Temporary Residents Admissions procedure

Audience

Temporary visa holders who wish to enrol or have enrolled in a Queensland state school or approved state-delivered kindergarten (SDK), Department of Education International (DEi) staff, Queensland state schools (including SDK staff, and principals).

Purpose

This procedure outlines the responsibilities and processes which support temporary visa holders to engage with and be admitted to the Queensland state school (state school) system.

Overview

Under Section 51 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 , the Department of Education (the department) may charge fees for a child who is not an Australian citizen or the child of an Australian citizen or permanent resident to attend a state school or SDK.

DEi, on behalf of the Department of Education, oversees the registration and charging of fees to temporary visa holders who are eligible to apply to enrol at a state school. Schools must check whether a temporary visa holder meets the criteria to be registered through DEi prior to enrolling in a state school.

Responsibilities

School

• Check DEi schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions to determine if a temporary visa holder needs to be registered with DEi prior to enrolment.
• Direct applicants to Temporary Residents Admissions, DEi (TRA, DEi) where required.
• Follow the Enrolment in state primary, secondary and special schools procedure to enrol temporary visa holders issued with an Authority to Enrol (ATE).
• Keep student visa details up to date in OneSchool and monitor their ATE end date.

Region

• Check DEi schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions to determine if a temporary visa holder needs to be registered with DEi prior to enrolment.
• Direct applicants to TRA, DEi where required.

Applicant

• Check DEi schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions to determine if a temporary visa holder needs to be registered with DEi prior to enrolment.
• Complete the Temporary residents Application form for authority to enrol and attain an ATE from TRA, DEi before enrolling the temporary visa holder in a Queensland state school.
• Pay invoices in full by the due date and notify DEi if financial assistance is required.
• Inform school and TRA, DEi of any visa changes.
• Contact TRA, DEi if seeking to extend the temporary visa holder's enrolment at a Queensland state school past the end date on the ATE.
• Maintain visa conditions. Contact the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for all visa related questions.

Temporary Residents Admissions, DEi

• Provide advice to schools, regions and applicants on the DEi admissions process and enrolment requirements.
• Assess Temporary residents Application form for authority to enrol and determine eligibility for temporary visa holder to enrol in a Queensland state school.
• Issue ATEs and invoices where applications are approved.
• Monitor issued ATE end dates and visa changes and assist temporary visa holders who want to continue studying at a Queensland state school past the ATE end date.

Corporate, Business and Digital Services, DEi

• Assess financial hardship applications and coordinate fee waivers as per the Guidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications.
• Issue payment plans.
• Oversee debt management for temporary resident enrolments.

Process flow

Image 1 - Process

1. Enquire

Temporary visa holders must check the DEi schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions to determine if they must register their child with DEi prior to enrolling in a Queensland state school and whether they may be charged fees. Families may contact TRA, DEi via temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au or their local school for assistance determining if they require DEi registration.

Schools must check the child's visa subclass on the DEi schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions and determine if they are a temporary visa holder who requires registration with DEi before enrolment. If  unable to determine whether registration with DEi is required, direct enquiries to temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au.

If regions are contacted directly by temporary visa holders, they must check the child's visa subclass on the DEi schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions and determine if the student can enrol directly with the school or direct enquiries to temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au.

Where the child's visa subclass is listed as not requiring registration with DEi, this procedure is not applicable. Schools can enrol the child directly as per the Enrolment in state primary, secondary and special schools procedure.

If the child's visa subclass requires registration with DEi, applicants must follow the process outlined below.

Fees may not be applicable where an Australian citizen or permanent resident is exercising parental responsibility for a temporary visa holder who requires DEi registration. These applicants should continue to apply through DEi for an ATE alongside evidence of parental linkage as per the Guidelines for assessing parental linkage between a child and an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

2. Register

To register with DEi, applicants must complete the Temporary residents Application form for authority to enrol and submit with all supporting documentation to temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au.

Once the application form has been received, TRA, DEi will assess the application form, ensuring it meets the program requirements outlined in the Temporary Residents Admissions Terms and Conditions of Application (terms and conditions).

If the application is successful:

• TRA, DEi will determine the fees payable as per TRA fee schedule and terms and conditions and issue an offer of enrolment with the initial invoice; and,
• once the applicant has paid the initial invoice, TRA, DEi will issue a receipt and an ATE.

Applicants must make payments before the due date indicated on the invoice or advise TRA, DEi as soon as possible if financial circumstances change and payments cannot be made.

Australian citizens or permanent residents exercising parental responsibility for a temporary visa holder must submit evidence as per the Guidelines for assessing parental linkage between a child and an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

TRA, DEi will assess the application for parental linkage as per the Guidelines for assessing parental linkage between a child and an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If parental linkage is established, TRA, DEi will confirm via email that the child may directly enrol in a Queensland state school.

If the application for ATE or parental linkage is not successful, applicants can request that TRA, DEi review the decision in writing to temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au.

If the applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of the review, they have the right to lodge a complaint in accordance with department’s Customer Complaints Management Framework.

Fee waivers and financial assistance

Applicants may request financial assistance at any stage during the application process or during their enrolment if financial circumstances change.

If financial assistance is required due to compassionate and compelling circumstances

Where there may be a compassionate and compelling reason to waive fees, applicants must provide evidence of compassionate and compelling circumstances as per the Guidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications.

TRA, DEi will review the evidence against the Guidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications and send a recommendation to the Director-General or delegate including all evidence to support the compassionate and compelling grounds.

The Director-General or delegate will review the evidence provided and decide if the application meets the requirements to approve a fee waiver under compassionate and compelling grounds as outlined in theGuidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications. Once a decision is made, the Director-General or delegate will prepare a decision letter outlining where the applicant does or does not meet the criteria for compassionate and compelling circumstances as well as any conditions relating to the decision and notify TRA, DEi and the financial hardship team (CBDS), DEi of the outcome for actioning.

If financial assistance is required due to financial hardship

Applicants experiencing financial hardship will be referred to CBDS to discuss circumstances and eligibility for a payment plan or fee waiver. Applicants may also request to be referred to CBDS, DEi for consideration of financial hardship via temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au. 

CBDS, DEi will request evidence and determine if the applicant is experiencing financial hardship as outlined in the Guidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications. Applicants must provide evidence of financial hardship upon request for financial hardship to be considered. Where significant financial hardship may not apply, CBDS, DEi will discuss options and processes for a payment plan in accordance with the department's Debt management procedure.

CBDS, DEi will review the evidence against the Guidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications and send a recommendation to the Director-General or delegate including all evidence to support the significant financial hardship.

The Director-General or delegate will review the evidence provided and decide if the application meets the requirements to approve a fee waiver as outlined in the Guidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications. Once a decision is made, the Director-General or delegate will prepare the decision letter for the applicant outlining where the applicant does or does not meet the criteria for significant financial hardship as well as any conditions relating to the decision and notify CBDS, DEi of the outcome for actioning.

Fee waiver approved

If a fee waiver has been approved, TRA, DEi or CBDS, DEi will issue the Approved fee waiver letter to the applicant via email with a fee waiver agreement.

Fee waiver not approved

If a fee waiver application has not been approved, TRA, DEi or CBDS, DEi will issue the Application for a fee waiver declined letter to the applicant via email. TRA, DEi or CBDS, DEi will also:

• initiate debt collection of outstanding fees owed as per the Debt management procedure (if required);
• provide the applicant with a payment plan agreement if the fee waiver assessment determined the criteria for financial hardship had been met;
• update the child's records in DEi records management systems with the decision including finalisation of approval and updated invoice details if required; and,
• issue receipts where payments are made by the applicant.

Applicants dissatisfied with the outcome of their fee waiver application have the right to lodge a complaint in accordance with department's Customer Complaint Management Framework.

3. Enrol

Once TRA, DEi has issued an ATE, the applicant must provide a copy to the school. The school can then enrol the temporary visa holder as per the Enrolment in state primary, secondary and special schools procedure. Schools must keep a copy of the ATE on record, noting the dates the child is authorised to be enrolled.

Once the temporary visa holder is enrolled, the applicant must confirm which school the temporary visa holder will attend via email to temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au.

TRA, DEi will update the International Student Management System (ISMS) with enrolment information.

If financial assistance has been requested:

Applicants do not need to wait until a decision has been made about a request for financial assistance prior to enrolling the temporary visa holder in a state school if DEi have issued an ATE.

4. Monitor

Schools must keep accurate records of the temporary visa holder's visa subclass on OneSchool and monitor the end date provided on their ATE. Schools must complete enrolment verification each term by ensuring OneSchool records are up to date. TRA, DEi will update the temporary visa holder's details in ISMS and request school staff to update the temporary visa holder's OneSchool record. TRA, DEi will issue ongoing enrolment invoices via email to the applicant according to the invoice schedule.

Parents/guardians of temporary visa holders must notify DEi of any changes to the child's visa status or enrolment (e.g. change of school, change of grade) via email to temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au.

If the family wishes for the child to remain enrolled past the ATE end date, the school must contact TRA, DEi for advice via email to temporaryresidents@qed.qld.gov.au. TRA, DEi will work with the family to either extend their study on the existing visa, or to submit a new application where the temporary visa holder has changed visa subclass.

Temporary visa holders and their parent/guardian are responsible for maintaining any visa conditions and paying all invoices issued by DEi and the school by the due date.

To manage timely payments of fees, CBDS, DEi will issue temporary visa holders with:

• a courtesy reminder notice 14 working days before the payment is due if no payment or the full payment has not been received; and
• a final notice 5 working days after the payment was due if the full payment has not been received. The final notice will also include details for a debt management plan. Applicants have 7 working days to respond to the final notice. If applicants request an extension to the payment due date within this time frame, CBDS, DEi will send out a debt management request.

The applicant must advise TRA, DEi as soon as possible if financial circumstances change and payments cannot be made.

Applicants wishing to withdraw the temporary visa holder from school either temporarily or permanently must inform TRA, DEi as soon as possible and submit a request for a refund if applicable as per the terms and conditions.

Applicants who have a change in circumstances as outlined in the terms and conditions must submit a new application for ATE to TRA, DEi.

TRA, DEi will process all withdrawal, refund or new application requests.

5. Decide

Where an applicant is unable to pay invoices or meet the requirements of a payment plan and financial hardship or a fee waiver is not applicable, CBDS, DEi will refer debts to an external debt collection agency after the Final Notice has been sent for recovery as per the Debt management procedure.

Definitions

Legislation

• Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) 
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth) 
• Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) sections 10, 51
• Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) 
• Migration Act 1958 (Cwlth)  

Delegations/Authorisations

• Nil.

Other resources

• Complaints and grievances management policy
• Inclusive education policy
• Customer complaints management procedure
• Debt management procedure
• Enrolment in state primary, secondary and special schools procedure
• School Enrolment Management Plans (School EMPs) procedure
• User charging procedure
• Guidelines for assessing Temporary Residents Admissions financial hardship and fee relief applications 
• Department of Education International Schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions
• Department of Education Schools Directory
• Department of Home Affairs - Immigration and citizenship
• Education Queensland International
• Education Queensland International Temporary Resident Admissions
• State Delivered Kindergarten eligibility and locations
• TRA application for authority to enrol

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

1.0  Temporary Residents Admissions procedure