if anyone has ideas on the school fees of public schools in Victoria for 576 visa holders for primary school education? Thanks.
I would think my expert would know the answer to this, he offers a free assessment, check out my page about Student Visas. Thanks, Bob
We are looking at queensland and coming over on a student visa and the costs per year for state school are looking$8500 times that by 3 not good.is it down to the government or the school whether they charge or not?
People who come to Australia specifically to study usually have to pay for it, and I assume you are coming here specifically to study?
$8500 sounds like a private school fee, so therefore decided by the school not the government, but I couldn’t tell you for sure without knowing the full facts.
Seriously considering Queensland , brisbane now.. I’ve travelled all over Australia
( in my head that is ) …. Can I just check if anyone has ideas on the school fees in Queensland for 457 visa holders? Thanks.
At the moment, state schools are free in Queensland for 457 holders. Private school fees vary depending upon the school. Do be aware though, some other states do charge 457 holders for state schools.
Hope that helps!
It’s maybe worth pointing out that many private schools in NSW are cheaper than the public schools for people on a 457. Private schools also have the advantage of letting you pay in manageable instalments.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that is the reason NSW charge the fees they do for public education (and demand up-front payment): to try to “encourage” (force?) people into private education instead.
If you are only going to be over here on a temporary basis or are going to be switching areas/schools anyway, then going private makes more sense.
However, if you intend applying for Permanent Residency in two years (which, when granted, means free education) public schooling may work out less costly in the long-term (unless you are willing to move you children from private to public school once you attain PR).
Final note: you can apply for an exemption, but it is assessed entirely on your income.
It is worth pointing out Andrew, and you have made some very valid and useful points. Thank you for adding this information, I know it will help quite a few people.
I did read about the possibility of applying for an exemption, but my guess is that anyone who is coming here on a 457 sponsored visa is going to be earning the kind of money that will mean their application will fail. As I understand it, it is purely money based and applicants need to prove they simply can’t afford to pay.
Thanks again!
Bob
Got a friend from UK whose son is in second year of secondary education and would be moving to NSW. Anyone got an idea of how much school fees she will be paying per year/monthly. She is devastated – only found out recently that she has to pay school fees and will be coming to NSW on a 457 visa.
Hi Elizabeth – depending on the child’s age, it’s between about $4,500 and $5,500 per child, per year. The fees are apportioned for the amount of time the child is in school during the academic year (which is a calendar year here).
Hi.. Great info!! I’m looking at Victoria or WA, I was told my a fellow nurse living in NSW that her main out going was school fees for her 3 children! Totally made me re think my location… Cheers
Yes, your fellow nurse would be paying about $1000 a month just for her kids schooling, it’s a big chunk extra make up hope you find a something soon Leanne!
Bob
Hi Bob,
Just to chip in with my bit,I have just turned down
a 457 in Sydney,I have two kids (7 & 8) and the cost of schools etc was the final nail in the coffin,myself & my wife are gutted,but the costs of relocating to oz
are frightening,although I am glad l found out now before we arrived
there,still love oz but think its beyond my reach.
Cheers Justin
That’s a real shame Justin, but also understandable. That extra expense does make a big difference, and as you say, moving here is already expensive enough with the flights, removals and fees.
Why don’t you try and get a 457 in a different state? I highly recommend Queensland!
Cheers
Bob
Hi Bob,
The reason we chose Sydney was due to having family there & were kindly going to put us up for a few months rent free(happy days),however we spent a week up on the Brisbane/GC areas last July2012 and loved it and preferred it over Sydney,just wondering what areas you would recommend for families around Brisbane?
Keep up the good work on the site Bob,its very informative and has given us an insight to Oz.
Cheers Justin
Depends what you’re looking for really Justin, I live in Western Suburbs and I think it’s a great place to bring up kids, lots of green fields and plenty of space and yet it’s only a 40 minute drive from the city, off-peak. Bit tougher to get there during rush hour.
Hi Bob,
Possibly moving to the Sydney area in a couple of months, my 16 year old son was intending to do a car body maintenance course in the UK, would he be able to do something similar in Oz, and if so, how much is it likely to cost in tuition fees?
He will have finished his UK schooling (GCSE) – and doesn’t really want to do the high school thing. We will be on a temp visa, but hoping ultimately to gain citizenship.
Thanks,
Wez
I can’t specifically answer your question, but I think you need to Google ‘Tertiary education Australia’ and look into the courses available, you should also find information about costs which I think very widely depending on what you do and where.
Good luck, Bob
Many thanks Bob – and for the quick response.
We have been following your blog for two years now and it has been pivotal in us deciding to (hopefully – job offers permitting) come to Oz.
Keep it up, you are doing a great job!
🙂
Hello, we are moving to Sydney with work offer on 457 visa which states 18 yr old son must remain in education. He has completed A levels here & is at college. Happy to continue in education but we are unable to find course at this level, any ideas? Thanks
I don’t, no, but my expert may be able to help you, please check out my page about Student Visas.
Obviously I know you do not need a student visa, but my expert also helps students find suitable colleges and enrol. Good luck, Bob
I knew about the NSW School Fees before I came over, but what I (literally!) hadn’t budgeted on was that they require you to pay the full year’s fee ($4,500 per child) in, at most, two installments.
If you have two kids, that’s a payment of $4,740 (including the Admin Fee) before the kids are even allowed to enrol at School. Add in another $650 for uniforms, and a fair bit for stationery.
The School also expect you to make a donation to School Funds (about $150 in my case) though this is optional and can be deferred.
It a massive financial burden earlier on. Even the private schools let you pay in fortnightly installments.
I didn’t know that either, that’s a lot of money to have to find in a hurry! Do you think every school asks for the fees upfront like this? Or is it possibly down to each individual school?
The requests for donations is a little rich, I know they do ask for donations from the parents of all those kids who get free education, but to ask someone who’s just paid out a lump sum like that is a little tactless, I think.
Cheers
Bob
Hi Bob – the invoices come from NSW education authority, not the school, so I don’t think it’s up to the school when we have to pay.
It is a shock – and not something every employer in NSW is even aware of, I don’t think. We were fortunate enough to get a year’s fees written into the move package, but only because we found out about the costs ourselves in advance. I recall seeing there was a bit of a campaign some time ago to get NSW/ACT to remove or reduce the charges, but it obviously came to nothing.
It’s not the only hidden cost for inpats – what about car insurance if you haven’t got an Aussie driving licence?
Thanks for clearing that up Scott, sounds like everyone has to pay upfront.
I’m not surprised there was a campaign to try and get rid of this, as I say in the article, it appears to go against UNICEF rules.
What’s the deal when you don’t have an Aussie driving licence? I’m not even aware of that one.
Hi Bob – maybe it’s just our insurance, but we found out recently that we’re considered new drivers because we don’t have Australian licences. So, our excess is a lot higher!
Just curious, but are you able to get an Australian licenceon a 457? If you can, they are easy to get, it’s just a case of popping in to one of their offices and handing over money and stuff. I also thought there is a maximum amount of time that you are allowed to use a UK licence, then you have to get the Australian one, but I’m not sure if that applies to 457 visa holders or if that’s more for PR visa holders.
Any ideas on this?
Our child’s fees were about $5,500 a year in Sydney. Not a bad school but not great either. A factor in our returning to the states (among several). The same money – less actually – gets us an excellent private school here. It does not seem fair that an Australian family can take residence in the U.S. and get free education but the same is not reciprocated. But no worries. Given our economic problems over here, odds are that the days policing the world and offering free goodies to everybody else are about to end ; )
Missing Down Under, a great land. Cheers!
I don’t think it’s fair either Phil, I think all children who are resident here in Australia should get free state education, even if their residency is only temporary. I suspect you must have been in NSW? You should have come up here where I am, Queensland, your child’s education would have been free.
Cheers
Bob
Bob, I am working on the Queensland idea. If I can just convince my wife, lol! Seriously, I think Queensland might be the best starter place for a newbie to Australia on lots of different levels. Cost certainly. Wildlife is more varied and beaches more beautiful; warmer water for those who like to swim. Sydney is great, the Harbour is indeed where heaven must be located, but to do it again, indeed, Queensland/Brisbane would be the place to be.
I hope that Aussie residents start to appreciate more what they have. The beauty of the place and generally upbeat and kind nature of the country’s citizens has truly touched me and I miss it deeply. Cheers!
Then I would keep working on the wife Phil, I absolutely love it here in Queensland, even though I’m in Brisbane and its a bit of a hike to get to the beach. Yes, Sydney Harbour is amazing, but you have to be a millionaire to live anywhere near it. I’ll settle for the more laid-back Brisbane any time.
Good luck, hope it all works out.
Hi Bob, I’m very happy that I found your site…I’hv learned many things. I will like to just be sure if state school are free for my 3 kids of 8, 11 and 14. I have just send my application for a business management course certificate + Advance Diploma + Bachelor… its undergo… im waiting for a reply in the coming week. I have chose to live in Perth!! Thanks for your help Bob
Annick Li
I’m not sure your children’s education will be free, you would need to check with the Western Australian education department. If you read the update at the foot of the above article which was provided by a reader, it would appear that fees have now been introduced.